Landscaping Environments.

For my Apple game concept, i really wanted to import my characters into an environment that resembled rooms and objects from our own households. Although this was the initial concept in relation to the plot development, i still had the ambition to create a series of maps that were different to the 'Beat 'em up' genre. However, this format of using surroundings and objects familiar to our lifestyles has been used before, but i believe not as differently as  how i have approached it. My idea was to have everyday household areas and items that are all entirely interactive for the player. Such as obtainable objects that you could use as weapons or defense mechanisms, destructible surroundings where they can potentially become a threat or an aid depending on how careful you are around certain objects. For example, piercing a carton of milk would make the surface you stand on slippery and hard to move around. However, this could be used to your advantage to slow up your opponent. Because my monsters are very small, making these changes in this kind of set up, enhances the excitement within the game play and also adds a sense of unpredictability with the combat outcomes.

From my gaming knowledge, i looked into a couple of games which show similar examples of how household environments have been enlarged for certain genres of games. Here are a few in which aided my inspirations:

. Micro Machines:

Is a racing type game in which miniature vehicles race around familiar homely environments. I particularly like how the game has formed race tracks and obstacles from items used in day to day life. I also think it is very clever how the developers mapped out the racetracks around an entire room, such as a kitchen or living room. This enhances the enjoyment from the player's perspective because they can relate to the environments more so than any other game, because it is based around our culture and lifestyles. Such as rooms can be messy, tidy or even designed in decor that could resemble something you have in your own home, the whole landscaping concept keeps you immersed because you can familiarize yourself with how it has been constructed. Here are some imagery in which resembles the best maps throughout the series of the game:

. A Clockwork Knight:

Is a 2D, side scrolling adventure game about a clockwork toy who combats enemy toys throughout a bedroom scenery. I really like the concept of using toys within a bedroom setting, as it is very relatable for younger children (in which assuming is the target audience) simply because the objects and characters displayed in this game are ones which literally exist in reality. However, with this reality becomes an adaptation of imagination, where your toys come to life in your bedroom and embark on an adventure in which a favourite toy becomes a hero: In fact to that similar to the story of Disney Pixar's Toy Story. A Clockwork Knight connects with it's audience by engaging us within an alternate reality which is both alike and not alike to our world, this creates a connection between us as the consumer and the game, as we both have something in common. Here are some images demonstrating the connections: