CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The Silent City is a game that I’ve always wanted to make. Originally, it was called Shadow Shard. The goal of making the game was to blend the 2D platforming and stealth of Mark of the Ninja (Klei Entertainment, 2012) with the aesthetics and pilfering mechanics of Thief: the Dark Project (Looking Glass Studios, 1998).
To do so, I had done much research into stealth mechanics and gameplay, as well as played both games: writing my “Understanding the Game Experience” essay around understanding stealth gameplay mechanics and their impact on player immersion, using restrictions and limitations to convey a sense of reality that no other game granted. Stealth game protagonists are either master assassins that dwell and excell in the shadows, or weak but wily thieves and skulkers who can disappear on a moment’s notice. I loved that dichotomy, that necessary flaw in the character which emphasized how important stealth gameplay was to the games.
Dishonored 2 (Arkane Studios, 2016)
Nowadays, most open world games have some stealth elements, or sections, but they always felt ‘added on’ like patchwork, rather than being a key component of the game itself. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Softworks, 2011)’s sneak skill is admittedly overpowered, but its largely underwhelming mechanically. Aside from making the player virtually invisible in the eyes of non-player characters even they’re on their laps, or giving increased damage when hidden, it doesn’t do much else in terms of realism. There are no flaws, hence there can not be any sensation of immersion. I wanted to create a game that ‘fixed’ those issues I saw in many contemporary games, and give my players those emotions, tools, and challenges to play with.
So why did I build a Metroidvania/Platformer instead?
My other interest comes in roleplaying games, and environmental storytelling. Whilst I adore stealth games, and have since I was a teenager, my other passion has also been roleplaying games. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, The Witcher, Chrono Trigger, the whole Tales Of franchise are all games I’ve adored in my childhood.
Chrono Trigger (Square Enix, 1995)
Later on, I developped a taste for the metroidvania genre, 2D platforming action-adventure games, and their massive, sprawling worlds that were slowly unlocked through character upgrades. Games such as Blasphemous, Hollow Knight, Guacamelee, Roboto Gato, etc. I grew interested in the narrative potential of these games beyond simple dialogue systems, and how the restrictions of the medium (2D plane, platforming) could be used to the benefit of the game’s story.
Blasphemous (The Game Kitchen, 2019)
Environmental storytelling came naturally. To build a story-coherent Metroidvania, one must put some logic aside and focus on background art, assets and environmental narrative to drive a compelling universe, rather than dialogue or realistic scenery. The narrative could be further pushed by creating mechanics intricately linked to the core player fantasy. La-Mulana makes you feel like an archaeologist, Blasphemous makes you feel like a violent zealot, Hollow Knight makes you feel like an explorer, and all of these player fantasies.
And so I tried to combine both my love for roleplaying games, for metroidvanias, and for stealth games into this… ‘Frankenstein’s Monster’ of a prototype. However, unlike our good Doctor, I have no intention in disregarding their patchwork son. The Silent City is a game I intend on refurbishing and polishing, and completing throughout the years, even if I do get a job (that said, I have so many projects, I will need some help).
DEVELOPMENT, WHAT WENT WRONG, WHAT WENT RIGHT:
This was the first, official start of the Silent City.
What Went Wrong: Over the summer and throughout the year, I had slowly been building up to marrying all my research and essays together into one, final project. Without being too harsh on myself, I feel like I haven’t necessarily succeeded in this. I had to cut a lot from the game itself, I had to remove half an entire level as I struggled with basic functions, HUD, and movement.
The Silent City isn’t an innovative game, mechanically, but it is an attempt at imitating these games from which I’ve taken inspiration. Development time, technical difficulties and outside factors made it so it took longer. Another thing I underestimated was level design, specifically puzzle and room design. The general image and layout of the level is fine, but when it comes to individual locations it becomes deceptively difficult to nail down the ideal layout of a room, so that it conveys what you want it to feel, and what you want the room to teach. A platforming challenge should focus on platforms, and some additional challenge. A rope challenge should be very much the same.
The Silent City…
A mechanic I think needs working on is the journal. So far, the integer based journal entry system isn’t ideal, as it only displays the next entry rather than the relevant entry. I might change that for the showcase, and work on it after submission to find something more functionnal; like a boolean based system.
What Went Right: Alongside WRATH 激怒, this is probably the best looking game I’ve made so far. The basic tutorial at the start of the game is functional, the movement is tight, and audio is sufficient to convey ambience, cues, and atmosphere. I had to drop a lot of things on the way, namely this serves as a vertical slice of what’s to come. Platforming puzzles, rope puzzles, exploration and lore. I originally had a whole half a level ready for the rest of the game, however I decided to drop that until later.
Compared to the original layout, half the level is gone, however it does the job and I think that’s a positive.
It requires some polishing, but I also believe I’ve done sufficiently well in terms of environmental storytelling to satisfy the itch I was trying to go for. The journal does fill in a lot of the gaps, however using the whole ‘stiffs, scribbles and signs’ technique, I managed to convey this is an abandonned, flooded and dangerous place using various sound cues and dead bodies.
Mechanically I’m pleased with the game itself, even if it needs considerable progress to come into what I fully envision this game to be. I have many things planned for it, and this is just the beginning. I do believe I’ve achieved what I could with the time I’ve been given, and once again time management has been the bane of my development process, however what I now have is viable.
So for now, here is the Silent City in all its glory:
WHAT NEEDS IMPROVING:
Animation needs to be implemented
Better sprites, using Unity’s tiling system I could make something more dynamic
Sound effects and UI / HUD changes are due
After death, there’s a problem with the camera, but its too late now to fix pre-submission.
More narrative / fixing the journal system to make it more dynamic.
Transition between scenes, please.
WHAT NEEDS ADDED:
Cohesive storytelling.
Better enemies.
A prologue that emphasises how important the rain gem is.
Additionnal levels, additionnal features.
Better sprites/character stuff in general.