Extended Practice Size and Layout of World Research: Crash Bandicoot

I then wanted to look at Crash Bandicoot again to look at the size and layout of the world and how the entire game has been put together with the different locations and themes as well. The Crash Bandicoot series has so far been a huge influence for me so far in terms of what I want to create in the end, and I know that it will continue to be a huge influence. 

Crash Bandicoot
I firstly started looking at the first Crash Bandicoot game as this was the one that inspired it the series to start and is definitely a brilliant game to look at for this module, it's fun exiting and aimed straight at our target audience. The size of the levels in this game are perfect, ranging from about 3 minutes each, keeping them short and snappy but challenging the player in the way that the controls where a bit labored and difficult, especially when using the PS1 controller without a joystick. But that aside the movement around the levels worked so well, and the narrow paths throughout where consistent and the camera does a good job at following the character down these pathways.

 This moves into the layout of the levels and I think they work in most senses. Due to the fact that you have this very narrow layout in the level and a camera that is stuck, when there are levels where there are multiple paths to take, there is a part of the level where you have to go backwards towards the camera and it does become quite awkward on the main levels. But there are then levels that use this to their advantage, and the whole level is running towards the camera with say a boulder following your meaning that you can't slow down or stop. This however does work in a way, creating a very tense atmosphere where you don't necessarily know where to jump next, making you panic slightly. To sum up the levels are a good size and will definitely be what I am aiming for in the creation of my level, and the layout of the levels make sense and follow a nice linear path but I however do want more depth to my level and not just one path to follow.

Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back
The next game in the series is Cortex Strikes Back and this is definitely improved on the first game by adding in lots of new features like water you could actually walk in and a variety of different level themes and new enemies to go up against. The whole game was longer in length as well making it feel that there was more content added in as well. The overall size of the levels has pretty much stayed the same but some may take slightly longer than other, putting them within 3-5 minutes, but still a great time to aim for so that the audience does not get bored.

 Where the levels for this game changed slightly was that there was now a reason to replay the levels more than once due to the gems that need collecting, you get one in the middle of the level and then another if you destroy all of the boxes, much like in the first game, but it was now clear as to whether or not you have collected the gem. The overall layout has pretty much stayed the same as well, allowing you to follow linear paths clearly with lots of added features like the ability to move more sidewards as well, when there are more levels that offer to to happen.

Crash Bandicoot: Warped
The last game that I wanted to look at for this series was Warped the third game. This again has the similar theme running all the way through the levels allowing the character to move through different location, but this time they do tend to have more themes and are set in different locations around the world more, instead of the levels all being fairly the same. The size has stayed relatively the same as well, although some levels may take a lot longer than others, and some of the race levels do not take nearly as long, making them range between 2-7 minutes, a really nice range of times for each level, again making them short and not to lengthy and drawn out.

 The layout of the levels has again stayed mainly the same but there is the addition of being able to move around them a lot more, and the levels have a lot more depth to them, allowing the player to see more of the location. The levels are now more complex allowing the player to follow the traditional narrow pathways of the levels but also be able to follow them sidewards in this game as well,  adding that extra level to the game and creating a more exiting experience.