Video game architecture is full of secrets
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Date: 2023-12-10
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Comments and reviews: 30
-manamaster6
In games like Red Steel the artificiality of the environments didn't allow me to feel immersed and that was one of the reasons why I didn't feel compelled to keep playing, it felt like fake.
On the other hand, games like Xenoblade 1, X and 2, have worlds so carefully constructed and intelligently designed that they almost feel natural and inhabitable, despite having their main purpose being -the environment of a game. -
Corners full of details that reward you for exploring, verticality that broadens the space without merely adding emptiness.
Such well crafted games make the entirety of the medium feel like something that evolves and has meaning behind, not just a game made to get a quick buck.
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In games like Red Steel the artificiality of the environments didn't allow me to feel immersed and that was one of the reasons why I didn't feel compelled to keep playing, it felt like fake.
On the other hand, games like Xenoblade 1, X and 2, have worlds so carefully constructed and intelligently designed that they almost feel natural and inhabitable, despite having their main purpose being -the environment of a game. -
Corners full of details that reward you for exploring, verticality that broadens the space without merely adding emptiness.
Such well crafted games make the entirety of the medium feel like something that evolves and has meaning behind, not just a game made to get a quick buck.
reply
-helium73
When I think of game architecture I'm thinking about the file structure. That's where things get confusing. Anything big can get messy. Organization of the files would be the foundation to making something scalable. Anything big needs to be scalable. Like a skyscraper. A skyscraper would be turned into a one story building if they stop building after the first story. It could be any height up to the maximum height. The better the design the higher the maximum height.
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When I think of game architecture I'm thinking about the file structure. That's where things get confusing. Anything big can get messy. Organization of the files would be the foundation to making something scalable. Anything big needs to be scalable. Like a skyscraper. A skyscraper would be turned into a one story building if they stop building after the first story. It could be any height up to the maximum height. The better the design the higher the maximum height.
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-dylanfardon88
This is such a fantastic video! As an architect, I think it's a shame the parallels between level design and conceptual architecture aren't drawn more often.
Creating a 'narrative' for your building/space was the first thing I was taught at architecture school and this literally means how the building tells its story by using everything from its aesthetic qualities to how it circulates the users.
This to me is surely at the core of good level design?
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This is such a fantastic video! As an architect, I think it's a shame the parallels between level design and conceptual architecture aren't drawn more often.
Creating a 'narrative' for your building/space was the first thing I was taught at architecture school and this literally means how the building tells its story by using everything from its aesthetic qualities to how it circulates the users.
This to me is surely at the core of good level design?
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-sajidahnaf
the thing about architects having a stamp (and a rigorous licensing process) is true but if a building falls down unexpectedly, the structural engineer would have to take the brunt of the hit. the architect is more responsible for other things like making sure the MGC, FAR, setback etc comply with the local rules and regulations, ensuring the circulation, parking, dropping, ventilation, lighting, fire safety etc meet the requirements
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the thing about architects having a stamp (and a rigorous licensing process) is true but if a building falls down unexpectedly, the structural engineer would have to take the brunt of the hit. the architect is more responsible for other things like making sure the MGC, FAR, setback etc comply with the local rules and regulations, ensuring the circulation, parking, dropping, ventilation, lighting, fire safety etc meet the requirements
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-captaindragon8179
VR glasses for architecture made me think of a William Gibson novel (one of the people who invented Cyberpunk as a genre and helped solidify it, coined the term cyberspace, still writing kickass novels. I won't go into too much details but a character has AR goggles that allow her to explore architecture of the space she is in and how it changed across time (and historical murders)
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VR glasses for architecture made me think of a William Gibson novel (one of the people who invented Cyberpunk as a genre and helped solidify it, coined the term cyberspace, still writing kickass novels. I won't go into too much details but a character has AR goggles that allow her to explore architecture of the space she is in and how it changed across time (and historical murders)
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-AzizidarkReborn
Brightly lit, jovial architecture-obsessed Simone goes against everything in my Overboard head-canon of her being a brooding, mistrustful gigglebox full of bird noises. I'm not entirely convinced these two people are the same, but if they are, I fear that quarantine has awakened a side of Ms. De Rochefort that none of us (except for the ghost of Ernest Hemmingway) is ready for.
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Brightly lit, jovial architecture-obsessed Simone goes against everything in my Overboard head-canon of her being a brooding, mistrustful gigglebox full of bird noises. I'm not entirely convinced these two people are the same, but if they are, I fear that quarantine has awakened a side of Ms. De Rochefort that none of us (except for the ghost of Ernest Hemmingway) is ready for.
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-HazenMire
Polygon: Architects do literally everything
Me, an MEP engineer who gives Architect's buildings HVAC, power the lighting, supply the water, and take away the literal shit from the toilets: AM I A JOKE TO YOU?
(TBH Im just an MechE, shout out to the Electricals, Plumbers, and structural/civils out there)
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Polygon: Architects do literally everything
Me, an MEP engineer who gives Architect's buildings HVAC, power the lighting, supply the water, and take away the literal shit from the toilets: AM I A JOKE TO YOU?
(TBH Im just an MechE, shout out to the Electricals, Plumbers, and structural/civils out there)
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-IosefKoranison
[Victor Hugo liked this post. ]
I love that I can come to Polygon for things like Unraveled where it's just Theater Kid Has A Budget His Past Self Could Only Dream Of and then things like this. Where we get really cool, fun, and insightful analyses of stuff I hadn't thought of before. #GetSimoneAStamp
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[Victor Hugo liked this post. ]
I love that I can come to Polygon for things like Unraveled where it's just Theater Kid Has A Budget His Past Self Could Only Dream Of and then things like this. Where we get really cool, fun, and insightful analyses of stuff I hadn't thought of before. #GetSimoneAStamp
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-KARMICHAEL11
Sorry, architect here, this is VERY- lop-sided? Opinions here are cool, but this is far from the general architecture sphere sampling. This is more like the academia architecture sample. Would love to see input from the other facets included.
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Sorry, architect here, this is VERY- lop-sided? Opinions here are cool, but this is far from the general architecture sphere sampling. This is more like the academia architecture sample. Would love to see input from the other facets included.
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-funghazi
One of my all-time favorite back-of-the-box blurbs was the brag that Oni's levels were designed by a real architect. The result was you did a lot of shooting and hand-to-hand fighting in structurally-sound office buildings and parking structures.
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One of my all-time favorite back-of-the-box blurbs was the brag that Oni's levels were designed by a real architect. The result was you did a lot of shooting and hand-to-hand fighting in structurally-sound office buildings and parking structures.
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-mrbutters246
fantastic video and a great analysis! I actually learned exactly this in my Game Design program at CSUMB: ) A great read is A Pattern Language. It breaks down in 253 patterns what a space can have in it in any environment.
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fantastic video and a great analysis! I actually learned exactly this in my Game Design program at CSUMB: ) A great read is A Pattern Language. It breaks down in 253 patterns what a space can have in it in any environment.
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-autumntaylor9795
I'm in entertainment design right now and this reminds me so much about what we're learning in class. The focius on the user's experience whether in a space, with a product, etc. is paramount
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I'm in entertainment design right now and this reminds me so much about what we're learning in class. The focius on the user's experience whether in a space, with a product, etc. is paramount
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-swannie1503
Hi! I'm an architect and a gamer. I stamp stuff too. Been in the field for a decade but have been dreaming the whole time of making the move to games/environmental design. Maybe one day!
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Hi! I'm an architect and a gamer. I stamp stuff too. Been in the field for a decade but have been dreaming the whole time of making the move to games/environmental design. Maybe one day!
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-Jean-dd1sl
i always notice the architecture in games. when it feels right it feels RIGHT. when it doesn't quite fit, or is too generic or repetitive. it makes the whole game kind of grating to play.
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i always notice the architecture in games. when it feels right it feels RIGHT. when it doesn't quite fit, or is too generic or repetitive. it makes the whole game kind of grating to play.
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-Stephen-Fox
Architecture tells you where to go - And then you deliberately ignore the path you're clearly meant to go down because that's where story progression is, the best loot is the other way.
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Architecture tells you where to go - And then you deliberately ignore the path you're clearly meant to go down because that's where story progression is, the best loot is the other way.
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polygon
This is so spectacularly fascinating. And has so many uses - as a filmmaker it makes me think about space and light in the exact same way, in spite of the completely differing art form.
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This is so spectacularly fascinating. And has so many uses - as a filmmaker it makes me think about space and light in the exact same way, in spite of the completely differing art form.
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-zaphodchak
If this was an ad for Control, it worked, and I bought Control, and am really, really enjoying it. Yay for truth in advertising! Also the phrase -yeeting a bunch of furniture. -
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If this was an ad for Control, it worked, and I bought Control, and am really, really enjoying it. Yay for truth in advertising! Also the phrase -yeeting a bunch of furniture. -
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-KickyFut
You can totally make your own stamp! At Michael's craft store they have rubber pieces you can carve to make -wood block- stamps. You can carve it into whatever you want! -
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You can totally make your own stamp! At Michael's craft store they have rubber pieces you can carve to make -wood block- stamps. You can carve it into whatever you want! -
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-sylvianupp4895
Today I learned that someone realized I'd be spending 12+ hour days in a lab and decided to make it a bit more cozy and I've never appreciated architecture more
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Today I learned that someone realized I'd be spending 12+ hour days in a lab and decided to make it a bit more cozy and I've never appreciated architecture more
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-pluckypluckster
if people dont like tight spaces and being crowded why do most like being social and around others. shouldn't we all enjoy solitude in open spaces?
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if people dont like tight spaces and being crowded why do most like being social and around others. shouldn't we all enjoy solitude in open spaces?
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-Ehh97
Yissss I love this subject. People who create levels in games are great, I love going through detailed games and seeing what the environment is trying to say
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Yissss I love this subject. People who create levels in games are great, I love going through detailed games and seeing what the environment is trying to say
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-kiwi_rot
These architecture vids are super interesting! I love seeing how places in creative media are built and why! All the little things out into these visuals!
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These architecture vids are super interesting! I love seeing how places in creative media are built and why! All the little things out into these visuals!
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-LPrulez943
-people who are unhoused- is such an improvement on -homeless. - This is why I adore Polygon. They make the effort to be inclusive and accepting.
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-people who are unhoused- is such an improvement on -homeless. - This is why I adore Polygon. They make the effort to be inclusive and accepting.
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-ShinigamiChick39
Asan architecture student myself, this was such an enjoyable video! I would love to see more videos doing environment design analysis!
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Asan architecture student myself, this was such an enjoyable video! I would love to see more videos doing environment design analysis!
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-jaydenapollo5337
I-m more than willing to watch incredibly niche game videos about games I haven-t played so y-all just go ahead and keep making these
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I-m more than willing to watch incredibly niche game videos about games I haven-t played so y-all just go ahead and keep making these
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-David-yj4tr
Game Designers do not inherently work with code. It is not uncommon for a game designer to not know how to code. Think about board games.
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Game Designers do not inherently work with code. It is not uncommon for a game designer to not know how to code. Think about board games.
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-ArmandoPenblade
This was absolutely fascinating. Simone is a treasure, the Polygon video crew are amazing, and now I really wanna play Control, hah.
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This was absolutely fascinating. Simone is a treasure, the Polygon video crew are amazing, and now I really wanna play Control, hah.
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-kingnee
I'm afraid to say it took quite a bit of Stuart speaking for me to understand he was speaking in English. Cripes that was embarrassing.
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I'm afraid to say it took quite a bit of Stuart speaking for me to understand he was speaking in English. Cripes that was embarrassing.
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-golden_starlight_
when i saw simone slapping the building my first thought was - ted mosby would watch this video if himym was set in 2020-
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when i saw simone slapping the building my first thought was - ted mosby would watch this video if himym was set in 2020-
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-taakotuesdays
I came to polygon for the goofs but stayed for the weirdly in depth analysis of seemingly unimportant aspects of video games
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I came to polygon for the goofs but stayed for the weirdly in depth analysis of seemingly unimportant aspects of video games
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