Video game enthusiasts rarely see games in anything except their loaded end state – or something very close to it. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you this, but video games aren’t completely out of console and ready to go; There are a lot of unseen steps to development that players simply don’t see.
On Twitter SaturdayAlexa Kim, lead game designer at Respawn Entertainment, has pulled the curtain off a portion of the development she was involved in in the recently released virtual reality game. Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond. Specifically, Kim called for a level design prototyping phase, which aims to define the “function” of a specific level, she said. The tweet has since gone viral, as players have been amazed at the differences between the prototypes – called block outs – and the final product.
On the topic, Kim said she was responsible for prototyping, then adding gameplay. From there, the adjustments were made: “In my case, this was a shooting game, so it was about player movement versus AI movement, sight lines, cap, etc.,” Kim said on Twitter. “This level is playable in this state, but not polished for the eyes.”
Once the level works in relation to the gameplay, art is added. She said the art at Kim’s levels is from Virtuos Games’ development studio, which has been involved in games like Shadow Tomb RaiderAnd the Dark Souls: RemasteredAnd and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. It deals with anything from game development to artistic production, According to its website. Kim said she “hone the way to play” through collaboration between the artists and her team.
Kim followed her series of Twitter conversations with a YouTube video posted on Sunday, with the developer commenting Medal of Honor: Above and beyondThe level of “back to earth”. (You can watch it embedded above.) Walk through the level with the player, describing the process behind decisions made during development. For those looking for more information, Kim’s I got another video on YouTubeWhere you are talking about another person Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond A level called “Welcome to Norway”.
