When researching for FMP I was tasked with looking at level design and how games implement it.
For this I decided to create a moodboard with a handful of games that have good level design.
Uncharted
One of the first games that came to mind was the Uncharted series by Naughty Dog. This game to me stands out from the pack. This is due to its iconic level design, the game itself is great but the way it functions to me goes above and beyond.
The way the designers have handled the level design is simple. The idea was to make the puzzles the main attraction of the game, therefore getting from point A to B in the most ridiculous yet thrilling way possible, even if they seemed unrealistic. This makes the gameplay the main focus.
I believe approaching the level design side like this will too give me an advantage for fun and dynamic gameplay as well as getting the player to think outside of the box and to become more creative.
I also enjoyed the way the game has used cinematography to its advantage. The game uses cameras in a variety of ways to capture the action as well as having shots that seem to work with the linear story line. I believe if we can pull of some dynamic camera angles whilst in game, this will lead to a more cinematic and appealing gameplay.
The level design is quite fluid making the world feel open and dynamic, yet in actual fact there is a set path to follow. This is done by making the scenes at times look quite chaotic but having the end goal insight or the next goal in reaching distance. As well as this the level design seems like its structured well, often using S shapes and L shapes puzzle paths to follow both horizontally and vertically.
In conclusion Uncharted has dynamic level design that I want to replicate in ways to fit into my FMP ideas.
Splinter cell
The Splinter Cell series have been somewhat a clinical point in stealth games. For level design however the series is rather spectacular. As you play as Sam Fisher you find that you’re more slowed down when it come to the pacing of the game as well as the fact that most of it is in the dark this means to get the most out of It, the player needs to be patient.
The serious undertone of the game makes it feel more real and this plays heavily on the dynamic and intricate level design.
The game itself feels like at times that you’re making a bee-line towards your objective, however the
Obstacles in your path makes you think of your environment and how it can be used as advantage. From carefully scaling along a pipe upside down to slipping between pipes to remain undetected, the game itself offers a variety of vibrant level set pieces.
This allows the gameplay to change for example; Instead of just going from A to B, you can take the A1, A2 A3 etc route. This makes the level design open to an extent. You have space to breathe however you’re still limited in puzzles as you know the easiest route is not always the safest.
The Level design is rather structured and has a symmetrical feel to it. This allows for a unique and simplistic levels that seem longer than they actually are. This gives the game a slower and rather sophisticated gameplay.
Portal
Portal is well known for its puzzles and level design. Nonetheless its intricate levels can be broken down into simple mini puzzles.
The gameplay is hard as this makes every level slow and though provoking. Then end goal is always in sight and this makes it so much more intricate and detailed. The puzzles are detailed themselves, each one become more and more difficult as well as even timed. This adds to the level design as it makes you wonder how the environment itself can be used to your advantage…. Or even disadvantage.
Due to the fact that the level has the goal insight, and so close, this also adds to the fact that it’s slowed down and harder than it looks. For example if the exit is ten steps in front of you, you know it’s going to be more difficult than you think. This makes me wonder how the FMP puzzles can play out. Having a small goal in front of you that seems easily reachable, but takes patience and precise precision to get to.
Portal is more puzzle based compared to the other two and this gives the gameplay and level design a smaller, compact yet minimal feel to it. The levels themselves are small making it feel ordered and balanced, this is also an effect caused by the simplistic colour scheme and clean environments in the game.
Nonetheless the layout and composition is clean and symmetrical and fall straight into the scientific and sci-fi style the game portrays.
Prince of Persia
Prince of Persia 2008 was an intriguing game that had me interested from the get go.
The game itself uses a cell shaded style that easily caught the eye. However the level design got me hooked. The level design for prince of Persia is similar to splinter cell but mixes both the stealth style of Splinter Cell and the action and dynamic camera angles of Uncharted. This makes is cinematically a versatile looking game.
The level design also incorporates verticality which is expected. However the verticality is somewhat to the extreme. The way you can move from block to block is puzzling, the placement of ledges and pipes works efficiently in making the game impactful and sets the mood of the game.
Similar to Uncharted, Prince of Persia has a long distant goal that is seen. However to get there you need to complete a variety of challenges to come close.
For example your task is to get from A to B, however the main route is blocked so you need to get to A1 and then A2 etc .
This style of gameplay makes mixes the story, the gameplay and the level design nicely.
The levels are rather open looking and this makes the player able to jump great distances, however due to the strong verticality and cliff side style of the game you know if you take the wrong path you’ll end up dead.
Overall prince of Persia sits well in the middle of pack, not being too fast and not being too slow. Having both fast and slow paced gameplay keeps the player on their toes. I believe this is something we need to incorporate in the FMP to give it good gameplay.
Batman Arkham Asylum
The Arkham series is a well-established, well known and well respected game.
When it comes to level design and sheer scale of the game, no one can deny that they have set a standard.
The level design of the game is rather intriguing, in some parts the environments are free to roam, whilst in other parts the levels are quite complex and almost linear. The levels also differ in detail and have a variety of mini games in between games.
This breakdown makes the game more effective and balanced, giving the player a breather in certain situations. This also helps refresh the players mind when it comes to gameplay as well as letting keeping them on their toes.
The dark themes allows the lighting to guide a player to where they need to go, as well as having the goal in a reachable distance that is always insight. This allows the player to focus on the side points, i.e. when you can see the goal in sight, you have time to focus on points such as disposing of an enemy etc.
I believe this style of gameplay could fit well with the style of game I have in mind for FMP.
The puzzles in the game are rather complex at times, sometimes you might have to scale to another side of the building to get in a small vent to get to the vantage points, whilst other times you can just glide or runs straight to it. This makes it thought provoking and slows down the pace of the game. Furthermore due to the demeanor of Batman, the player cannot help themselves playing the investigator in the shadows and finding the puzzles for themselves. I believe the theme of the character and his environment play well to the puzzle platformer style.
I believe the characters and environments should have a sense of puzzle to them, like in the Arkham games, you’re drawn to the puzzles instinctively. This is something I could use in my FMP using semiotics, composition and lighting.
Lucky’s Tale
Luckys take is a third-person platformer game, coming to the Oculus rift.
The game has a Nintendo super Mario Galaxy feel, this gives it’s a more relaxed and fun gameplay to it.
This also ups the fun factor, by using garish colour schemes, vibrant puzzles and vibrant scenery.
The gameplay is rather intriguing as it throws the play into the puzzles and due to its young audience, the puzzles are well thought and imaginative. I believe the imagination factor is rather impressive as it allows for a fun and slow paced gameplay. It would be slow paced as the player does not know what will come next and might not know what certain puzzles do. This however then allows the player to also focus on the detail put into parts of the environment.
The game itself has the classic Crash Bandicoot, Banjo and Kazooie feel to it, making the levels quite linear with subtle camera techniques to make it more dynamic. The level design seems open due to the fact that the player is jumping from platform to platform, making it seem like a huge world, whilst in fact there is one route that is easily visible compared to the background. Due to the super stylized theme
This also allows for the map layout to be rather distributed and vibrant. From this I mean the levels could loop over each other using a vertical spiral and then suddenly take a totally different path.
I believe stylized have this advantage over semi-stylized and realistic games. However it is harder for the player to be submereged in a world that they’re not used to. Nonetheless it makes for fun gameplay that is somewhat slow paced and memorable.