Hello again adventurers!
So far, we've given you glimpses into the diverse weapon selection in Oblivion Override, and there's so much more we'd like to share! While combat is the heart and soul of this action side-scroller, we believe and value that creating an immersive and thoughtful level design is just as important. In this dev blog, we will be diving into some of the initial thoughts and ideas behind the maps and levels. We’ll also share a sneak peek of the undisclosed 3rd level.
While each level in Oblivion Override is designed with an independent philosophy in mind, we try to keep the narrative cohesive during development so that all levels align well with the overarching theme - the AI takeover of the post-apocalyptic wasteland.
Abandoned Factory
As our first map, the Abandoned Factory serves as a deep dive into the radical technological background of our game's world and the negative impacts that come with it - presented in a captivating diesel-punk visual style. The level is characterized by massive and rumbling machines powered by electricity and fuel, abandoned manufacturing stations, and empty, desolate workshops. Together, they create a palpable sense of decay and desolation, reinforced by a consistent color palette of sandy yellows and scattered metallic debris throughout the level.
The conflict between mechanical oppression and rebellion is embodied in the setting of War Factory, which includes the design of both the background elements and the enemies.
Mutant Greenhouse
The greenhouse map is densely filled with shuttle pipe designs inspired by Metroid, which are intended to create a sense of crisis and enclosed escape, reminiscent of a laboratory or sewer style. Throughout the scene, the extensive proliferation of vegetation can be seen, with various animal skulls and bizarre plants soaking in the incomplete biological vessels, and walls adorned with a variety of biohazard labels.
To enhance the sense of biological invasion, we incorporated a ‘biological parasitism’ element into the throwing-type robots - their heads are covered with a cluster of twisted mushrooms. Enemies with headlamps metal pipes were also influenced by the accident-prone sewer setting.
Tie-in with Gameplay
Like many side-scrolling action games, we inevitably had to draw inspirations from the classic Castlevania series in many ways. However, Oblivion Override is more of an action game: apart from the exploration, we also added mandatory arena fights that are familiar to action game players.
In addition to the essential teleporters, the exploration also retains the classic setup of secret areas, waiting to reward adventurous players with a potential core, a great fortune, or even catch them off guard with deadly monsters lurking in the shadows.
That’s not to say we didn’t want to present something unique, which is why we designed the abandoned factory with spacious platforms and towering walls, allowing adventurers to exploit their movement capabilities such as wall running and dashing. On the other hand, the cramped and narrow terrain of the mutant greenhouse limits mobility, replacing high walls and stairs with winding pipes that force players to traverse between different areas.
We also incorporated some traps into the game in line with the style of each map to enrich gameplay and also difficulty. In the abandoned factory, players must jump and dash around the electrified contraptions scattered throughout the level like a parkour expert. And in the second map, the traps would evolve into spikes that protrude from carnivorous plants on the walls, which require much more accurate maneuvering skills around these narrow spaces.
More than just obstacles, these traps also offer interesting opportunities. For example, players can knock enemies onto electric traps and spikes for an instant kill, or take advantage of the indiscriminate delayed attacks from carnivorous plants to add strategic depth to intense combat.
Action game players might be already familiar with the mandatory arena fights. In addition to conventional enemy types, we also added a wide range of different enemy types to provide a differentiated combat experience through randomly generated terrains and traps.
Certain levels may restrict the room for players to move around while requiring them to dodge bombs dropped from all directions in a limited time. Others generate moving lasers that challenge the player's both combat and evasion skills. Furthermore, some rooms feature many bidirectional pipes, through which ranged enemies can escape and disrupt players’ attack flow.
Oblivion Override is still a roguelike game, so we hope to provide a unique experience for players through the randomly generated levels. By taking clever advantage of the different terrains and available mechanics in combat, players can strategize and enjoy the game in different ways.
A Little Spoilers
Finally, as promised, let’s have a sneak peak at the 3rd level once you get past the Mutant Greenhouse - the Data Center. This might be the most futuristic representation of the AI sci-fi theme, with octopus-shaped robots, brain-computer interfaces in the background, and artistic designs reminiscent of neural circuit boards.
Of course, we also put a lot of effort into designing the arenas. In addition to the motherboard-like background, the layout of the entire arena changes after each wave of enemies. We use retractable mechanical walls, data stream platforms, and movable laser traps to create dynamic and challenging levels that are constantly evolving.
That's all for the map and level design of this dev blog! For more info, discussions, and latest updates on Oblivion Override, join our official Discord!
