Exploring the 3D World Map

Today I’m going to discuss exploring the World Map of the game. In a previous Blog I mentioned how much fun it was to explore the castle of Super Mario 64 when I was a kid. From extra stars to collect and challenges to complete, the World Map was a blast to explore.

I wanted to change up the feel of The Forbidden Arts a little bit when you are on the world map. The actual levels are played in 2d side scrolling mode within a 3d world, but on the world map the movement is full 3d as shown in the GIF below.

I revised the system to feel a bit more open and offer a greater sense of freedom. My goal is to capture that Super Mario 64 feel of exploration while on the World Map. There are 3d platforming areas, unique challenges, and more collectibles. The world map is not just a way to get from level to level. In The Forbidden Arts, the world map is an adventure all its own.

I like splitting the control style between 2d and 3d. Although the main emphasis is 2d and I absolutely love the work we’ve done in the levels, the 3d exploration on the world map does shake things up a bit and adds a level of depth to the game. I think variety is nice, and I’ve tried very hard to make sure the game feels smooth transitioning from both control types.

Originally we had a Diablo-Style camera (an overhead view of the player) and you would traverse the world map this way. However, I felt the 3d platforming elements were a bit too difficult and just didn’t “Feel Right” in this camera angle. So I adjusted the camera and controls to be that of a 3rd person controller and I think everything feels much smoother now.

Adventuring anywhere in The Forbidden Arts is designed to be a fun experience. There is no filler content. We can’t say exactly how much game time there is as we’re still working hard on development, but we can assure you there will be passion from beginning to end.