Level design notes and idea's

Arkham city

I have chosen to do this game as the mechanics I know already and the universe is something I understand well, this allows me to draw away from locations in the actually game and design my own adventure.

Mechanics used in the game

·         Movement broke up in sprinting and walking

·         The sprinting mechanic when used at an edge imitates a jump and glide

·         Combat using one button and counters on another

·         Harder enemies require a different way of defeating them

·         Boss fights work using the same mechanics

·         While in the air hold the sprint button to glide

·         While gliding have the ability to drive to get more thrust upwards and continue your glide

·         Different gadgets to solve different puzzles

·         Riddler challenge collectables

Gadgets

·         Grapple hook

·         Freeze grenades

·         Disruptor

·         Batarangs (normal, remote control, sonic, reverse)

·         Remote electrical charge

·         Smoke pellets

·         Mine detonator

·         Line launcher

Locations seen

·         The iceberg lounge (all)

·         Gotham museum (all)

·         Steel mill (all)

·         Amusement mile (exterior)

·         Ace chemicals (exterior)

·         Monarch theatre (all)

·         Crime alley

·         Courthouse (all)

·         Wonder city

·         Wonder tower

·         Subway

·         Church

·         Police head quarters

Gotham locations not seen within the game

·         Gotham central hospital

·         Gotham library

·         Black gate (mentioned outside of arkham city)

·         Gotham city hall (mentioned outside of arkham city)

·         Slaughter swamp

·         Jokers carnival (the killing joke appearance only)

Hospital level

·         Hush has taken hostages at the hospital to sabotage Bruce Wayne

·         Guards around the hospital

·         Listening in to find where hush is hiding

·         Save hostages

Carnival level

·         Joker has kidnapped Gordon

·         Go through rides

·         Attractions

·         Goons trying to trick batman

·         Forced to take part in jokers games

·         Freak show

First idea’s to stay away from as much as possible with carnival level

·         Rides

·         Joker

·         Freak show

·         Clowns

·         Music

·         Tents

Story idea’s

I have decided to make this level a homage to the killing joke graphic novel, keeping certain events that happen within my environment yet still making it so that it is something different. Their should be some key events in the story. Like Barbra Gordon’s shooting and commissioner being kidnapped. The end of this level should also end with the same ending therefore reminding batman of this time after the ending of the original game.

The level should start outside the carnival where batman has the carnival ticket sent to him by the joker. Gordon has been kidnapped by the joker and is somewhere being tortured mentally and physically within the carnival in an attempt to break him showing that even best of men can fall to insanity. This events are based upon the killing joke and I think helps people who aren’t necessarily fans of the batman comics understand that there is this darker underlying element to batman.

To flesh out the game the player will first be drawn to the freak show using suggestive lighting where they will find a series of batman villains behind the glass that he can talk to get a better understanding of where the joker is hiding Gordon. As the player progresses through the locations batman will find my clues such as the pictures of Barbra that joker shows the commissioner until he discovers the jokers final act within the big top tent.

Batman enters the tent and then has a boss fight fighting joker’s goons and the joker himself, at the end of the fight the joker takes out his gun and fires at batman and instead of a bullet a small flag with the words click click click comes out the end. During a discussion with joker batman should say another line from the killing joke “Do you understand? I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t want either one of us killing the other”. The end of the level should then be the same joke that the joker says to batman at the end of the killing joke and they both laugh. This lets the player see the side of the joker and batman relationship that isn’t usually shown, showing they both care for one another almost as friends making the ending of the actually arkham city game even more impactful than it already is.

Riddler challenges within my level

The riddler challenges are a key mechanic within the Arkham game series that keeps players playing even after they have completed the level. Seeing as my level is based off the killing joke graphic, the riddler challenges should match this theme some of my first thoughts on these where the red hood, the previous owner and the pictures of Barbra Gordon all from the graphic novel.

Level overview

1.      Starts outside the carnival at the ticket office

2.      Drawn to the freak show

3.      Walking down the freak show there is scarecrow, two face and poison ivy

4.      When the player gets to the exit there is a power cut

5.      The player turns on the power using a switch upstairs and the villains escape

6.      The player is then sent after the 3 major villains in a certain area of the level, these areas can be completed in any order.

7.      Two face is in the hall mirrors and can be defeated by looking at the floor to find were he is.

8.      Poison ivy is in the centre of a hedge maze were the player must fight ivy’s goons while moving around the maze.

9.      Scarecrow is hiding within the fun house. The player will be infected with fear gas when he walks in so the area will feature what will look like real skeletons and monsters until they find and defeat scarecrow in the turning tunnel.

10.  Once all 3 villains are defeated the player will discover that the joker took Gordon to the big top for a grand finale.

11.  As the player leaves the last villain area the joker announces the feast of fools, a parade roaming around the entire carnival that player can choose to avoid by going over head or by fighting through it.

12.  The player enters the big top tent and the joker dressed as a ring master introduces batman and sends his guards to him (the same ones from the killing joke), during the fight the player can see Gordon within a cage.

13.  When the player defeats the goons and the joker the scene ends in a similar way to the killing joke with the joker pulling a gun that fires a flag and says the same joke.

Optional area’s

·         The jokers ghost train

·         Prize ticket room

·         Dodgem track

·         Roller coaster

·         Big wheel

I also made a quick sketch of my layout taken from development sketches I did in my sketchbook