WORLD DESIGN THEORY - BLOG POST #4 - Open Topic - Zelda: Breath of the wild - Conrad Turzynski7/5/2017 Zelda: Breath of the wild (BotW) is a breakaway from the traditional formula of the Zelda franchise. The developers wanted to reinvent the series with this new entry, while maintaining the core values of the series. While traditional Zelda games are consists of worlds broken up into sections, this time the game was made as one, seamless space, one of the largest in video game history. For example, Ocarina of time, the first 3D entry in the series, is 0.098 sq. km, while Breath of the Wild is a staggering 360 sq. km. Having a world broken up into areas separated by load screens was a necessity in previous years, as games did not have the processing power at the time to render large play spaces on screen in real time. With today's technology, however, this is not the case, and having this massive new world comes with an entirely new way of designing player experience. The developers also wanted to accentuate this new style of Zelda game, by designing the Sheikah, a technologically advanced race, in a unique style. For this, they looked to Jomon era japan to inform their design decisions. Large worlds are difficult. On one hand, they can feel like massive, barren wastelands, and on the other, they can feel like complicated spaces teeming with possibility. Both of these can be confusing to players. A tool that really can not be ignored in an open world, is land-marking. BotW uses this masterfully. Players are taught early on in the game that high vantage points will show them what they need to see to progress. Sheikah Towers dot the landscape, and each one offers the player a vantage point that not only serves as a tower to scout from, but also as a data hub from which players can download the map of the area the tower is in. These towers glow bright orange when they are inactive, and turn blue once players have scaled them and downloaded the map. This means that when players enter a new area, the towers are easily spotted, and give the player a beacon to head towards. Once atop the towers, players can view the new area in 360 degrees, giving them context when they head down to the ground to further their adventure. Sheikah towers use lighting, size and silhouette to contrast against the background and sky to make them easy to spot. Sheikah Shrines, of which there are 120, also cash in on these techniques, with a particular emphasis on lighting. In a game world so large, finding 120 shrines really is a mammoth feat, and while shrines are hidden and must be found, they do emanate bright orange light, making them impossible to miss if they do appear in the players view, even for a split second. This makes spotting a shrine exiting, and also makes it feel like a fair challenge. Also within the game is a Shrine Sensor, built into the players Sheikah Slate, which is essentially the players phone, with a camera, documentation of things they've seen, their map, and their quests all managed within. The sensor itself helps lead players to nearby shrines. At first, I personally found this sensor annoying, as it bleeps away when a shrines is near, but after spending some more time with the game, is now fills me with excitement as I try to find more of the elusive shrines. Without it, I think that for most people the task would be impossible. The architecture of BotW intrigued me a lot, as there seems to a be a myriad of styles at use. Each of the many towns littered throughout the game has a different style, some of them referencing feudal Japanese architecture, and some having a more European feel to them. This gives each of the towns it's own character, and makes them easier to remember. The most interesting of all the architecture has to be that of the Sheikah. The Sheikah were influenced by Jomon era Japan. This is a relatively unknown era of japan's history, which made it a perfect embodiment for the mysterious Sheikah people. The forms of Jomon era art and architecture feature rounded edges, flowing patters and organic forms. They seem to reference water, but this is only my speculation. Having a high-tech civilisation in a medieval world is a strange concept, and the organic spiraling forms of the Sheikah give it an alien feel, but also one that seems to reference the rolling hills and rivers of the land it resides on. The towers especially seem 'alive', the forms feeling more like flesh than masonry. Sheikah architecture glows in a bioluminesent manner, adding to this. Sheikah remains litter the world, and are often encorporated into modern towns and villages. In short, BotW guides the player using lighting, landmarks, composition and light, diagetic elements, such as the sensor. The architecture helps to build and inform the world. |
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