Area Preview: Patren's Wood

Level design is something that I want to be a highlight of The Shattered War, and for that reason, a lot of effort goes into creating each area.  Aside from being able to support the story and the gameplay, the levels must also be unique and have their own individual feel. This is one thing I believe will help make it an enjoyable and original experience for players.  Recently I've been working on a new level, and I thought I'd have a brief showcase of it in this post.

Patren's Wood

Patren's Wood is a forest high in the Frostback Mountains, and is both beautiful and dangerous.  In winter it is blanketed in white, but in spring and autumn merely flecked with snow among its rocky gullies. Its lush surroundings often fool travelers into thinking that they are in tranquil surroundings, but bitingly cold evenings have been the death of more than one unwary visitor to the area. The creatures of the forest are no less benign and aggressive bears are commonplace, at least according to those who are fortunate enough to leave the forest alive.

Walls of Stone and Wood

The level is still in the early stages of development, currently standing at around 20% complete. As such, there will still probably be changes to the sections of the level shown in these two screenshots.  The level creation process is time consuming, but it will be worth it when players finally get to play The Shattered War.