Session Name: | Level Design in 'HITMAN': Guiding Players in a Non-Linear Sandbox |
Speaker(s): | Mette Poedenphant Andersen, Jacob Mikkelsen |
Company Name(s): | Io-Interactive, Io-Interactive |
Track / Format: | Design |
Overview: | During the final development stages of 'HITMAN' user research showed that players had fun, but that the learning curve was way too steep and the scale of the first level (Paris) was incomprehensible. The game had reached the goal of going back to the roots, but it became apparent that the team had to improve the player guidance and teach players how to think and act like 47 without changing the sandbox core of the game. The speakers will illuminate the challenges of designing the tutorial and a linear guidance system in 'HITMAN' to support the open-ended sandbox structure of the game. |