Savepoint

Savepoints are specific (non random and predetermined) places or moments in a game where a players progress in that game is stored for the purpose of allowing the player to resume the game from that point at a later occasion. In other words, a savepoint allows a player to resume playing a game from that point instead of from the beginning.

Many games implement savepoints that are triggered or activated automatically. In these cases, the player is usually informed that his progressed has been saved and his gameplaying activities arent interrupted in any way. Other games offer the player the explicit choice of saving his or her progress until that point. This decision is offered to the player in many cases so that he or she may make strategic use of the save point, for example opting not to save if the characters is currently in a non-advantageous position. For example, low on ammunition, health or chances.

We note that the purpose of savepoints is to allow the player to save progress within a certain game instance. This is different from games that allow meta-progress to be saved. For example, certain unlockable bonuses that may have been obtained such as extra vehicles, levels or even game modes are not considered within the context of the savepoint definition.

Examples

Strong Examples

Persona: Revelations

Throughout the world of Persona, you encounter pitch black rooms where pink cherry-blossom-like "Augustus Trees" reside. These trees talk to you and give you a place to rest and save your progress.

Skies of Arcadia

There are two types of Savepoints in Skies of Arcadia: the first is a save on the World Map, which allows you to save your cartesian (x,y) location on the World Map, and the second is at a Savepoint that is located somewhere in a [level]. Both Savepoints save your progress up to the point in time when you save your game (including items, bosses you have fought and dungeons you have accomplished). The purpose for the dual save system in Skies of Arcadia is to promote exploration on the World Map, which is drastically bigger than the level segmentation found elsewhere in the game.

Shining Force 2

In Shining Force 2, there are always a series of battles followed by an opportunity to save at a specific house in each town, acting as the save point. If the player loses a battle, he restarts from the previous save point. Sometimes, the game affords you the opportunity to save between battles when there is no town, due to an especially grueling series of battles.

X-Men Legends II: Rise of the Apocalypse

This game demonstrates the definition of savepoints very strongly. There are predetermined places where you can save and change characters throughout the level, and saving takes place no where else inside the single player game.

Ninja Gaiden

This game only lets you save at the dragon columns which appear spaced throughout the level. Upon death, you can choose which save to start from.

Gears of War

This game has an auto save system that saves when you get to a certain point in the level or after you are done killing swarms of bad guys. When you die you are restarted from that savepoint or when you start the game again you start form the savepoint.

Halo

In the first-person shooter Halo, there is a mechanism wherein the game automatically saves at certain points. This auto-save feature is used as the default re-starting point if the player where to lose.

Far Cry

Far Cry only allows its own autosaves at predetermined points in each level, and only once each.

Maximo

In Maximo, the player has the option of saving his progress by paying 100 Koins. This can only be done in a special location that is located in each of the worlds. If you don't have enough Koins, you can't save.

Okami

In Okami you there are certain points across the map you allowed to save. These are the only places you are allowed to save the game at during gameplay.

Metroid

In all of the Metroid games, from the 2d NES, SNES, Gameboy and GBA iterations to the 3d Metroid Prime games, there are designated save rooms littered throughout the game world.

Prince of Persia: Sands of Time

In this game, a water fountain serves as a save point. Once the Prince finds these the player presses a button and enters a screen in which they can save their game. The player can then start from this point in the event of a death or the player turning the game off.

Final Fantasy XII

In Final Fantasy XII, the game may only be saved at save points placed liberally throughout the gameworld (in the form of Save Crystals). Some of these locations also serve as warp points to make long-distance travel easier.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

In GTA, the player must return to any of his owned properties to save. As the missions progress, the player needs to save his or her progress to return to that point in the game after quitting. After saving at a given property, loading the game again generally spawns the player in or around the last property that player saved at.

Dragon Quest

In the first Dragon Quest, in order to save, one had to visit the Church (House of Healing in the NA versions) to save your progress and to heal, serving double duty.

Tales of the Abyss

In Tales of the Abyss for the PS2, there are various savepoints scattered throughout towns and dungeons for the player to save. Along the lines of traditional RPGs, there is a save point in every inn and dungeon (especially before boss battles).

Neverwinter Nights

In Neverwinter Nights there are two basic types of saves, one that is initiated manually by the player and one and that is initiated automatically by the game. These savepoints are usually at the doors to important places that the player needs to use repeatedly, hence providing a system where even the forgetful gamer will have their play saved automatically on a regular basis.

Resident Evil 4

In Resident Evil 4 the player may only save their game for loading later at typewriters in certain rooms in the world. The game also keeps track of how many times you save. It also automatically updates a Checkpoint from which the player can try again after a death, but players cannot quit the game and start again from the Checkpoint.

This system of saving not only encourages the player to "keep on going" and continue playing until he or she finds a save point, but also gives the player a way of saving his or her progress that does not go "out of character" for the game. From a role-play perspective, RE4's typewriters 'type up' the progress of Leon throughout the game: instead of just saying "saving game", it allows the user to remain in the "magic circle" of gameplay.

Weak Examples

Many games, especially PC first-person shooters, allow the player to save his progress at any moment. This is usually referred to as Quicksave. This is a weak example of savepoints because essentially the entire gameworld is a savepoint.

Phantasy Star IV

In Phantasy Star IV there is no specific save points. The player is able to save anywhere in the game world, except dungeons. This game is a weak example of save points.

Pokemon

Pokemon is a weak example of a game with a savepoint. Although the player is allowed to save the game, the save point are specific places as the player can save the game anyone he or she pleases. Pokemon is an example of a game with a savepoint because has saving so the player doesn't have to start from the beginning; however, because the savepoint doesn't fulfill all the requirements for an actual savepoint, Pokemon still falls as a weak example.

Freedom Fighters

In Freedom Fighters, by visiting certain fixed location sewer entrances the player can perform two types of saves. The first is called a quicksave, and lets him restart from that location, however the state of that save is only maintained during that play session. Alternately, the player can choose to go back to the base. This effectively saves the game even if the status of many in-level elements are not maintained. So, if the player achieved one of the levels objectives, that would be kept but enemy soldiers would re-spawn. In that sense it is a weak form of savepoint since it actually forces the player to leave the level and re-enter it. The quicksave option maintains the status, but isn't permanent.

Sim City 4

In Sim City 4 you are given the option to save or load your cities progress at any point. There is no restrictions on when you can save and quit the game. Since you are given the option of saving at any point this makes Sim City 4 a weak example of savepoints.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Like the Ocarina of Time, you are able to access your start menu and save at any point of the game while you are playing.

Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Zelda: Ocarina of Time serves as a weak example for a pretty obvious reason. There are technically no boundaries pertaining to save points but there are boundaries on where it is allowed to save. In rare occasions, such as battling with a boss, that the save feature will not be available. This is because there is no reason to save at this point becuase you cannot progress in any material or physical way until after the boss is defeated.

X3: Reunion

While the player can only normally save the game when docked at a space station, this is rendered pretty pointless very early in the game with the "Salvage Insurance" item which allows for the player to save at any time. Additionally, there is the auto-save function which automatically saves which can be set to automatically save whenever you land on a station, as well as automatically creating a new save file when you reach key points in the storyline, blurring the lines of specific save-points both spatially and temporally.

Gears of War

This game is a weak example because, although you can reach checkpoints and start a game from preset chapters, there is no actual saving. It is actually one of the rather frustrating aspects of the game because there can only be one checkpoint saved at a time and that can be a bother if you are playing on different diffculties instead of just having a couple of save files.

Tetris DX

In this game, there are four main versions, all of which you may have a save file in. If you push pause while the shapes are falling and then turn off the game, you can "save" the game and continue to play it at a later time. This is a weak example because you can save at any moment, and you can't have a save file in more than one mode of play at a time.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Sonic the Hedgehog is a weak example of a save point. Saving is introduced in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, but the player has no real control over the saving process. Saving occurs automatically at the end of each level. The player cannot choose when to save.

---

Parent

• Gameworld Rules

---

Children

None