Arriving inside Rapture, we notice a clear visual path laid down by the level designers. The poles on each side of the path help the player understand that their next movement should be forward. We’ll notice as well the very clear vertical lines created by the tall window. A window will always stimulate the player’s curiosity. Here’s a few example of what I think goes on inside his head at this moment:
“A window, let’s see what’s beyond this room”
“Okay… I’m underwater for sure”
“This is a very big city…”
“A window, let’s see what’s beyond this room”
“Okay… I’m underwater for sure”
“This is a very big city…”
Thus this window helps the player immerse itself in the game, understand where they are and make them believe that the level is in fact a lot bigger. I also talked about the window’s height. Height plays a very important role in communicating information to the player especially in this situation. As coined by Lewis Gunson in his article “Composition Techniques and Player Direction” exaggerating the height of geometry can sometimes represent: power, stability and strength (everything that Rapture was supposed to be).
Another important task of the level designer is to introduce the game’s ingredient in an intelligent and concise manner in order to retain the player’s attention. Here we can notice physics interaction with the environment which acts as a way to boost the interactivity of the game and the world’s believability.
Another important task of the level designer is to introduce the game’s ingredient in an intelligent and concise manner in order to retain the player’s attention. Here we can notice physics interaction with the environment which acts as a way to boost the interactivity of the game and the world’s believability.
By advancing on this path and looking right we can notice the vita-chamber which is simply the game trying to justify why the player will constantly be able to “come back to life”. If we turn left we can see at the end of the path a sort of TV screen flickering very fast thus attracting the player’s eye through the dark corridor. A few key ingredients are then introduced: some sort of gunner bot (chasing away an enemy in a scripted sequence), a weapon (laying on the floor), the ability to destroy parts of the environment and the ability to crouch. All of them are presented very quickly in order for the player to get a general understanding of the game’s rule: you can destroy parts of the environment, you can crouch to access areas, the game features weapon handling and some strange flying machinery.
The next logical thing after giving any functionality to the player is to test this particular functionality and show its relevance inside the game. Thus, the level designers placed a single enemy encounter right at the top of the stairs. Not two, not three only one so the player doesn’t feel overwhelmed at first and can have a feel of the A.I. behaviour and how combat works internally. Notice as well what the corpse gives while looting it (introducing looting mechanic): a “first aid pack” and “eve hypo”, two major items that make the game functional.
The next step is to define what exactly the “eve hypo” is. This is handled through a scripted sequence where the player realizes that he’s going to be able to use some kind of “magic power”. Notice as well the very obvious visual clues given by the environment. I should also mention that I like to simply stop and look straight in front of me whenever I arrive in a new area. A lot of information is usually given this way. In this case, I can notice a door and an “electricity particle effect” that almost forces me to go and inspect (visual stimulation). Seems like the door is locked: logical. Notice that after the scripted sequence where the player falls of the balcony after injecting himself with Electro Bolt (and where the Splicers, the Little Sisters and the Big Daddy are introduced) the camera centers itself on the locked door giving obvious hints that the newly acquired power has something to do with the door. The player could’ve simply collapsed right where he injected himself, but the development team decided otherwise probably to minimize player frustration early in the game (they also needed a place wide enough for the interaction between the Splicers and the Big Daddy).