0:00:04.280,0:00:08.740
Imagine a version of Bioshock without cutscenes.

0:00:08.740,0:00:12.030
Without Andrew Ryan’s bathysphere Powerpoint.

0:00:12.030,0:00:13.730
Without Atlas yapping in your ear.

0:00:13.730,0:00:17.180
And without those juicy audio diaries.

0:00:17.180,0:00:21.680
Do you think players would still understand[br]what the game was all about?

0:00:21.680,0:00:25.560
Well, I think they’d actually have a pretty[br]good idea.

0:00:25.560,0:00:29.269
Because all you have to do is look at your[br]surroundings.

0:00:29.269,0:00:33.870
The game is set in a massive city at the very[br]bottom of the ocean.

0:00:33.870,0:00:39.820
One clearly made for those in high society,[br]considering the fancy bars, apartment complexes,

0:00:39.820,0:00:40.960
and theatre districts.

0:00:40.960,0:00:45.500
And it’s a place built on lofty philosophical[br]ideals.

0:00:45.500,0:00:48.660
But it’s also a place of ruin and despair.

0:00:48.660,0:00:51.280
There was obviously a moment of downfall.

0:00:51.280,0:00:56.100
Some people split into violent factions, and[br]others just lost their minds.

0:00:56.100,0:01:01.010
And this all went down on New Year’s Day,[br]1959.

0:01:01.010,0:01:06.530
Bioshock is a wonderful example of how a game’s[br]environment can be an effective method of

0:01:06.530,0:01:07.530
storytelling.

0:01:07.530,0:01:12.340
And how embedding narrative elements into[br]the very spaces and places that we visit throughout

0:01:12.340,0:01:17.189
the game, can speak just as loudly as more[br]traditional forms of storytelling.

0:01:17.189,0:01:21.979
And that is exactly what this episode of Game[br]Maker’s Toolkit is all about.

0:01:21.979,0:01:26.700
In this video I’m going to focus on three[br]ways that the environment can be used for

0:01:26.700,0:01:33.549
storytelling - and talk about how level design[br]can drive our understanding, feeling, and identity.

0:01:33.549,0:01:37.499
Starting, with understanding.

0:01:37.499,0:01:44.700
So the signs, stiffs, and scribbles in Bioshock[br]are examples of “environmental storytelling”

0:01:44.700,0:01:50.200
- the use of set dressing to create small,[br]optional, and self-contained vignettes.

0:01:50.200,0:01:55.159
Like warnings written in blood, or the many,[br]many skeletons in the Fallout games, who have

0:01:55.159,0:02:00.509
been deliberately posed by the game’s designers[br]to suggest humorous or melancholy ways that

0:02:00.509,0:02:01.900
people have died.

0:02:01.900,0:02:07.579
The term was first coined, as far as I can[br]tell, by former Disneyland designer Don Carson,

0:02:07.580,0:02:13.860
who wrote an influential article in 2000 about[br]what game developers can learn from theme parks.

0:02:13.860,0:02:19.340
The term was then made even more popular in[br]a GDC talk by Harvey Smith and Matthias Worch,

0:02:19.340,0:02:24.220
where they described the technique as “staging[br]player-space with environmental properties

0:02:24.220,0:02:30.240
that can be interpreted as a meaningful whole,[br]furthering the narrative of the game”.

0:02:30.240,0:02:35.660
The cool thing about environmental storytelling[br]is that it requires a certain level of deductive

0:02:35.660,0:02:39.990
reasoning, as we connect up details to create[br]an overall story.

0:02:39.990,0:02:45.530
We use investigative and archaeological skills[br]to determine relationships, cause and effect,

0:02:45.530,0:02:46.580
and history.

0:02:46.580,0:02:52.420
This makes us an active participant in the[br]storytelling process, and not just a passive viewer.

0:02:52.420,0:02:56.340
Plus, if you just want to focus on the [br]shooty stuff, you can do that

0:02:56.340,0:02:58.760
without the story getting in your way.

0:02:58.760,0:03:03.260
For the most part, environmental storytelling[br]is about static objects - but it can also

0:03:03.260,0:03:08.200
stretch to things like overheard conversations,[br]animations happening in the level, and of

0:03:08.200,0:03:14.730
course… text, in things like books, item[br]descriptions, scans, notes, and emails.

0:03:14.730,0:03:19.330
And while it is generally used to describe[br]what happened before you even got to a space,

0:03:19.330,0:03:24.400
it can also be used as a way of highlighting[br]how your actions have impacted the environment

0:03:24.400,0:03:26.610
in the time since you visited.

0:03:26.610,0:03:32.490
So if you kill a shop keeper in Deus Ex: Mankind[br]Divided, later in the game the shop will be

0:03:32.490,0:03:36.620
a police crime scene, and then permanently[br]closed to the public.

0:03:36.620,0:03:41.231
It’s also worth noting that environmental[br]storytelling isn’t just for narrative, but

0:03:41.231,0:03:42.960
can have gameplay uses too.

0:03:42.960,0:03:48.630
A saw blade stuck in a sliced-up zombie suggests[br]using these saws with your Gravity Gun to

0:03:48.630,0:03:49.830
defeat enemies.

0:03:49.830,0:03:54.450
An enemy fried on a fence warns us about the[br]dangers of touching it.

0:03:54.450,0:03:58.220
Maps and signage can help us navigate complex[br]spaces.

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And props can suggest puzzle hints in a non-intrusive[br]way.

0:04:08.580,0:04:09.860
But here’s the thing.

0:04:09.860,0:04:13.900
“Environmental storytelling” - if we’re[br]using the term specifically to mean those

0:04:13.900,0:04:20.590
micro-narrative vignettes - is just one part of[br]a larger structure of using the environment

0:04:20.590,0:04:21.819
to suggest narrative.

0:04:21.819,0:04:24.879
It’s the high level stuff.

0:04:24.879,0:04:28.270
Below that, then, is the individual places[br]in a game.

0:04:28.270,0:04:33.449
You know, a farmer’s market, a bar, a medical[br]pavilion, and a theatre district.

0:04:33.449,0:04:36.650
And beyond that, the individual rooms in those[br]zones.

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That’s the medium level, which might be[br]most accurately called, well, level design.

0:04:42.889,0:04:48.660
And this can also be used for narrative because[br]things like architecture, layout, materials,

0:04:48.660,0:04:52.960
and scale can tell us a lot about the people[br]who use those spaces.

0:04:52.960,0:04:59.219
For example, in Dishonored 2’s Dust District,[br]the level designers at Arkane use verticality

0:04:59.219,0:05:03.909
to show how the working class are literally[br]underneath the people in power.

0:05:03.909,0:05:09.729
And the sheer opulence of Talos I in Prey[br]tells a very different story about its use,

0:05:09.729,0:05:14.159
compared to the more utilitarian Sevastopol[br]in Alien Isolation.

0:05:14.159,0:05:19.800
And this also provides gameplay hints, too:[br]like in Lord Bafford’s Mansion in Thief,

0:05:19.800,0:05:23.909
where all the gold is naturally found in the[br]lord's chambers - but there’s little of

0:05:23.909,0:05:26.569
value in the servant’s quarters.

0:05:26.569,0:05:31.210
By making the place a believable location,[br]the player can use real-world knowledge to

0:05:31.210,0:05:33.550
help orient themselves in the space.

0:05:33.550,0:05:38.020
Of course, one big challenge of making spaces[br]where people can actually live or work, is

0:05:38.020,0:05:42.490
crafting locations that can actually logically[br]exist with all the bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens,

0:05:42.490,0:05:45.240
and so on to support hundreds of people.

0:05:45.240,0:05:50.510
I asked the IO Interactive designers[br]about this when I did my Hitman 2 video and

0:05:50.510,0:05:56.020
they said they focus on levels that are “credible”,[br]which means the level meets your basic expectations

0:05:56.020,0:06:00.300
for how a space works - but it doesn’t have[br]to make perfect sense.

0:06:00.300,0:06:06.330
To finish off our pyramid, we need the low[br]level - which is the overall setting of the world.

0:06:06.330,0:06:11.240
This is world building, and is where the developers[br]and narrative designers set things like the

0:06:11.240,0:06:15.620
factions, the major plot points for the world’s[br]history, and the main players in the story.

0:06:15.620,0:06:20.819
All three parts of this structure should work[br]in concert, and - ideally - ideas should echo

0:06:20.819,0:06:22.470
up and down the stack.

0:06:22.470,0:06:26.169
Here’s an example of that working in practice.

0:06:26.169,0:06:31.860
In Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, the low level[br]setting is a futuristic Prague where augmented

0:06:31.860,0:06:35.790
humans face oppression from those without[br]modifications.

0:06:35.790,0:06:40.740
This is represented in the mid level by places[br]like train stations with different cars for

0:06:40.740,0:06:46.669
naturals and augs, and a slum-like city where[br]augs are kept in dire conditions.

0:06:46.669,0:06:52.129
And then the smaller narrative moments on[br]the high level also talk about oppression and

0:06:52.129,0:06:57.690
racism, though anti-aug graffiti, and emails[br]about being kicked out of the capital.

0:06:57.690,0:07:03.800
Every level is talking about the same theme[br]- from a grand, systemic level on the high level, to

0:07:03.800,0:07:07.490
to more intimate and specific stories on the low level.

0:07:07.490,0:07:12.490
Of course, easter eggs and moments of humour[br]are fine too - but storytelling like this

0:07:12.490,0:07:18.620
is at its best when all aspects are marching[br]towards the same thematic goal.

0:07:18.620,0:07:22.849
This can be quite challenging in practice[br]because, on many large games, each level is

0:07:22.849,0:07:25.319
looked after by a completely different person.

0:07:25.319,0:07:29.370
So it’s vitally important for teams to come[br]together to make sure the vision is being

0:07:29.370,0:07:31.980
shared across the game as a whole.

0:07:34.490,0:07:39.420
So designers can use world building, level[br]design, and environmental storytelling to

0:07:39.439,0:07:43.650
convey literal and specific information about[br]the world and its inhabitants.

0:07:43.650,0:07:49.279
But, the design of a world can also be used[br]in a more evocative and emotional sense.

0:07:49.279,0:07:54.139
Game designers can use things like scale,[br]shape, and colour to evoke certain feelings

0:07:54.139,0:07:55.139
in the player.

0:07:55.139,0:08:02.169
Here’s Naughty Dog level designer Emilia[br]Schatz talking about how she did this in Uncharted 4

0:08:02.169,0:08:06.779
EMILIA: “If i want to have the player feel[br]triumphant at the end and scared towards the

0:08:06.779,0:08:11.080
beginning, I might make the environment create[br]a lot of pressure on the player.

0:08:11.080,0:08:17.060
I might make the ceiling very low, might make[br]the walls come in, so you feel tight and constrained.

0:08:17.060,0:08:23.430
And eventually as we get to the end of the[br]level, bring you out way into the open and

0:08:23.430,0:08:25.389
give you this giant vista”.

0:08:25.389,0:08:31.129
The shape of the cave doesn’t give us any[br]further understanding of the backstory in Uncharted.

0:08:31.129,0:08:33.479
It’s just a cave, after all.

0:08:33.479,0:08:38.310
Instead, it creates emotion - which helps[br]the player better understand how the character

0:08:38.310,0:08:39.310
is feeling.

0:08:39.310,0:08:43.139
Here’s a good example of just that in the[br]most recent God of War.

0:08:43.139,0:08:48.620
The story beat is that Kratos starts to panic[br]because Atreus has run off and may be in danger.

0:08:48.620,0:08:53.269
Here’s how the designers manipulate the[br]environment to ensure that you, as the player,

0:08:53.269,0:08:54.930
also feel this sense of tension.

0:08:54.930,0:08:58.639
So, the space constricts to narrow pathways.

0:08:58.639,0:09:01.899
There are dead ends, forcing you to turn around[br]and backtrack.

0:09:01.899,0:09:05.310
Your visibility is reduced thanks to a thick[br]grey fog.

0:09:05.310,0:09:09.130
And the final squeeze between rocks completely[br]slows Kratos down.

0:09:09.130,0:09:14.250
It’s only when you get through that the[br]world opens up, the fog lifts, and colour

0:09:14.250,0:09:18.920
returns, letting you know that Atreus is safe[br]and that this mysterious person is probably

0:09:18.920,0:09:22.630
not there to hurt you or your boy.

0:09:22.630,0:09:24.470
Or take the original Portal.

0:09:24.470,0:09:29.430
The first half of the game takes place in[br]a test lab, and the second half has you escaping

0:09:29.430,0:09:33.860
from an evil AI and darting through a maintenance[br]area.

0:09:33.860,0:09:37.647
This dramatic shift in the game’s story[br]is emphasised through

0:09:37.647,0:09:39.820
all sorts of environmental choices.

0:09:39.820,0:09:43.350
The lab is white, sterile, and lacking in[br]detail.

0:09:43.350,0:09:49.380
The maintenance area is bathed in warmer orange[br]tones, and looks lived in and used.

0:09:49.380,0:09:55.070
In a talk in 2017, former Crystal Dynamics[br]art designer Brian Horton talks about this

0:09:55.070,0:09:57.020
part in the Tomb Raider reboot.

0:09:57.020,0:10:02.730
At the start, Lara is low down, with the environment[br]bearing down from above her.

0:10:02.730,0:10:06.199
Everything is plunged in an ominous dark green[br]colour.

0:10:06.199,0:10:10.209
As you become level with the environment,[br]the colours begin to lighten up.

0:10:10.209,0:10:15.270
And then as you climb, you’re actually high[br]above the level, and Lara is bathed in a warm,

0:10:15.270,0:10:16.810
orange sunlight.

0:10:16.810,0:10:22.240
Her journey of survival - from a point of[br]despair to a point of hope - is emphasised

0:10:22.240,0:10:24.540
through the level design.

0:10:24.540,0:10:29.970
As a practical method of achieving this, I[br]want to point to a GDC talk by former BioWare

0:10:29.970,0:10:35.130
level designer Dave Feltham who talks about[br]two tools they used when making the levels

0:10:35.130,0:10:40.440
for Mass Effect 3: Emotion Charts and Intensity[br]Charts.

0:10:40.440,0:10:45.670
So the level in question is set on the planet[br]Tuchanka, and involves providing a cure for

0:10:45.670,0:10:50.220
the Genophage - a biological weapon deployed[br]against the Krogan.

0:10:50.220,0:10:55.319
The level sees you landing at the hollows,[br]driving towards the shroud tower, having your

0:10:55.319,0:11:01.080
convoy get blown up, sneak through some catacombs,[br]pop up in the city, take down your first reaper,

0:11:01.080,0:11:04.940
and - well - I won’t spoil the mission anymore[br]than that.

0:11:04.960,0:11:08.340
So the designers broke the level down into[br]a bunch of sections.

0:11:08.340,0:11:12.620
They then decided what theme needed to be[br]represented in each part.

0:11:12.620,0:11:16.410
And then decided what emotion the player should[br]feel at that time.

0:11:16.410,0:11:20.769
Finally, they used environment design to evoke[br]those emotions.

0:11:20.769,0:11:26.329
For example, in the pre-crash you should feel[br]a sense of hope and confidence about defeating

0:11:26.329,0:11:27.329
the reaper.

0:11:27.329,0:11:31.529
So there’s a huge convoy of vehicles at[br]your back to make you feel strong, and the

0:11:31.529,0:11:34.639
Krogan are happily lazing about to suggest[br]nonchalance.

0:11:34.639,0:11:37.759
After the crash, you should feel a sense of[br]chaos.

0:11:37.759,0:11:41.899
So there’s flames, explosions, and your[br]convoy is destroyed.

0:11:41.899,0:11:46.279
In the catacombs, you should feel a sense[br]of mystery - which is driven by the statues

0:11:46.279,0:11:51.690
and murals of ancient Krogan life, And then[br]the triumphant reveal of the city is supposed

0:11:51.690,0:11:57.129
to make you feel awe at what the Krogan empire[br]grew to become before the Genophage.

0:11:57.129,0:12:00.410
And make you feel guilty if you were planning[br]to betray them.

0:12:00.410,0:12:06.740
The contrast from the dark catacombs to the[br]open city emphasises the reveal.

0:12:06.740,0:12:11.250
Finding the right environmental tricks to[br]convey the necessary emotion can be tough,

0:12:11.250,0:12:14.100
but here’s how a few other games have done[br]it.

0:12:14.100,0:12:19.860
Half Life 2 creates a feeling of oppression[br]through claustrophobic corridors, tall buildings,

0:12:19.860,0:12:22.040
cages, and security cameras.

0:12:22.040,0:12:27.250
PT creates fear by asking you to repeatedly[br]turn the same corner, but you’re never sure

0:12:27.250,0:12:29.030
what will be on the other side.

0:12:29.030,0:12:34.449
It’s important to note that these environmental[br]choices have to gel with the game’s mechanics,

0:12:34.449,0:12:35.449
though.

0:12:35.449,0:12:40.170
For example, in a horror game, darkness is[br]obviously intended to evoke feelings of fear.

0:12:40.170,0:12:45.560
But in a stealth game, darkness might actually[br]provide feelings of power and safety.

0:12:45.560,0:12:50.379
After picking the environmental details, BioWare[br]uses intensity charts.

0:12:50.379,0:12:56.720
Basically, the designers have a desired intensity[br]level - hoping for low moments for story beats,

0:12:56.720,0:12:58.470
and high moments for combat.

0:12:58.470,0:13:04.100
But this has to be checked against play-testers[br]who describe how intense each area feels.

0:13:04.100,0:13:07.339
If the chart is off, changes must be made.

0:13:07.339,0:13:12.770
For example, the catacombs initially had enemies[br]- but fighting monsters by torchlight was

0:13:12.770,0:13:18.079
found to be extremely intense, and pulled[br]away from the intended feeling, so the monsters

0:13:18.079,0:13:20.610
were scrapped to bring the level in line.

0:13:20.610,0:13:25.949
Also, a cutscene of friendly bombers was added[br]on the road towards the reaper, just to give

0:13:25.949,0:13:28.910
the player slightly more hope that they might[br]win.

0:13:28.910,0:13:33.560
The ultimate goal for BioWare was to create[br]a mission that matches a sort of typical three

0:13:33.560,0:13:34.860
act structure.

0:13:34.860,0:13:40.930
With rising action, a low moment of despair,[br]and a final climb to victory.

0:13:40.930,0:13:46.230
This three act structure is used wonderfully[br]by 2D platformer Celeste, where the actual

0:13:46.230,0:13:49.879
topology of your climb mirrors that graph.

0:13:49.879,0:13:54.810
Level after level you climb higher up the[br]mountain, hitting small set-backs and climb-downs

0:13:54.810,0:13:57.389
but ultimately heading forever upwards.

0:13:57.389,0:14:02.589
That is until the stage Reflections which[br]sends you plummeting back down to the base.

0:14:02.589,0:14:09.189
The story’s lowest point is also the environment’s[br]lowest point.

0:14:09.189,0:14:14.100
If there’s one game that truly uses the[br]environment to tell a story, though, it’s Journey.

0:14:14.100,0:14:18.500
It uses moments when you’re climbing to[br]evoke feelings of strength and progression,

0:14:18.500,0:14:23.120
and moments where you’re plummeting down[br]to create a sense of loss and hopelessness.

0:14:23.120,0:14:28.279
And notice how the team at thatgamecompany[br]uses colour to express different sensations

0:14:28.279,0:14:34.440
- orange for the calm mystery of the desert,[br]dark green for the spooky underground graveyard,

0:14:34.440,0:14:39.079
white for the biting cold, and bright blue[br]for the moment of rebirth.

0:14:39.079,0:14:43.930
This game doesn’t need any words to tell[br]you what to feel, because the environment

0:14:43.930,0:14:45.180
says it all.

0:14:47.080,0:14:52.800
The final thing I want to touch on, is the[br]way environments influence our identity.

0:14:52.800,0:14:58.340
Video games typically put us into the shoes[br]of a character, and ask us to perform as they would.

0:14:58.340,0:15:03.580
As players, we’re constantly looking for[br]clues as to what sort of person we are inhabiting,

0:15:03.589,0:15:07.889
and what sort of actions will be expected,[br]permitted, and punished.

0:15:07.889,0:15:12.800
Of course, the heavy lifting is done by the[br]available mechanics, the way systems react

0:15:12.800,0:15:17.940
to our choices, and our preconceived notions[br]from the marketing and genre norms.

0:15:17.940,0:15:21.910
But the environment can also play a large[br]part in this.

0:15:21.910,0:15:27.640
For example, in the original Bioshock I found[br]it easy to murder people and steal from cash

0:15:27.640,0:15:29.399
registers and safes.

0:15:29.399,0:15:34.220
Whereas in Bioshock Infinite, i found these[br]actions a lot less comfortable.

0:15:34.220,0:15:39.470
A large part of this comes from the fact that[br]Bioshock’s Rapture is in ruins, and the

0:15:39.470,0:15:43.370
only people around are insane, bloodthirsty[br]splicers.

0:15:43.370,0:15:48.319
Bashing their skulls in and looting everything[br]I can fit in my pockets just makes sense.

0:15:48.319,0:15:52.999
Infinite’s Columbia, on the other hand,[br]is still a semi-functioning society when you

0:15:52.999,0:15:56.580
get there, with working shops and innocent[br]citizens.

0:15:56.580,0:16:01.709
So violence and robbery just makes less sense[br]in that environment.

0:16:01.709,0:16:06.839
Back down on Earth, the Hitman developers[br]use this technique to subtly explain

0:16:06.839,0:16:09.509
how the world will react to your presence.

0:16:09.509,0:16:15.120
It’s often pretty obvious which areas you[br]can casually stroll into, because of our understanding

0:16:15.120,0:16:18.180
of real-world social behaviours and rules.

0:16:18.180,0:16:22.850
This comes from a GDC talk by IO developer[br]Mette Andersen who says “when

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we design these spaces, we’re designing[br]rules of behaviour and we’re designing something

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that’s going to tap into your knowledge[br]of ‘how should I be in this space?’”.

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Mette splits the world into public spaces,[br]which are available from the get go and explorable

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in any costume.

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And private spaces, which require some ingenuity[br]to enter, and a costume to stay hidden.

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She then splits those further into sub categories,[br]where social rules go from vague to strict.

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The best levels in Hitman, says Mette, incorporate[br]a rich mix of these area types.

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So video game environments can be a staggeringly[br]effective medium for storytelling.

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Whether they’re telling stories about events[br]that happened before your arrival, giving

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clues about the people who live there, evoking[br]emotions through architecture, or providing

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context for player identity, these spaces[br]can speak volumes.

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Let me know your favourite examples of storytelling[br]through the environment, in the comments down below.

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Hi, thanks for watching.

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As you might have noticed, this is a re-uploaded[br]version of a previous video.

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Unfortunately, that video was labelled as[br]not age-appropriate, because of some of the

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examples I gave - and so the video had a big[br]scary warning before you could watch.

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Ultimately, I want my channel to be accessible[br]to as many people as possible, and so I’m

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going to work hard in future to make sure[br]my stuff is suitable for a general audience.

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I’m still going to talk about shooting people,[br]because, hey, my channel’s about video games.

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But, still, I’ll take care not to slip into[br]gratuitous depictions of violence and other icky stuff.

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If the original video made you feel uncomfortable,[br]then I do apologise.