Time Mechanics in Games : Time Reversal and Control in a 2D Platformer Shooter INVERSION

Sammanfattning

The goal of this research is to explore time mechanics in video games and, through the continued development of the 2D side-scroller shooter INVERSION, make events that are rewound challenging and allow the players to understand the time-scaling mechanics. Inspired by the movie TENET by Christopher Nolan (2020), each level of the game is divided into one part played in forward time and the other part played in backward time. After reaching the midpoint of a level, the player experiences the world rewinding around them as their goal is to escape in the pod with which they dropped into the level. The events from the first half, which consists of fast-paced action, determine the pacing of the second half, as the player uses these events to escape. The player in inverted time sees their un-inverted self as another entity, and they have time-scaling abilities, allowing them to slow down or speed up time around them. This thesis is divided into three papers, the first one focusing on level flow and player guidance, the second on player-generated danger spaces, and the third on the time-scaling abilities. The game is iterated on three times and playtested a total of 14 times. In summary, time-inverted gameplay depends on the readability and predictability of events that are reversing. The danger that the players are exposed to in forward and backward time can be affected by level layout, enemy positions and player guidance. Lastly, time-scaling abilities help the players regulate the difficulty of time-based challenges. This research serves as an exploration of time mechanics in games, and it is hoped to give insight into how level layout, level flow and action can influence time mechanics.