Puzzle Analysis - Prince of Persia: Sands of Time - Palace Defense System

 

For the puzzle analysis I went with Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (2003). A darn good game featuring an amazing mechanic that allowed you to reverse time for up to 30 seconds. The game was primarily an action platformer. It made parkour gaming cool before Nathan Drake or Ezio came along.
Throughout the game's many platform gauntlets and sword fights, there were many great puzzles littered throughout the game. I'm covering the puzzle you must solve to activate the palace (of Persia) defense system to help the fight against undead sand zombies. You are coached by a soldier in charge of overseeing the system, who is stuck on a destroyed platform. Unfortunately, you find the defense system has absolutely no effect on the sand zombies, and only makes your adventure more difficult. The soldier also dies and becomes a sand zombie as a reward for solving the puzzle. Yay!

Being a PS2 game, I was not able to record footage. Luckily, someone on youtube did:


Using two rotational levers, you change the rotation and elevation of a massive platform that can hold giant cylindrical "keys". Following a specific order of moving the platform and using a pully lever to activate picking up or inserting keys, you solve the puzzle.

You are guided visually and audibly. Immediately evident is a table, or visual instructions of symbols on the "keys" and then where their locks are within the mazelike grid the platform must move along.
As you solve the puzzle, you are reminded by the shouting soldier of the mechanics, and your progress. 

The puzzle may be simple, but the time it takes to make the components move makes each step a considerable process. Because of this subtle way of drawing out the time of the puzzle, the player feels like they have made more progress than they actually have. The puzzle would be too simple if everything was an instant reaction. Also, the awkward rotational lever system was a puzzle in and of itself, causing the player to plan every action. Because of this, the player does feel smart, despite it being trickery.

Obstacle Sketches

Here are some sketches of my prop's obstacle interactions.

Hero Prop Mechanic Brainstorming

10 ideas for the hero prop/mechanic

1.
A mind control device that lets you hack into enemies and control them. Your character would get through the game by using enemy's weapons and locations.

2.
A projectile drone camera with a gun. You can shoot the drone out of a cannon mounted on the back, and once it is airborne you can use it to supply you with cover fire, surveillance, or light in dark places.

3.
A magical mace fist thing. It can extend from its wrist mount (punch attack) to be a regular mace for medium distance, it can also be used as a semi projectile by firing off charged impact blasts from the ground.

4.
A laser that bounces off of multiple surfaces, each time gaining in strength.

5.
A platform generator used to reach new heights, can also be used to destroy platforms, and allow enemies chasing you to fall.

6.
A rigged up anti-vampire gun. It can shoot stakes that impale enemies to walls, and can squirt out holy water, or leave garlic bombs.

7.
A music cannon that can throw enemies back, or make them sleep, etc.

8.
A helmet that can change your mass/density. Makes you lighter to get over weak surfaces, stronger to break through walls or enemies, medium to climb surfaces, etc.

9.
A shield that can be placed throughout the environment to charge up your weapon. The more the shields absorb enemy attacks, the more powerful your weapon becomes.

10.
 Bazooka type gun that shoots rockets. When the rockets strike a wall, they transform into wall mounted cannons.

11.
A weapon/tool that transforms physical materials. Makes slopes slippery, surfaces bouncy. Would help weaken enemies for you to pick off, or trick.

12.
A snake head transformed into a gun, it shoots our dissolving acid. It can dissolve pieces of environment to allow you to proceed through areas.

13.
A Jet pack that can flip on to shoulders and fire off blasts of destructive radiation.

Final Character

The final character turn in. Made many edits to the hi poly and lo poly sculpts to bring back elements from the concept. I felt the hipoly lost many design choices from the concept.

Character Hipoly

First Zbrush character sculpt! Very enjoyable.

Spinout 2016 Tor Planet Trailer

Here is the trailer of my level, for Sophmore Spinout 2016.

Character Concept

Here is my concept design for the racing character!