IMPORTANT!
Download Level Design Doc & Level Blockout right here!
IMPORTANT!
zondag 6 december 2015
woensdag 25 november 2015
Peer Review (part 2)
Peer to review: Niels de Jong
Practicumpartner: Bram Jonkers
Walking: is used as a ways of traversing the room and reaching different parts of the (environmental) puzzle
Climbing: is a big part of the level, it is used to reach new heights and is essential for finishing the puzzle (one of the "Keys"/artefacts is hidden on a high pillar.
Jumping: is not used very often in the level, only as an extra device for completing the climbing puzzle
Shooting: Is only used in the short segment where eagles attack you. It is not particularly meaningful, but is more of a change of pace.
Choice Clarity- moderate
Choice Frequency- moderate
Choice Quality- low
Goals Clarity- high
Goals Frequency- high
Goals Quality- moderate
Action Clarity- moderate
Action Frequency- high
Action Quality- moderate
I think this would be a fun level, there are lots of things in the level that change up the pace and the mechanics used in the game are used in many creative ways.
• Player Ergonomics (quality of player experience, no learning by death & frustration)
If the player takes his time to look around before jumping to certain death, the player can discover most of the actions necessary for winning by just looking around. If the player is impatient however, it is very possible to die on the same jump several times. Most dangerous things get announced before they become dangerous, so it is always possible to prepare for dangerous activities.
• Level Flow (keep moving...or the opposite!)
Yes, you do keep moving, but it's a difficult obstacle course so you won't be going very fast. The road is rather linear though, so you don't need to take a lot of time to think about your next step.
• Rhythm (roller coaster or else...)
There are many things in this level to change up the pace, such as the sudden lava river and the eagles. It's not a roller coaster, but it the rythm graph is certainly not a "straight line".
• Difficulty (let players win, not the designer)
Since the level is rather linear and the challenges are not all that difficult (cross the rope, climb the tower, kill the eagles are all not really a testament to the players skill), the level does not score all that high on this point.
• Wow Factor (memorable moments)
This point has pretty much the same elements as the "Rythm" part - the surprises are the most memorable in this level, especially the sudden lava at the beginning of the level.
• Hooks (to let your level ‘pop’)
These also consist mostly of the nice change-ups in the pace of the level and the long balancing-parcour run in the middle part.
The level design does this in a good way, the player is shown certain goals to achieve/ require, and there are specific paths to find that lead you there, but the game does not show you these paths on it's own and does not tell you how to go through them either, that's for the player to find and figure out.
• Good level design constantly teaches the player something new:
The level design is made around using previously mastered mechanics, so it does not really introduce anything new here, it does introduce several different scenarios for different mechanics, but not specifically any increase/ change within the mechanic's puzzles themselves.
Practicumpartner: Bram Jonkers
Core mechanics (in order of importance):
Climbing: is a big part of the level, it is used to reach new heights and is essential for finishing the puzzle (one of the "Keys"/artefacts is hidden on a high pillar.
Jumping: is not used very often in the level, only as an extra device for completing the climbing puzzle
Shooting: Is only used in the short segment where eagles attack you. It is not particularly meaningful, but is more of a change of pace.
Interaction-loop
Choice Frequency- moderate
Choice Quality- low
Goals Clarity- high
Goals Frequency- high
Goals Quality- moderate
Action Clarity- moderate
Action Frequency- high
Action Quality- moderate
User Experience ‘Guidelines’
• The ‘Fun Factor’I think this would be a fun level, there are lots of things in the level that change up the pace and the mechanics used in the game are used in many creative ways.
• Player Ergonomics (quality of player experience, no learning by death & frustration)
If the player takes his time to look around before jumping to certain death, the player can discover most of the actions necessary for winning by just looking around. If the player is impatient however, it is very possible to die on the same jump several times. Most dangerous things get announced before they become dangerous, so it is always possible to prepare for dangerous activities.
• Level Flow (keep moving...or the opposite!)
Yes, you do keep moving, but it's a difficult obstacle course so you won't be going very fast. The road is rather linear though, so you don't need to take a lot of time to think about your next step.
• Rhythm (roller coaster or else...)
There are many things in this level to change up the pace, such as the sudden lava river and the eagles. It's not a roller coaster, but it the rythm graph is certainly not a "straight line".
• Difficulty (let players win, not the designer)
Since the level is rather linear and the challenges are not all that difficult (cross the rope, climb the tower, kill the eagles are all not really a testament to the players skill), the level does not score all that high on this point.
• Wow Factor (memorable moments)
This point has pretty much the same elements as the "Rythm" part - the surprises are the most memorable in this level, especially the sudden lava at the beginning of the level.
• Hooks (to let your level ‘pop’)
These also consist mostly of the nice change-ups in the pace of the level and the long balancing-parcour run in the middle part.
Ten principles of good level design:
• Good level design is fun to navigate:
The level has backup paths for when the player makes mistakes, the path itself uses a lot of mechanics and really empowers their use to go through them, so the level is fun to navigate. However the path is quite linear, so it might nog have a very high replayability factor to it.
• Good level design does not rely on words to tell the story:
The level design somewhat lacks in this section, the xplicit story is definetly there, however the implicent and emergent story are quite limited, the player is not free to choose the order or path he takes (as this is linear) and the event have to be completed in a certain way, for example you have to kill the birds, you cant choose to spare them.
• Good level design tells the player what to do, but not how to do it:The level has backup paths for when the player makes mistakes, the path itself uses a lot of mechanics and really empowers their use to go through them, so the level is fun to navigate. However the path is quite linear, so it might nog have a very high replayability factor to it.
• Good level design does not rely on words to tell the story:
The level design somewhat lacks in this section, the xplicit story is definetly there, however the implicent and emergent story are quite limited, the player is not free to choose the order or path he takes (as this is linear) and the event have to be completed in a certain way, for example you have to kill the birds, you cant choose to spare them.
The level design does this in a good way, the player is shown certain goals to achieve/ require, and there are specific paths to find that lead you there, but the game does not show you these paths on it's own and does not tell you how to go through them either, that's for the player to find and figure out.
• Good level design constantly teaches the player something new:
The level design is made around using previously mastered mechanics, so it does not really introduce anything new here, it does introduce several different scenarios for different mechanics, but not specifically any increase/ change within the mechanic's puzzles themselves.
• Good level design is surprising:
The level design makes use of a lot of changes in pace and environment for example enemies appear after quiet paces, the level adds urgency by flooding the room with lava. So it does make use of this.
• Good level design empowers the player:
The level design definetly makes use of this, the palyer fights of enemies, destroys parts of the environment and navigates over and through normally impossible paths, which are all scenarios that help in empowering the player.
• Good level design allows the player to control the difficulty:
The level design is a linear path throughout the level, and although it has a single point in the beginning where failure/ taking a wrong route is forgiven, the rest of the level does not have this and is linear (no branching paths of varying difficulties or anything).
• Good level design is efficient:
The level design is fairly efficient, it does use a lot of differenct slightly varying forms of the same thing, but these could all be made in modular fashions (the pillars could be cloned, aswell as the lava platforms, the eagles, the ropes, etc.).
• Good level design creates emotion:
The level design is focused around creating tension and urgency, making the player feel like they need to escape quickly (after having stolen a treasure), which is properly shown through the design by making the player be chased by enemies for having taking their treasure, the room filling with lava to really force the player to make a quick escape. So the design is really centered around bringing forth this emotion of being an explorer and stealing the ancient treasure of some old civilization, which is exactly what they were going for.
• Good level design is driven by your game’s mechanics:
This is definetly the case, all the puzzles and problem in the design are focused around using your specific and different mechanics to solve them, and really figuring out which mechanic to use in what way for each of them, going through a lot/ the most of the mechanics the player has available.
The level design makes use of a lot of changes in pace and environment for example enemies appear after quiet paces, the level adds urgency by flooding the room with lava. So it does make use of this.
• Good level design empowers the player:
The level design definetly makes use of this, the palyer fights of enemies, destroys parts of the environment and navigates over and through normally impossible paths, which are all scenarios that help in empowering the player.
• Good level design allows the player to control the difficulty:
The level design is a linear path throughout the level, and although it has a single point in the beginning where failure/ taking a wrong route is forgiven, the rest of the level does not have this and is linear (no branching paths of varying difficulties or anything).
• Good level design is efficient:
The level design is fairly efficient, it does use a lot of differenct slightly varying forms of the same thing, but these could all be made in modular fashions (the pillars could be cloned, aswell as the lava platforms, the eagles, the ropes, etc.).
• Good level design creates emotion:
The level design is focused around creating tension and urgency, making the player feel like they need to escape quickly (after having stolen a treasure), which is properly shown through the design by making the player be chased by enemies for having taking their treasure, the room filling with lava to really force the player to make a quick escape. So the design is really centered around bringing forth this emotion of being an explorer and stealing the ancient treasure of some old civilization, which is exactly what they were going for.
• Good level design is driven by your game’s mechanics:
This is definetly the case, all the puzzles and problem in the design are focused around using your specific and different mechanics to solve them, and really figuring out which mechanic to use in what way for each of them, going through a lot/ the most of the mechanics the player has available.
dinsdag 3 november 2015
Peer Review - 3D Blockout Niels
Peer to review: Niels de Jong
Partner for this exercise: Bram Jonkers
Short summary of the level (Introduction > Problem > Solutions)
The player enters the level and is confronted with the first challenge; a gaping abyss right under the door. If the player was careful, they saw this before they dropped down and can use the grappling hook to get to the other side. If not, they drop down and have to climb back up to the starting point via some "stairs" in the wall. On the other side of the crevice is some golden artifact in some holder, next to another identical but empty one. If this gets picked up by the player, the second stage of the level starts.
Now, the level gets flooded with lava and a bunch of birds start attacking the player. After defeating them, the player has to traverse across an obstacle course spanning most of the level to get to another artifact hidden on a pillar. This one then needs to be taken back to the exit; however, the road to the exit is still kinda flooded by lava. The path you just took to get here has also become inaccesible. Therefore, the player needs to create a new route by taking down the damaged pillar in the corner. This will create a new path via which the player can escape. Mission succesful!
The Exercise:
Based on Tomb Raider ‘Gameplay Mechanics’;
For your convenience, we will use these sub-exercises as headings for this review.
The (Tomb Raider) 'Gameplay Mechanics' and player Steering
It most certainly is; Niels has done a great deal of research into the different mechanics of the game. He even made a list of all possible actions Lara Croft can take before starting his level design. After that, he also made a similar list for the different types of situations/problems that already occur in these games and used this list to think up several possible problems of his own. All of this was very well documented.
As for the tension, the player is guided fairly well by the way the objects are layed out across the room, however there is only one path through the level that the player can follow. The player isn't always specifically guided through this path but sometimes just has to find their only option. (Tip: maybe include some branching pathways to give players more options?)
Although he only made one level, this level consists of very different phases and the puzzles are well thought out (using different gameplay mechanics such as balancing, grappling hook, climbing, breaking objects etc.) which makes for a fun route anyway.
The 3D blockout
The blockout was very clear and had different scenes for the different stages. A downside is that, although the color coding was applied consistently, the legend was nowhere near the actual blockout and could only be found in the middle of his documentation, which made the blockout very confusing at first. (Tip: add legend to the actual blockout for clear reference)
Flow/Narrative/Human Survival Instinct
The flow chart was very clear (as can be seen in the image above). The Human Survival Instinct could only be found in the blockout and is explained thoroughly in the accompanying video. We would have liked to have a paper version as this would have been much clearer and faster. The Gameplay Narrative could only be found in the spoken text in the video. It's not bad (and again; very thorough) but there is no clear overview of the Narrative. We had to watch the video a couple of times just to write the short summary, which could have been so much easier if there was something like a Narrative Flowchart or just a written summary. (Tip: give all information given in the video in written form too, it's fine if that's just a shorter version but it makes the entire thing so much clearer)
Partner for this exercise: Bram Jonkers
Short summary of the level (Introduction > Problem > Solutions)
The player enters the level and is confronted with the first challenge; a gaping abyss right under the door. If the player was careful, they saw this before they dropped down and can use the grappling hook to get to the other side. If not, they drop down and have to climb back up to the starting point via some "stairs" in the wall. On the other side of the crevice is some golden artifact in some holder, next to another identical but empty one. If this gets picked up by the player, the second stage of the level starts.
Now, the level gets flooded with lava and a bunch of birds start attacking the player. After defeating them, the player has to traverse across an obstacle course spanning most of the level to get to another artifact hidden on a pillar. This one then needs to be taken back to the exit; however, the road to the exit is still kinda flooded by lava. The path you just took to get here has also become inaccesible. Therefore, the player needs to create a new route by taking down the damaged pillar in the corner. This will create a new path via which the player can escape. Mission succesful!
Difficulty/Tension chart taken from Niels's site
The Exercise:
Based on Tomb Raider ‘Gameplay Mechanics’;
- Come up with 2 or 3 Level Design Ideas around a ‘Problem’ that occurs in the ‘Introduction’ of the Level which will cause an ‘Obstacle’ which the player must ‘Solve’ by an environmental puzzle
- Focus: How the player is ‘visually’ guided through the level experience by ‘Tension’!!!
- Create a ‘3D Blockout’ (in Maya or Unity / Unreal with proper naming, scaling, materials etc.)
- Design & add a Level ‘Legend’ (including gameplay elements, with color and symbol coding > ‘Info Graphics’)
- Include a ‘Flow Model’, a ‘Gameplay Narrative’ and a ‘Human Survival Instinct’ scheme or diagram (integrated in the 3D blockout is allowed)
For your convenience, we will use these sub-exercises as headings for this review.
The (Tomb Raider) 'Gameplay Mechanics' and player Steering
It most certainly is; Niels has done a great deal of research into the different mechanics of the game. He even made a list of all possible actions Lara Croft can take before starting his level design. After that, he also made a similar list for the different types of situations/problems that already occur in these games and used this list to think up several possible problems of his own. All of this was very well documented.
As for the tension, the player is guided fairly well by the way the objects are layed out across the room, however there is only one path through the level that the player can follow. The player isn't always specifically guided through this path but sometimes just has to find their only option. (Tip: maybe include some branching pathways to give players more options?)
Although he only made one level, this level consists of very different phases and the puzzles are well thought out (using different gameplay mechanics such as balancing, grappling hook, climbing, breaking objects etc.) which makes for a fun route anyway.
The 3D blockout
The blockout was very clear and had different scenes for the different stages. A downside is that, although the color coding was applied consistently, the legend was nowhere near the actual blockout and could only be found in the middle of his documentation, which made the blockout very confusing at first. (Tip: add legend to the actual blockout for clear reference)
Flow/Narrative/Human Survival Instinct
The flow chart was very clear (as can be seen in the image above). The Human Survival Instinct could only be found in the blockout and is explained thoroughly in the accompanying video. We would have liked to have a paper version as this would have been much clearer and faster. The Gameplay Narrative could only be found in the spoken text in the video. It's not bad (and again; very thorough) but there is no clear overview of the Narrative. We had to watch the video a couple of times just to write the short summary, which could have been so much easier if there was something like a Narrative Flowchart or just a written summary. (Tip: give all information given in the video in written form too, it's fine if that's just a shorter version but it makes the entire thing so much clearer)
- Bram & Merle
dinsdag 27 oktober 2015
Tomb Raider - The secret lost levels
Download our Maya file, our Unity build and our Unity project RIGHT HERE!
(Please look at the Unity build to see the legenda and freely control the camera to inspect the entire level. To control the camera, move around using the arrow keys and use the mouse to switch the camera's focus)
Practicumpartner: Bram Jonkers
(Please look at the Unity build to see the legenda and freely control the camera to inspect the entire level. To control the camera, move around using the arrow keys and use the mouse to switch the camera's focus)
Practicumpartner: Bram Jonkers
For our last assignment, we had to pair up and 'design' a new level for the famous video game franchise Tomb Raider. Of course it had to make use of the mechanics used in these games (such as jumping, climbing and being able to push way too heavy objects around) and using these principles to solve environmental puzzles (with the off action sequence mixed in).
We thought up several smaller problems, but instead of building several smaller, seperate levels, we decided to implement all problems in one big level.
Some screenshots of our level mockup
Our main problem introduced during the well... introduction, is the only exit to the room you just entered slamming shut behind you. The main thing to search is therefore a way to open this exit again.
Some of our smaller problems are:
- Moving around objects to block the "view" of certain other objects hanging from the wall ("statues")
- Taking cover behind objects while strategically moving them around the room, until you can leave the object on a switch
- Running for the exit while most of the room crumbles around you (the floor is fading behind you, actual time pressure)
- Gameplay Narrative -
The Rounded squares are the entry and exit points, the circles are game events and cutscenes, the squares are player actions and the square arrow is a description/commentary container (not actually part of the flow chart itself).
The Rounded squares are the entry and exit points, the circles are game events and cutscenes, the squares are player actions and the square arrow is a description/commentary container (not actually part of the flow chart itself).
- Flow Model -
- Human Survival Instincts -
woensdag 14 oktober 2015
Stanley Parable - visual cues for guiding the player
Danceparty! :D
I think it might be that way
EIGHT
I'm not entirely convinced that this is a good idea...
Can I jump down to the compliments room? No?
Gee I really do wonder which way I should go next
This one becomes even more difficult after you remember that the door just slammed shut behind you
But what if I didn't want to pick up that cup?
I like their art
maandag 5 oktober 2015
Gameplay Narrative Flowchart
For this exercise, I have decided to use the game Ace Attorney, my example game for a Linear flow model.
The level I'll be using is Turnabout Sisters, Day 1.
The level I'll be using is Turnabout Sisters, Day 1.
Flow Models - Examples
- ‘Linear’ flow model
Ace Attorney
Apologies for the commentary, but this is by far the best clip I could find to illustrate this point - ‘Bottleneck’ flow model
Pokémon Alpha Sapphire - ‘Branch’ flow model
No One has to Die - ‘Open’ flow model
Minecraft - ‘Hubs & Spokes’ flow model
Legend of Zelda - Skyward Sword - ‘Dynamic’ flow model
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon - Explorers of Sky - ‘Hybrid’ of 'Open' and 'Hubs & Spokes'
Legend of Zelda - Link between Worlds
zaterdag 26 september 2015
Zack and Wiki - King of the jungle
Quick Synopsis
Zack and Wiki - Quest for Barbaros treasure - is a point-and-click puzzle adventure game made by Capcom. The story starts as Zack (a young pirate) and Wiki (his best friend and magical golden monkey/bell) find the cursed skull of the mythical pirate king Barbaros. Barbaros explained that he has been cursed for many centuries now (and sort of skims over the reason why) and promises Zack and Wiki the world if they help to save him. Zack, being a ten-year-old raised by talking rabbits, sees no problems whatsoever with this plan and agrees to search for the other body parts of Barbaros scattered throughout the lands. And so they embark on an epic quests to help this pirate king with questionable intentions regain his lost body - and ultimately have him help them find a way to the legendary treasure island.
What could possibly go wrong.
The game plays as a typical puzzle game; you enter an area, the area has/is one big puzzle consisting of several smaller steps and a clear end goal (in this case the treasure chest, normally holding one of the missing body parts of the pirate king, but in end levels they usually contain a map to the next area). The thing that makes this game truly unique is the "Bell system" - Wiki is not only a magical flying monkey, but he can also turn into a giant bell, the sound of which turns living creatures into objects and vice versa.
For this level design exercise, I've chosen to examine the level "King of the jungle", which is the first real endboss in the game.
To get to this level, you have just finished all the (disguised) tutorial levels and one level that truly tested you're new-found skills (and you're probably feeling pretty good about yourself right now), but then the intro starts and Zack pisses of a giant ape - which will from there on out always be keeping an eye on your every move, waiting for a chance to throw you off the cliff. This introduces two problems:
These two factors completely throw the game on it's head; ringing the bell is essential for the level, you absolutely have to do that, or you can't even open the treasure chest (chests are guarded by angry spirits, which can only be expelled by ringing the bell). So now, instead of only finding a way to get to the chest (which is actually readily available from the start), you have to find a way to stay out of sight and hearing distance of the ape and either find another point of acces to the treasure chest without disturbing the ape as much as once (remember, ringing the bell means that you're instantly spotted), or lure him away as far as possible without him throwing things (being it giant rocks at your face or you of a cliff).
And this is actually one of the reasons why I like this level so much; there are two completely different solutions to solving this level;
This last solution is actually a lot harder; you have to lure him all the way to the other end of the level without him spotting you, therefore you have to ring he bell within hearing distance of the ape but run away before he gets to you, which is a tricky balance to find. This scenario does have the added bonus of not falling of a cliff at the end though, which saves you some terribly stressing quicktime events while you're falling to your dead. (See first movie - 5:58 and onward) (also if you forgot that umbrella you're screwed)
There are also numerous small ways which you can swap around to fix the level, such as whether or not you drop the bowl on the wind-statue by getting it yourself or by using the apes fear of the bell against him by letting him drop the bowl for you, which I find nice little touches to an already great level.
After completing the game, the amount of branching paths gets even bigger, as he game then introduces the so-called "secret chests"; little purposefully vague riddles that tell you to do explicit things in unspecified levels to get extra treasures, usually containing nice background information and/or concept art (which I of course thoroughly enjoy as an aspiring Game Designer/developer).
As a final addition, I'd like to talk about something that slipped by me as a child (because as much as I love the game, it is targeted at children, probably aged between 10-15) but really became apparent as I replayed it later; there is a lot of untold narrative in the level design itself. I mean sure, there's not a single child out there who truly believed the story of Barbaros and how he was just going to give us his treasures if we helped him, him eventually betraying us (SPOILER!... just kidding) did not really come as a surpirse. What is never truly mentioned though is why he was cursed in the first place; the people of his time just did. If you dive dep into the hidden lore (which can be found by aforementioned secret treasure chests) you do find stories of Barbaros being a truly evil man, killing and pilgering and more things not appropriate for kids games, but the nature of his crimes and how hard it was to stop him only becomes truly apparent by looking at the levels. All levels are designed in a somewhat similar fashion: the chest is protected by either an elaborate technical syste or an undying guardian, and every chest has it's own vengeful spirit, making it impossible for anyone to open the chests if they are not accompanied by Wiki. Since Zack is still a ten year old and Wiki has lost his memory, the main characters think nothing of this, but as the player, it leaves you with a sense of guilt. Are you really doing the right thing? If all these civilizations scattered around this whole wide world decided that Barbaros could never come back, and used all theree advanced technology to ensure he truly never would, should we really be trying to save him? And why couldn't those people, now long gone, with all that same advanced technology, not kill the guy? Why did they have to go to such lengths to ensure he would never return? Since these are all unanswered or glossed over by the story of the game itself, hiding the answers in the levels like this without explicitly stating it has always been one of the main reasons why I still like to play the game up to this game, even though I solved all the puzzles years ago.
But that's going ahead of myself, I think I've said all there is to say about this level, even though I could go on for hours about the game as a whole.
As a final final addition, here is a tiny summary of the entry I've just written, using Gamasutra's Ten principles of good game design as a template:
And that's it. Zack and Wiki is to this day still one of my favourite video games ever (and the first game in which I truly saw how great a level design could be from a developers perspective, and not just becausse I was having so much fun playing it). I hope I got at least some of that feeling across to you, the reader, and I hope you enjoyed reading it.
Have a nice day!
Merle
Zack and Wiki - Quest for Barbaros treasure - is a point-and-click puzzle adventure game made by Capcom. The story starts as Zack (a young pirate) and Wiki (his best friend and magical golden monkey/bell) find the cursed skull of the mythical pirate king Barbaros. Barbaros explained that he has been cursed for many centuries now (and sort of skims over the reason why) and promises Zack and Wiki the world if they help to save him. Zack, being a ten-year-old raised by talking rabbits, sees no problems whatsoever with this plan and agrees to search for the other body parts of Barbaros scattered throughout the lands. And so they embark on an epic quests to help this pirate king with questionable intentions regain his lost body - and ultimately have him help them find a way to the legendary treasure island.
What could possibly go wrong.
Gameplay footage: King of the jungle - "normal playthrough"
Yeah you should probably throw rocks at him, that sounds like a great idea
Yeah you should probably throw rocks at him, that sounds like a great idea
The game plays as a typical puzzle game; you enter an area, the area has/is one big puzzle consisting of several smaller steps and a clear end goal (in this case the treasure chest, normally holding one of the missing body parts of the pirate king, but in end levels they usually contain a map to the next area). The thing that makes this game truly unique is the "Bell system" - Wiki is not only a magical flying monkey, but he can also turn into a giant bell, the sound of which turns living creatures into objects and vice versa.
For this level design exercise, I've chosen to examine the level "King of the jungle", which is the first real endboss in the game.
To get to this level, you have just finished all the (disguised) tutorial levels and one level that truly tested you're new-found skills (and you're probably feeling pretty good about yourself right now), but then the intro starts and Zack pisses of a giant ape - which will from there on out always be keeping an eye on your every move, waiting for a chance to throw you off the cliff. This introduces two problems:
- a) you can't just walk up to the treasure chest anymore, as the ape already sees you as the enemy, and
- b) you can't freely ring the bell anymore, as the ape is absolutely terrified of the sound. Scared apes throw giant rocks, so you'd better think twice about your next action.
These two factors completely throw the game on it's head; ringing the bell is essential for the level, you absolutely have to do that, or you can't even open the treasure chest (chests are guarded by angry spirits, which can only be expelled by ringing the bell). So now, instead of only finding a way to get to the chest (which is actually readily available from the start), you have to find a way to stay out of sight and hearing distance of the ape and either find another point of acces to the treasure chest without disturbing the ape as much as once (remember, ringing the bell means that you're instantly spotted), or lure him away as far as possible without him throwing things (being it giant rocks at your face or you of a cliff).
And this is actually one of the reasons why I like this level so much; there are two completely different solutions to solving this level;
- finding a way to get the treasure away from the ape and then another point of acces to said treasure, without him spotting you, or
- getting behind the ape and itemizing him before he has the chance to get away
This last solution is actually a lot harder; you have to lure him all the way to the other end of the level without him spotting you, therefore you have to ring he bell within hearing distance of the ape but run away before he gets to you, which is a tricky balance to find. This scenario does have the added bonus of not falling of a cliff at the end though, which saves you some terribly stressing quicktime events while you're falling to your dead. (See first movie - 5:58 and onward) (also if you forgot that umbrella you're screwed)
There are also numerous small ways which you can swap around to fix the level, such as whether or not you drop the bowl on the wind-statue by getting it yourself or by using the apes fear of the bell against him by letting him drop the bowl for you, which I find nice little touches to an already great level.
Gameplay footage: King of the jungle - "alternate playthrough"
If you ever play this game; try bringing a lit torch up to the ape while he's not looking. Trust me, it's worth the extra time and effort
If you ever play this game; try bringing a lit torch up to the ape while he's not looking. Trust me, it's worth the extra time and effort
After completing the game, the amount of branching paths gets even bigger, as he game then introduces the so-called "secret chests"; little purposefully vague riddles that tell you to do explicit things in unspecified levels to get extra treasures, usually containing nice background information and/or concept art (which I of course thoroughly enjoy as an aspiring Game Designer/developer).
As a final addition, I'd like to talk about something that slipped by me as a child (because as much as I love the game, it is targeted at children, probably aged between 10-15) but really became apparent as I replayed it later; there is a lot of untold narrative in the level design itself. I mean sure, there's not a single child out there who truly believed the story of Barbaros and how he was just going to give us his treasures if we helped him, him eventually betraying us (SPOILER!... just kidding) did not really come as a surpirse. What is never truly mentioned though is why he was cursed in the first place; the people of his time just did. If you dive dep into the hidden lore (which can be found by aforementioned secret treasure chests) you do find stories of Barbaros being a truly evil man, killing and pilgering and more things not appropriate for kids games, but the nature of his crimes and how hard it was to stop him only becomes truly apparent by looking at the levels. All levels are designed in a somewhat similar fashion: the chest is protected by either an elaborate technical syste or an undying guardian, and every chest has it's own vengeful spirit, making it impossible for anyone to open the chests if they are not accompanied by Wiki. Since Zack is still a ten year old and Wiki has lost his memory, the main characters think nothing of this, but as the player, it leaves you with a sense of guilt. Are you really doing the right thing? If all these civilizations scattered around this whole wide world decided that Barbaros could never come back, and used all theree advanced technology to ensure he truly never would, should we really be trying to save him? And why couldn't those people, now long gone, with all that same advanced technology, not kill the guy? Why did they have to go to such lengths to ensure he would never return? Since these are all unanswered or glossed over by the story of the game itself, hiding the answers in the levels like this without explicitly stating it has always been one of the main reasons why I still like to play the game up to this game, even though I solved all the puzzles years ago.
The nature of this man you're happily helping to get back to his full strength becomes even more apparent if you get to the later levels in the game, taking place in his own castle (now little more than ruins), which are filled with vengeful ghosts, skeletons, dungeons and terrifying torture machines... should we really go against the will of those who put him away?
But that's going ahead of myself, I think I've said all there is to say about this level, even though I could go on for hours about the game as a whole.
As a final final addition, here is a tiny summary of the entry I've just written, using Gamasutra's Ten principles of good game design as a template:
- King of the jungle does not rely on words to tell the story; sure it uses a lot of dialogue (mostly from Wiki), but the true story is told through smart level design.
- Allows the player to control the difficulty, as there are two real solutions to the problem and players are free to choose. Will I take the difficult route and save myself the quicktime events, or will I take the easy route and focus really, really hard on not forgetting that stupid umbrella?
- Tells the player what to do, but not how to do it; I mean the chest is RIGHT THERE, from the start, and the ape is clearly in the way.
- Is fun to navigate; no level is big enough to get lost, but even though the levels seem rather straightforward at first glance, there is almost never only one way about it and there are always secrets to be found.
- Creates emotion (at least by me it did); since I started feeling genuinely guilty for saving the guy for my own selfish reasons (and since the ape is pretty innocent and still dies in both scenarios)
And that's it. Zack and Wiki is to this day still one of my favourite video games ever (and the first game in which I truly saw how great a level design could be from a developers perspective, and not just becausse I was having so much fun playing it). I hope I got at least some of that feeling across to you, the reader, and I hope you enjoyed reading it.
Have a nice day!
Merle
Let's go on a quest to help this scary floating glowy skull YEAH!
Abonneren op:
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