Egypt: The Supernatural Turning Point
45sThe developer explicitly states Egypt is where the game goes supernatural, promising cool creatures and a shift in combat, which builds excitement and curiosity.
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This video is a behind-the-scenes look at the development of Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, focusing on the game's shift to supernatural enemies in Egypt. The developers discuss the design philosophy behind creatures like cat mummies and the winged Atlantean, emphasizing the importance of breaking rules to create fear and forcing players to adapt their combat strategies.
Chapters
[00:00]
Mummy Introduction as a Statement
The mummy introduction is designed to be a 'punch in the face' to show how cool the game is.
[00:16]
Egypt: The Supernatural Turning Point
Egypt is the turning point where the game goes supernatural, featuring flying creatures and cat mummies.
[00:54]
Enemy Placement Philosophy
Enemies are placed to tell a story: wild animals on the outside, supernatural guardians closer to the secrets of ancient Egypt.
[01:38]
Freedom in Mummy Design
Fighting mummies gives more freedom because we don't know how they should react, unlike natural beings.
[02:09]
Breaking Rules for Cat Mummies
The first pass on cat mummies tried to emulate animals, but they realized they needed to break the rules to create panic.
[03:21]
Cat Mummy Gameplay Mechanics
Cat mummies can shift between modes, jump in and out, and have magical abilities, forcing players to use their arsenal and environment.
[04:16]
The Winged Atlantean
The winged Atlantean is a massive bat-like creature that flies at you, designed to make you freak out.
[04:34]
Wing Physics Research
The team studied bats and birds to get the wing physics right for the Atlantean.
[04:46]
Developer Passion
The developers express deep emotional investment in the characters, calling them 'my little child'.
The video offers a compelling look at the design philosophy behind Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, emphasizing the shift to supernatural enemies and the team's dedication to creating memorable, challenging encounters.
Mentioned in this Video
💡 Key Takeaways
💡
Egypt as the Supernatural Turning Point
Clearly defines the game's narrative and gameplay shift, setting expectations for the player.
00:16
🔧
Breaking the Rules of Animal Emulation
Reveals a key design principle: to create fear, you must deviate from the familiar.
02:09
💡
Cat Mummies' Multi-Mode Behavior
Highlights a unique enemy design that forces players to adapt, enhancing gameplay depth.
03:21
🔧
Studying Bats for Wing Physics
Shows the team's commitment to realism and detail, even for supernatural creatures.
04:34
💬
A Labor of Love
Demonstrates the team's passion and emotional investment, which resonates with fans.
05:02Full Transcript
[00:00] The first introduction of the mummy when we drop the sarcophagus and it pops out like that is meant to be like a punch in the face just like look how cool this game is.
[00:16] Egypt is the turning point. Egypt is when we go supernatural is a part of this game and we're here to celebrate it we're not here to be shy about it. We are going to show you flying creatures, we're going to show you cat mummies, we're
[00:28] We're going to show you just a bunch of cool sh** that you want to fight, but also you want to look at it. And when you get into Egypt, that's when the Atlantean hybrids start to really come to the forefront in terms of your combat experience.
[00:41] From the very beginning on the paper, we knew that in the original Tomb Raider, there was this enemy and that enemy type, and I wanted them to be more like the part of the story of this world.
[00:54] my natural decision was like okay, so let's try to tell this story that if you are on the outside, let's try to put there wild animals and the closer
[01:06] you get into the secrets of the ancient Egypt, the more you have those supernatural guardians and you really feel that this animal home, you are not at home
[01:19] this is a tomb, so you don't want the thing to become your home You do fight natural beings but it kind of transitions into more supernatural monster enemies Up to that point we only fight enemies where we have a perceived notion of how they work
[01:38] But fighting a mummy, I just don't really know how a mummy should react. And that gives us more freedom into what we can do. we can do. The cat mummies were a very interesting and challenging project to work on. Because we
[01:56] take such a holistic view of the design and get the essence of what the creature is, you don't identify it as a regular either humanoid or animal-like. It is something else entirely.
[02:09] The first pass we had on the crawling or the cat mummy, we noticed that we're trying to still emulate animals, right? And we realized we need to break the rules there.
[02:23] It feels less like something that you're used with and more something that creates this panic. It's almost like in a horror movie, right? Stunned by the fact that we encounter a monster, right?
[02:36] The enemy designers have made like a really cool like behavior. Let's say for example the mummies that pop off out of sarcophaguses. But in the environment we don't really have anywhere that supports that behavior.
[02:49] So then I need to like start investigating and trying to find some place where we can have that thing because it looks really cool and I don want their work to be in a grain I want it to be highlighted some way I think one of the worst things you can do is start animation style animates or mechanics to be solved
[03:08] Like, have a clear idea of the character you are building. When I have a clear idea of the character I'm building, I start recording, I go into the character, and I try to act.
[03:21] That's the cool thing about cat mummies, the other animals that you face in the game, they have one mode. They are either meek, or they are raged, or they are not close. But cat mummies can shift between those modes.
[03:35] They can like jump in towards you and like start and scratch you, but then they can jump out. They have magical abilities that you will learn to love and or hate depending on your playstyle. This isn't a cover shooter, you're not trying to stay focused in one spot and then just
[03:48] unload your weapons. You have to use your arsenal, you have to use the environment to your favor, and the cat money really forces you to do it. For the cat money, I wish you good luck. I think that would be cohesion because, like, in some sense,
[04:01] we are progressing here, and in some sense it is the escalation of muteness. The winged Atlantean, that is, this massive bat money creature that looks very dangerous, and when it starts flying at you,
[04:16] you kind of freak out a little bit and want to shoot it, right? Of course, that's what we are, what it is. There, there, there, there, there! I was looking at bats maybe a little bit of birds but they are like mostly bats to see the poses they are constantly flying so like hovering so yeah that like the main
[04:34] key to get the right physics on those wings and then that should follow. At the end of when we end the character, I'm a bit, this is a big part of me,
[04:46] like I did put like that much energy in it, that much like love to make it like feel real, natural. When I see it, I feel like my little child. Being able to be in this world
[05:02] and its legacy across the years, the way that it affects people, you know, it really touches people on a deep-seated level. We want to show the excitement, even just in the development team,
[05:14] in how we love doing what we do. Every team holds a secret. Would you uncover it? Step into the mystery and pre-order Tomb Raider Legacy of Atlantis today.
[05:34] Now if you enjoyed this look behind the scenes, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on the socials at PlayTombRaider.
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