Level Design and Indigo Prophecy:

I dunno what can really say about the level design of Indigo Prophecy that hasn't already been said before. Perhaps the first word I could use to describe it would be "nonessential". While it follows the basic structure of how level design works, because the game is operating for the sake of the story there's isn't a whole lot to it.


Before I get into my rant on the level design of Indigo Prophecy, a couple of things that can be said: the structure is done right. Each level is broken up into three bits where you can choose whether you would like to progress as Lucas Kane, Carla, or Tyler. Not unlike in a racing game, after you complete said section, you go back to the selection screen and pick to follow another plot line. While the game may have a non-linear-esqe structure, in the end it is fairly linear as you want to get from one part of the story to the other before the games completion. And as the game is bound to the plot, you can't move past a level (or chapter if you will, oh HO yes he did get literally on you) until you complete what Novak calls the "goal" of the level. Most often, this often ends up being a relatively mundane task, such as locating a book, playing a game of basketball, working out, locating another book, create a sketch. As you're attempting to complete the "story", one doesn't always have the same sensation of victory when completing the task, as you would when playing, for example, Dragonforce on Guiterhero III on expert. Or a level of Halo. Or anything where there is a certain level (no pun intended) of challenge.

A goal to beat in Indigo. Hide the body, get out.


A goal to beat in Guitar Hero III. Beat Dragonforce. Rule the world.

That's not to complete too much as the duration of these levels is rather short. You complete the task, whoop!, on to the next level. No fighting through hordes of baddies to get to the climax, just one small objective then onward and upward. The idea of availability is interest, as you can follow whichever plot-lines you want within an order of your choice (however, to advance to the next set of story lines you must complete all three, thereby making sure you don't just play Lucas Kane's bad-ass Matrix-like ninja part, you also do grunt detective work and play a game of basketball (if you can't tell, I really did not enjoy it. It was essentially a quick time event. I played Simon Says while the screen played basketball).


As far as level design goes the game aimed to be relatively realistic. While ultimately the graphics are fairly for, even by 2005's standards, the actual world-environment, scale, and terrain and such is done in a fairly realistic manner. Humans are of varying heights, objects aren't cartoonish and the like.

Okay, now that I've covered quite a bit of what Novak talks about in the levels chapter, here's my frustration rant: the boundaries of the game are exceedingly aggravating. As the game is completely plot driven, when you play a level in an outdoor environment you're exceedingly limited to where you can go. It works not unlike a flight simulator, where you reach the edge and the world goes on forever. At some point will be on the snow-covered streets of new york, and the street goes on to the end of the earth...but then suddenly your character's legs move and you stand still like you're on the treadmill out of hell. As suppose because the point is the plot there really isn't anything else you can do, but it feels somewhat condemning to be limited so much.

Okay, thats it for my rant.