Building Atmosphere

By George Maciver

Dark Areas

Dark areas can be extremely effective and give your level a terrific atmosphere. But beware because it can easily ruin your level too if not used with care and thought. Running around looking at a dark screen is not enjoyable in the slightest. If you are building dark areas ensure players have enough light to see. Make sure they have enough flares and consider including a torch which makes exploring dark areas so much more fun.

Even in really dark areas, as long as players can see the immediate walls and the floor, they are in the game. Pitch black areas should be used sparingly and briefly. A brilliant example of using pitch black to build suspense and drama was the yeti den in the Tibet levels of TR2. However, Lara was quite safe while exploring that area in the dark and it wasn’t until she turned on the lights that the action began.

I once played a pitch black level which was patched so you had no flares and the pistols had been removed so you couldn’t even go around shooting to see where you were going. Where’s the fun in looking at a black screen? I can turn my PC off and do that. Yep, you guessed it, it went into the recycle bin.

New builders in particular have a tendency to make overly dark levels. But bear this in mind: you know where everything is because you built the level but nobody else will so make sure you provide enough light for them to enjoy their playing experience. Methods of introducing pools of light into dark rooms are beams of sunlight, moonlight, water and flames, amongst others. This is an art and don’t underestimate or neglect its power.

Audio and Background Loops

Audio is well used by everyone. We all know the power of music and most of us grew up with music and so it comes naturally. Using audio to great effect is extremely powerful stuff. However, when it comes to background loops, somehow we just don't seem to get it. It is audio, after all. Maybe it's not music, but it is sound and it registers through players ears and impacts their emotions as much as music tracks.

Background loops pervade every level, from start to finish, and therefore play a more powerful part in building good atmosphere than you think. Want to risk ruining the ambience of a perfectly good game that has everything? Play the same background loop without break for the entire level. Worse still, play the same background loop for 2 or more consecutive levels without break. If you do, players will eventually take their headphones off or turn down the volume to escape atmosphere that has become oppressively irritating.

Try to change background loops through levels, especially when moving from indoor to outdoor areas or from caves to temples or from seaside to town. Change the loops. Keep the ambience fresh. Good levels may have 3 or even 4 background loops that change smoothly and unnoticed behind musical interludes.

Building Suspense

Suspense and drama is powerful gameplay. But how do you build it? By launching enemies around every corner? Dropping boulders on folks heads? Spiking them to death every two minutes? Nah, that kind of gameplay is rubbish. The threat of enemies can be more powerful than actually fighting them. For example, hearing the Yetis screaming in the Yeti den in TR2 was deliciously exciting and dramatic. Remember it? Remember walking around with flares and seeing them behind their cages? Remember how you felt when you turned on the lights, found the switch and knew what was going to happen when you pulled it? That is masterful gameplay.

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