Blog Quest 2...

Something dark this way comes

Darksiders II is a fantastic game that explores how far a Horseman of the Apocalypse is willing to go to clear his brother's name. If I was to design an item that would change the game or introduce a new mechanic, I would have to create wings for Death, the game's protagonist. This mechanic would help Death get to ledges and platforms unreachable through simple jumping and platforming and would, in essence give him a new manner of defeating certain enemies. 

This blog will explore, in detail, the mechanics associated with Death having a pair of wings and be able to soar higher than he ever thought possible. 

For those of you who have never heard of Darksiders or Darksiders II, here's a refresher course in the game's story so far. 

 

Although this doesn't explain everything, it'll give you enough information to keep pace with this blog. As we move ahead into the world of Darksiders, realize that you may see things, creatures, monsters that you couldn't imagine exist - just remember to keep calm and quest on.

Soar beyond the abyss

Let's begin with the world. If wings were bestowed upon Death (whether from the get-go or through the completion of a quest), it would grant him the ability to reach areas that he would never have been able to reach without them. Of course, these areas don't exist in the game as of now, but with this new mechanic the world could change drastically. Platforms too high to reach would now be within Death's grasp and entire areas could be re-designed to have floating levels which Death would be able to traverse. Vast expanses of nothing could be flown over and even entire sections of the game could be navigated by Death flying from one end to the other, dodging debris, shooting enemies and boosting through tunnels. Now the secret areas on the map could be hidden even better so that players might be able to see where they want to go but must find a way to get there with their wings. 

Death's wings would open up the world to a whole new level of exploration on the part of the player. Level design would change dramatically but the player would also be more inclined to jump off ledges and soar around looking for secret nooks and crannies that might simply be hidden very well. This incentive will have players flying through levels for hours looking for bonus hidden platforms and loot beyond the boundaries of the regular levels. From a purely overall level design perspective, this kind of dynamic would allow for variations between levels and unique level transitions, thus keeping the game fast-paced, fresh and enticing.

Gameplay and puzzles

Soaring off cliffs and gliding to the level below could be particularly appealing just from an aesthetic standpoint but would also give way to challenges associated with precision landing. Heat sinks could be placed throughout a level in order for Death to reach places higher than he normally would or to help him continue flying on a certain wind current. Sections of the game could be solely air battles while others could involved navigating to an enemy before destroying them and obtaining an item of value to the player. The structure of the landscape would definitely need to be re-hashed as the majority of platforming within Darksiders II is based on jumping, wall running, climbing and scaling down walls. 

With a double jump, Death's wings would eject out of his back and allow him to glide for a moment in time. If timed right, a certain combination of controls could even give him an extra boost or allow him to stay suspended in the air for a short period of time. Entire levels could be designed with draft structures that would push Death even higher on a single jump and have him land in a specific area as determined by the level designer. The dynamic of flying could very well be integrated into puzzles to get from one level to the next. Death could fly over barriers to press buttons or use his wings to get to place unreachable by simple platforming. Using his wings, Death would be able to carry certain puzzle pieces or object to where they need to be and then glide down to a specific area where a gate may have opened. A puzzle solve may even open up a draft vent that can take Death to the next level. There might even be dungeon levels where the floor is lava and Death must navigate from one solid platform to the next in order to pull a lever and exit the dungeon. 

Power-ups would allow Death to upgrade his abilities so that he may dash or dive and get and extra push with his wings. 

Angels and demons

Ever since the end of days was brought upon the Earth, there has been a constant battle between the Demons of Hell and Legions of Heaven. Caught in the middle of it all, Death is hunted by angels and demons alike as he fails to gain favor with either and couldn't care less about it. As such, there are often time when Death finds himself up against the winged angels that are well armed and well armored. These battles tend to get really annoying, really fast. Most of the time the angels just hover right about Death and attack him from up above while he's left to jump and swat at them getting luck enough to land a hit once in a while. They do plenty damage while hardly giving the horseman a chance to fight back. If Death had wings, he could essentially even the playing field and raise himself to their level while bringing them down a notch, at the same time. If somehow he could keep flap his wings to remain in the air (for a short period of time, of course) with the help of say an upgrade or a power-up, Death would be able to take the battle to the air and send his foes cascading to the ground. 

If the right amount of moves are strung together, a combo would help keep Death in aerial combat as he plans his next moves or decides to come down hard with a ground take-down. This sort of dynamic introduced in a combat system could change a lot of variables. First of all, smaller ground enemies would not be able to get to Death while he is elevated which is why his elevation would have to be temporary. They would be able to jump high enough to swat at him but he has the temporary advantage in this situation. Furthermore, Death would be able to isolate certain enemies on a battlefield by taking the fight to the skies and performing combo after combo to remain in the air till the foe is destroyed. Ground attacks could deal extra damage when height is included in the mix and coming down hard on an enemy could possibly cause the ground to shake consequently causing damage to all surrounding Death.

Boss battles become especially interesting when Death has wings. He could use this ability to fly and glide to get to unique weak spots on a boss. He may even use it to dodge boss attacks or to confuse the boss by flying around him/her. Death might even be able to fly away from certain battles in order to give himself some breathing room before he returns to the thick of it.  

In Conclusion

With the addition of wings on the protagonist in Darksiders II, a lot of elements of gameplay change and essentially whole world of possibilities in terms of level and overall game design emerge. This simple mechanic introduces dynamics that could change the feel of the game itself. As simple as the mechanism may be, this one design decision has the power to make or break the game.