Please find the complete text of my thesis here.
Completed Thesis
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Annotated Bibliography
Mario Kart 64, HL2, and the Subversion of Game Spaces
The subversion of game spaces by the player is a prominent issue when discussing level design because designers can not account for every method of play or every choice a player makes. When I was a child, I often played the Nintendo 64 game Mario Kart 64 (1997), which is a competitive cart-racing simulation for up to 4 players.
Forcing Repetition of Player Movement to Deemphasize Linear Space
In order to refine the distinction between open-world and linear level design clear for an audience who is unfamiliar with the medium in general, I will use an example from Half-Life 2’s “Highway 17” chapter. In particular, I will focus on one space within this environment – the tresses of a bridge that spans a body of water (see above image).
Chapters as Spatial Organization in the Half-Life Series
fig. 1
The game Half-Life 2 (2004) and its predecessor and sequels employ 3D navigable environments in a manner that functions similarly to other first-person shooters – that is, the player, as the game’s protagonist, progresses through a series of virtual environments that are inextricably linked to the events in the game whether player-controlled or predetermined by the designer(s). In the Half-Life series, these environments are separated into “chapters” via the game’s initial menu screen (fig. 1).
Uncharted, Minecraft, and Meaningful Game Spaces
After hitting a few rough spots in formulating my thesis, I’ve decided to try and frame the elements of level design that I am interested in via a few blog posts, beginning with this one.
Disclaimer: I haven’t played any of the games in the Uncharted series, but hope to soon.
Research Claim
Games like Grand Theft Auto IV, The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, and ARMA 2 feature open-world environments as a key conceit of their level design and game play mechanics. Player choice is incorporated as a functional element in the larger game design while emergent game play, or complex situations that arise from the interaction of basic game mechanics, separates these choice-based games from their more structured, linear counterparts. Games like Half-Life 2, Fable, the Final Fantasy series, and the Call of Duty franchise rely on linear spatial models to place emphasis on specific game play elements and to develop cohesive level design within a finite playable space. In my thesis I purport that the function of non-interactive spaces in spatially linear video games contributes significantly to the overall ambiance of a level via use of scripted actions, set pieces, and other factors that can communicate complex narrative without the necessity of an open-world.
Research Question
In everyday life, physical space serves a primary role in orientation, atmosphere, and countless other factors. We see the function of space in visual media – particularly in film and video games – where the concept of physical setting is highly choreographed and largely an unchanging variable. The artistry behind the fields of production design and level design, in film and interactive media respectively, is exemplified in works that engage the viewer or player in a profound or novel manner. In games, factors that enhance player experience can be attributed to a multitude of characteristics that have been analyzed in depth by various sources.
However, I am interested in the instances in games and film that employ implied space as a central design conceit. Implied space is defined as the parts of a level or game world that do not exist in any explicit sense, but are suggested by the elements in the level that are tangible. Put in simpler terms, implied space in a level exists when the formal elements don’t tell the player everything – they leave portions up to the imagination by the player’s own extrapolation of the created environment.
Autobiographical Statement
I have always been fascinated with the effect that images in film can have – from the towering, shadowed cityscapes in Fritz Lang’s Metropolis (1927) to the bleak, apocalyptic streets of 2027 London in Alfonso Cuaron’s Children of Men (2006), film has the ability to portray atmosphere in a manner that is all at once static, engaging, and ultimately illuminating. Growing up in a small town in Mississippi might seem to have hindered my access to films, or dampened my curiosity in visual mediums – but in reality, my early surroundings only helped to engage me.
