I spread them around on the floor and start grouping, ordering, and reordering them to get a feel for strengths and weaknesses in the flow of events. I write the major events, objective updates, etc. * The specific events, be they branching or linear, that must be encountered in order to progress from beginning to end of a level Where do you go? How do you get there? What affects your ability to get there and what options do you have for solving that? This means determining what the major objectives are at a more granular level. I like to start by establishing the overall gameplay beats - the pacing and flow of both narrative and game elements within a level’s critical* path. Sorry, gotta scrub all the sensitive information! Is it a new tileset / major set of assets?.What are the major narrative beats it must cover?(General objectives, Key events & interactions).What section of the station does this level occur on?.My job is to develop a believable world space for the player to explore, not a cinematic corridor to be raced through.īefore we can place so much as a single piece of flooring, we must first consider the goals and themes of an area, addressing questions such as: I won’t get into the specifics of my design philosophies at the moment but let’s just be clear that I’m not talking about the modern trend of corridor-shooter level design I’m an advocate of choices, exploration, and the freedom to tackle challenges in a variety of ways. My goal is to create a believable world space that retains System Shock’s original sense of exploration and freedom. To that end, much of my work involves translating old intentions and bringing them forward to work in tandem with the technology and principles we have today. The answer to the question is both “yes” and “no.” The original levels were designed under specific philosophies and restrictions that have grown or otherwise evolved in the years since. You could view it as building a new body to house an old soul. ![]() This update is about process rather than intent, so I’ll keep this brief! The purpose of a reboot is to leverage an existing foundation while still allowing the freedom to re-envision, clarify, or otherwise expand upon a work. System Shock’s levels are already designed, aren’t they? I’m going to speak in generals so try not to read too much into game content specifics from this.įirst off, however, let’s address the elephant in the room. We thought that we’d give a little bit of insight into the level design process this month! Being a creative process, there’s a lot of variation from person to person but what follows is my personal approach. Early buyers will also be treated to a free copy of System Shock 2: Enhanced Edition.This is James Henley, Lead Level Designer on the System Shock reboot. System Shock is now available to pre-order on Steam, GOG, and the Epic Games Store for £35/$40/€40, and a free demo is available on all storefronts right now. No matter how frustrated I was at some of its more obvious antiquities, I was totally sold on System Shock’s world.”įans won’t need to wait too long to find out, as the remake is only a couple of months away. The remake looks and sounds great, but how does it play? Ed previewed the game last year, and he said it “had the magnetic pull of the best immersive sims. Our trek through the Citadel Station will also have all-new areas, populated with never before seen mutants that are itching to take a bite out of you. Other updates include an overhauled interface, a revamped hacking system, and remastered sound effects and music. Earlier this year, we were treated to a fresh look at the bloody cool dismemberment system which allows you to target specific mutant limbs, watching them shatter like the necromorphs in Dead Space. In 2017, Nightdive switched engines to Unreal, but just a year later, the studio “refocused” the remake’s development - talks with potential publishers had fallen through and the project had to be rescoped.ĭespite that turbulence, System Shock looks like an equally faithful and beautiful resurrection of the 1994 sci-fi adventure. It was originally announced back in 2015, after Nightdive successfully remastered the game for its Enhanced Edition. The System Shock remake has been through a bumpy development cycle. To see this content please enable targeting cookies.
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