Crash Bandicoot: On the Run
Overview
Crash Bandicoot is back, but this time he's on the run and on mobile! Meaning high speed battles across all of the most iconic Crash worlds fighting against Neo Cortex's henchmen.
My Roles
Project info
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Seeing 'Runs' from prototype to publish
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White-box Level Concepts
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Liaising with Environmental Artists + VFX
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Ideation of Mechanics + Enemies
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Improve monetisation through curated difficulty adjusting and level pacing
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1.5 Year Project
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120 Team Members
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Unity
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Operating as a Live Game
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+40 Million Downloads
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Pocket Gamer 2021 Finalist
Level Design Objectives
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Allow the level to accomodate for a vast range of different player skill levels
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Promote fluid traversal across multiple routes whilst minimising unfair deaths
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Provide a sense of exploration and progression through risk versus reward design
Accommodating for Different Skill Levels
(1) - Intertwining Linear with Non-Linear Design
Presenting players with the option to take multiple routes opens up the problem on them potentially missing out on key, tutorialised sections.
To represent how to combat this issue it's best to picture a helix shape, where players proceed through low intensity 'forced' moments to learn a mechanic, followed by optional areas which will test the mechanic just learnt in different ways.
Out of gallery
(2) - Skill Checks
At given points we need to separate skilled players from non-skilled players so we can design certain areas with the appropriate level of difficulty. Doing so we ensure low skilled players are not given too much of challenge whilst at the same time making sure skilled players are being engaged enough.
Promoting Fluid Traversal
When allowing players free roam of different routes available we need to have key things in mind before designing the area, asking questions such as:
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Is the area easily digestable to figure out so players understand how to get from point A to B?
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At any given moment are players able to exit their current route and continue on safely?
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How can skilled players make the most out of a given area?