Video games and virtual worlds are packed with imaginative environments to explore and inventive architectural styles to interact with. Every reality of every video game has its own. With recent advancements in technology, the video gaming industry offers even more options for producing life-like settings for players to engage with authentically.
The influence of architectural design extends beyond mere aesthetics in the world of a video game and its tasks go beyond just making the world pretty for watching. The omnipresent nature of design and architecture, even if it goes almost unnoticed, slowly immerses the player in the virtual universe.
The good architecture of the game impacts the players via visual stimuli and also via the manner of interaction with the landscape, and this way, it conveys some subtle nuances, from being visually satisfying to stimulating feelings and emotions. Many players are often unaware of how the design of the game and the environment built for them in the game guides them through the journey but game developers know that architecture is almost like an unspoken language of a kind. Every interaction within these gaming spaces is meticulously curated, ensuring a personalized experience for each player within a system constructed for all players.
To really get the idea of how high-quality architecture creates a top gaming experience one should give a try to each of the following best games:
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Horizon Zero Dawn
- Ghost of Tsushima
- God of War: Ragnarok
- The Ascent
- Control
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Final Fantasy VII Remake: Intergrade
- Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
- Elden Ring
- Subnautica
- Death Stranding
- Cyberpunk 2077
These games shape the industry of all types of gaming, from mobile candy crush games to online casino gambling and virtual sports betting because they show how the player can be intuitively guided through the game with the help of in-game design which is unintrusive and unobvious. Of course, different gaming platforms have different tools; online casinos will continue to lure players in by offering to deposit 5 and play with 50 Free Spins while mobile games will attract new players with free games in the first place. However, when the player is already engaged in the game they can be guided with the help of the environment.
So the question is, how do these amazing virtual worlds speak to the player, and how do they communicate the journey? The key elements to discuss are space, construction, materiality, and light.
Creating Space
One of the simplest concepts to consider in order to understand how space can guide the player is to pay attention to compression and expansion. Compressing and expanding the spatial arrangements the game changes the flow of movement. In extended passageways, compression urges players to progress forward, and when entering big areas like rooms, the space expands so that players can slow down and explore as the environment unfolds.
In numerous video games, the concept of transitioning from confined spaces to expensive ones is a prevalent theme, particularly evident in battle arenas. Video gamers know this feeling when they enter a new room and the whole environment is built in a way that makes them anticipate certain actions or events. This way, space and its arrangement become cues and shape expectations.
The Importance of Construction
When there are random items in the game, this is a bad game. Good storytelling in a video game means that all objects and buildings – especially those players can or are expected to interact with – have a backstory or are somehow important for the player’s mission. Each room and the items meticulously placed within them are arranged in a certain manner on purpose to hint at certain events or actions to move the story.
A well-designed game has nothing to do with items piled in rooms; instead, a good video game has items that create context and thus demand the player to pay attention, immersing them in the gaming world even more.
Many games use widely comprehensive cultural contexts to give cues to players. All those extra elements give an additional understanding of the challenges or mission ahead.
What is Materiality in Video Games?
Game designers skillfully utilize all kinds of materials to evoke a spectrum of emotions. In an effective design, the decisions made should balance both practical considerations and psychological impact on players. While the video game is, obviously, not material and can’t be experienced physically, the player’s brain believes in what it sees and reacts emotionally to different materials through associations accumulated in real life. As humans, we each have specific associations with materials and memories of touch that influence our emotions.
Materiality’s role, therefore, communicates structural aspects of the game, adding aesthetic, visual, and tactile dimensions, along with the associated social, cultural, and historical background. The aim is to create an environment where players can experience a wider context and, hopefully, get positive emotions that will make them engaged with the game. Some games intentionally create narratives of discomfort, and the architectural and psychological dimensions of the spaces are calibrated to achieve that effect and then make the player search for comfort in the game.
Light As One of the Crucial Elements
Just like physical materials, light is practical, artistic, and psychological all at once. It is the architectural tool that ties everything together, interacting with materials, filling spaces, and creating a specific mood. The presence or lack of light impacts the player’s journey powerfully and is one of the most efficient tools for guiding the player and giving them cues.
In both gaming scenarios and reality, light assumes the role of a guide, directing individuals toward where they should and shouldn’t go. Game designers, once again, use the potential of light (or rather players; perception of it) as something with a capacity to instill comfort and a sense of security. Strategic manipulation of lighting is one of the key nuances that help literally anyone differentiate between a horror game and a positive game even if the person is not a gamer.
At this stage of video game evolution, game designers can skillfully manipulate light to amplify material textures, construct intricate lighting systems, and create detailed spaces that immerse individuals in the context and emotions expected within the game.
This way, architecture serves a more profound purpose than merely being a backdrop or conveying context and culture. It stands as a key element that is essential for making the player believe in what they see.
