10 Perfect Examples Of Level Design In Video Games

It’s become a cliché to suggest that a setting could also function as character within the story, but sometimes, to suggest anything less would be an injustice.

The Spencer Mansion for instance, from Resident Evil – a maze comprised of countless locked doors and indeterminate corridors, each concealing one of numerous horrors – is designed to maintain a sense of pacing, the player unable to progress without engaging in a thorough exploration of the mansion, beginning in the foyer, eventually encompassing underground laboratories, catacombs, basements and research facilities.

The design necessitates a certain degree of backtracking – each successive playthrough creating a sense of familiarity – as the once mysterious mansion gets gradually uncovered, its various secrets revealed. Somehow, the design accommodates newcomers and seasoned veterans, initially overwhelming, but intrinsically rational, gradually making sense as the player moves back and forth between safe-rooms and objectives.

In this respect, the sprawling corridors become distinguishable as you grow to appreciate the geography of the place, memorising shortcuts, avoiding dangers and traps.

It also varies depending on which character you’ve chosen to play as. Jill has the lockpicks, allowing her to tackle earlier stages of the game more quickly. Chris, by comparison, is forced to take the longer road – he’s also less equipped, unable to collect the Shortgun until later in the game, initially armed only with the combat knife, making the mansion somehow even less accommodating.