Making Ori and The Will of the Wisps' Best Level
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- Опубликовано: 11 май 2021
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In the first episode of On the Level, I speak to Chris McEntee about the awesome desert world in Ori and the Will of the Wisps.
Patrons can see the full interview here - / 51170633
=== Before you watch ===
Spoilers: The Windswept Wastes is one of the later areas in Ori and the Will of the Wisps
=== Support GMTK ===
Support GMTK on Patreon - / gamemakerstoolkit
Use Creator Tag "GMTOOLKIT" when buying on Epic Game Store
=== Games Shown ===
Rayman Legends (2013)
Ori and the Will of the Wisps (2020)
Super Mario Maker 2 (2019)
Sonic Colors (2010)
Hollow Knight (2017)
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD (2013)
Donkey Kong Country (1994)
Dark Souls (2011)
Dorfromantik (2022)
=== Credits ===
Music provided by Uppbeat - uppbeat.io
License code: YQBBIRFKDMSNQY6Q
Music from Ori and the Will of the Wisps official soundtrack by Gareth Coker.
=== Subtitles ===
Contribute translated subtitles - amara.org/en/videos/xeWJWo3v7... 
Игры
Hey! If you're a level designer with a story to tell, please get in touch! Oh, and sign up to the GMTK Game Jam here - itch.io/jam/gmtk-2021.
Video in this series with Maddy Thorson on Celeste's chapter 9, Farewell?
Celeste chapter 9 as the comment above me said
rain world subtarranean and filtration system!
Hopefully we get Dani on here for Karlson levels
I hope SC:Chaos Theory level designers will participate
Big love this series idea.
Vibe check
im trying to work out if the choice of grammar is a for a reason beyond me....
love your content btw
@Razbuten
Hello verified person
Loved you too Raz!
ra ra razbuten
Will of the Wisps is such a good game.
Too short doe but they did improve a lot from the blind forest. I think their new game's gonna be the best if they make one, I didn't expect it to be so good but also I thought it was too short
Yeeees
My only gripe was that it felt a lot more gamey than the first one. Which I don't think could be changed in any meaningful way since it's a sequel and not offering "more" would feel disappointing instead.
Will of the Smiths
underappreciated gem here, and one loved by all who know it
What’s interesting is that, on paper, the sand burrowing ability and the water dashing ability from Luma Pools are essentially exactly the same ability, but sand is used differently from water in the level design, and there are different hazards and enemies associated with each terrain, so they feel completely different.
Sand is just dense water, huh.
Part of the reason we even made Water Dash is because Burrow felt so good to play with. It'd almost be weirder NOT to have a water dash at that point.
But we also differentiated them by giving Water Dash a more combat focus in the level design, while Burrow was rarely needed for combat.
@@williamshakemilk2192 Haven't you considered he may have worked there?
I'm in the credits under Quality Assurance :)
@@williamshakemilk2192 That's not a "smart player" comment right there.
Seeing the engine without the final graphics makes me appreciate every inch of this team. Every department talented as hell for this game
How did you not appreciate them earlier?
@@blueboytube What..
@@blueboytube I assume Luka Magic already did appreciate the team, and seeing this just made the appreciation larger
As someone who is seriously considering trying to get into indie game development I couldn't agree more I love that this is showcasing the process and showing how you don't need to make everything perfect from the start you just need something that works and you can puzzle out how to get to the finish line later.
This is SUCH an interesting idea for a series ngl. Would be interesting to see you play It Takes Two with the game's designer. Would be great as they talk about the levels while they play through with you. That game has some of the most interesting level design I've seen in recent games.
Yea that would be great do this
I agree! It Takes Two is the best collaborative puzzle-based gameplay I have ever experience.
@@Volidee Portal 2 is right up there TBH, but I'd say even outside the whole coop aspect - it has more variety in terms of the mechanics it introduces than any game I've ever played, as far as I can remember.
@@Raymando exactly! It just keeps surprising you with novel new gameplay elements. Never gets stale for a moment. So much better than the “find a key or place a block on this switch” mechanics you see in a lot of games. Also more cooperative than mario multiplayer experiences, which are just singleplayer levels with two people.
I have a friend in common with Filip Coulianos (The lead level designer of Hazelight) So...
"we want them to feel smart"
what was left unsaid: but we know that they're not, so we have to be extra smart to make them feel smart
Game design in a nutshell
Also, if you want to sell your game to millions of people, how can you make them all feel smart.
Maybe you could modify how much handheld the player is through the difficulty
Not really. Good games help you improve. Games like Celeste, Baba is You, Slay the Spire, make you feel smart and skilled because you are actually becoming smarter and nimbler than you were before. A similar thing could be said of e-sports like Dota and Starcraft, though those are more about the community.
I vaguely remember some Portal 1 & 2 commentary being to this effect. I think one point was how hard it was to get average players to just look around, or, more importantly, look up.
I like that this guy came to your interview prepared
Properly directed interviews usually have the interviewer send in at least a draft of the questions they intend to make so the interviewed knows what they're getting into and can form their own mental script, afterall they're the ones who are gonna be talking the most.
I was surprised when he commented about the mario maker video. It's always a good thing when both parties are interested enough to review the other's previous work.
13:38 In my first playthrough I actually got there without all the requirements to proceed and it didn't feel bad at all. I was like "Oh shit! I can't wait to come back to this cool place!". It actually ended up being a motivation to keep going. The mystery of what was lurking behind that door just made it better, instead of going there and entering right away.
I actually go to Windswept Wastes first on purpose cause I like to get the burrow ability straight away since both Luma Pools and Baur’s Reach have sand you can burrow through
I was so mad I quit the game for 3 hours until I was like "waaghsbd well gotta continue n see what happens"
And my favourite part after that was realising that in alot of the places they actually placed sand and stuff uou could get with the burrow ability and so after that I always played the windswept wastes first
This game deserves all the praise it got and more. One of the best platformers in recent memory for sure
One of the saddest endings, as well :(
It really is. The only flaw I can think of is letting people access this area from the beginning. its a dead end that requires you visit the other 3 areas first. It is extremely disappointing to head here first and realize you wasted all your time. But outside of them missing that one gating element, honestly. Its a perfect game. Its part of my 3 way tie of Doom Eternal, Alyx and WIll of the Wisps as GoT for 2020
@@Wylie288 Well to be fair, you do need to go here first to get the burrow ability, because that ability is needed to traverse Luma Pools and Midnight Burrows
@@Wylie288I wouldn't call it a waste of time, but it does feel anti climactic when you just completed the climb and it says "You need 3 more spirits to enter"
@@royolaniye6643nope you don't need burrow anywhere else
Wow, the burrow ability actually was inspired by the Drill Wisp in Sonic Colours, amazing.
British spotted
Content checks out
@@waytoobiased redditor spotted
@@chef4025 (American?) Chef spotted
@@glendarjj3991 glendar jj spotted
As someone who went first to the wastes:
Getting to the top felt like an achievement so even though it told me to go back it was well worth it.
Also loved the chase, died so often, took a two day break and got it first run then, part of what made it was teh brilliant music.
I remember being funny to try complete the whole Silent Woods for that Lupo quest before getting any of the spirits, but little did I know I would walk right into the chase sequence with Shriek, and progressed up the whole mountain to the very top with the gate lol
I did that too and honestly I felt the same way
When I got to the gate I was immediately like "OH.. THIS IS THE LAST AREA?" and went to explore everything else, and I was happy because then I had the burrow ability to get those secrets that were hidden behind sand in other worlds.
"nobody wants to die 5 times in escape sequence" - I died like 20 times :D
Only 20? Haha
game dev : "it's too easy I did it on my first try" players : getting wrecked. I guess if the game dev doesn't do it first try, you may not be far from dark souls lol
@@NunoVenturadeSousa Was it the water level, where you had dash jump, avoid rocks, time water spouts etc. all at the same time? That level broke me. And I am not being funny here. If it wasn't for the ridiculous difficulty spikes that game would've been a 10/10 for me but it wasn't now.
@@hkr667 The Ginso Tree is easily the hardest escape sequence (other than maybe the worm in WotW), but once you've done it once it becomes pretty easy. At least I struggled a lot more with it than any other.. But I didn't mind too much due to the amazing music and visuals :)
As someone who hated the escape sequences in Ori 1 for this reason I really felt the ones in the Will of a Wisp were far more considered and readable. I never died on my first run. Escape sequences should always be about spectacle and the feeling of tension rather than complex gameplay which it nailed.
Vimlark was right-- Mark is incredibly famous. When Ori developers reference Mark's old Super Mario Maker videos, you know he's super well-known
Edit: the ad break at the end gave me a Masterclass level design by the sims dev, lol
If Mark Brown doesn't have a Ph.D in Game Design Theory, he should. GMTK is effectively a big series of Great Courses lectures on the topic, with Boss Keys as his dissertation.
Vimlark reference 😳
It's not just this one level designer. I remembered IO Interactive game designers mentioning Mark's old video on their previous Hitman games.
I think since not many RUclips channel out there actually went in depth on game designs like Mark's that they just naturally follow him.
The sand worm escape sequence is still the most stressful thing I've done in a video game in a long time
I feel like that would be the tree escape from the first game for me. I still remember it vividly...
Ooh yeah, that was scary the entire chase
Ginso tree was very very much harder in Ori and the Blind Forest
So you haven’t played Celeste....
@@praveenmarkandu no not really
"It shouldn't be that you touch a random trigger and a thing falls on your head and you die."
*10 seconds later the worm touches a random trigger and a thing fall on his head and he dies.*
I've never played a more beautiful and heartwrenching game than Ori and the Will of the Wisps. And I am BEYOND mad that the game hasn't win at least one award at the E3 2020
Maybe I'm a little off topic, but the music of sand level is just incredible
Same
It's so beautiful
gareth coker did a great job
Gareth Coker is turning out to be a legend in the making. Ori WOTW soundtrack was phenomenal, now he's doing halo infinite of all, I wouldn't be surprised if he contributes to fable as well.
The entire soundtrack is incredible
This is such a nice spin on the regular GMTK formula. It's really nice to hear the designer themself talk about their own work.
That escape sequence gave me arthritis! Probably took me about 20 tries. Felt soooo good when I passed it, after cursing and yelling at my screen for 40 minutes.
Same lol
Hearing you actually mention that there's an ad break coming up was something I really appreciated. Great video, great channel.
I didn't even know you could DO that!
As things should be. Like an old bbc ad break warning
Hearing Game Devs talk about their games that they worked, is one of my favorite things.
EDIT: Thanks for many likes, first time I have a lot of them! I hope you keep learning GameDev things n.n
Same. These people are so insanely smart. Go watch the NoClip documentary on Dishonored and listen to them talk about the 2 levels at the end of the video. It's so fascinating.
I love it because it shows how they focus on mechanics first, rather than making it look pretty. They're being efficient, giving me good ideas for working on my games. Takes the pressure off knowing it doesn't have to be beautiful, in the words of Todd Howard, I just has to work. ;)
@@carson123987 I'll watch it!
@@xantishayde-walker4593 Indeed, I too focus on mechanics first.
For me gameplay is the most valuable thing of a videogame because is their unique language as art
@@xantishayde-walker4593 Yep, that's what's so interesting about it. They just come up with tight mechanics and then build around them. All that prototype footage was great.
This is one of my favorite series off all time. Will of the wisps is absolutely incredible! They both are! After hearing how they design these levels though. These developers are incredibly talented individuals. Masters of their craft!
This kind of videos ARE EXTREMELY VALUABLE! Thanks so much GMTK & Chris for the talk.
My favorite things about the levels is about how many props and how alive it is. The scene has a life in this game. The volume stuff the team added looks so cool.
A breakdown of the dishonored series will be awesome.
I think that the bank job would be awesome, nonclip already covered clockwore mantion and crank in a slab
No cllip has a video about the making of both games
I also love how the games level design shows you where you can use these abilities before you actually get them. Seeing the sand and all these collectibles and not being able to get them naturally motivated me to keep playing and find the ability, so when I eventually do find the ability, it was like finding a whole new area to explore.
Well... I suppose you know you’ll now have to play through deepnest with Team Cherry, right?
Or path of pain?
@@jackhogan6630 or flower quest
Good luck catching them with free time.
Yesss, ughhh the nightmares I've had after falling there without the lantern, and the idiot I am, sitting on a bench condemning myself to misery
It would be so cool to see a video like this of somewhere in Silksong in one hundred years.
"it shouldn't be a rock that falls into your head and you die"
Literally every escape sequence in Ori and The Blind Forest
The giant ice chunk in the Wind Element escape comes immediately to mind.
Yeah. I think they learned a lot from that game!
@@megaman161 oh my gosh, thank you for bringing back that repressed trauma, but also letting me know I'm not alone!
A video on Doom Eternal in this series would be very interesting to me, like how the level design interacts with the different demons and how it forces the player to play in a certain way
Also Hugo Martin would absolutely be up for it
@@JamieThelin Yeah I hope so, I think the Doom team in general is very open to things like this
Especially given the switched emphasis on movement, varying weapon choice and exploiting different enemy weaknesses versus Doom 2016 (due to ammo being relatively more scarce), making it a more tactical game.
It's still the carnage of Doom at its core, but it has more systems in level/weapon design forcing active choices as you play through and feels a lot 'quicker' in the action (although personally I think it does maybe over-emphasises the glory kills as they're so beneficial and can feel a little repetitive seeking them out!)
Hugo has basically already been doing this kind of thing with their regular livestreams.
I don't think I have ever clicked on a video faster, Ori and the Will of the Wisps is one of the games closest to my heart. And even though I have compleated the game twice, I cried like a kid at the end both times and to hear an interview with the level designer was amazing! Thank you for giving us this video!!!
please do more of this type of video! I could watch this for hours hearing the designer explain his thought process and all the intricate details that went into the development.
Great questions also, I like your structured approach to your videos: keep it up, man!
So much to learn, my key takeaways are:-
1. Think about what players would love or find frustrating( basically player experience first)
2. Think about all unique level ideas with all elements on paper and then find out what works best(experimentation)
16:39 This would’ve actually been a fun mechanic that im sad wasn’t implemented in the game, can see alot of potential for it
"It still has to be react-able, it shouldn't be that you touch a random trigger and a thing falls on your head and you die because that's just not fun."
*Ori 1 Forlorn ruins escape PTSD flashbacks*
Been watching for 2 years and GMTK is like my safe place where I go to get new ideas for my game and listen to Mark's soothing voice thanks for everything Mr.Brown
Do Effect and Cause on the Titanfall 2 Campaign Next! Some of the best design I’ve ever seen. Thanks for all of these videos. You have Sparked my love for game design with all of your great videos.
Ori needs way more recognition
Criminally underrated game.
@@matheuszache7943 Yeah, though it's honestly expected, thing came out right beside doom eternal and ff7 remake
@@PseudOni_ Ikr. Such a shame, despite me loving Doom btw. Maybe in a couple of years more people give this game a shot and realize just how good it is. One can only hope.
@@PseudOni_ And is just soo much better than both
@@bara555 I wouldn't say that, they're all fantastic games in their own right, but Ori holds a special place in my heart and it sucks to see it go largely underappreciated
This has to be my favorite area in the will of the wisps.
Same. I kinda thought the movement in this game couldn't get any better but the burrow ability is just so smooth
luma pools for me, it feels more atmospheric. Especially once the music changes when you enter the area
@@michaelr1225 Yes! I think that luma pools ahs the best atmosphere and music, while the sand area has the best enemies and platforming!
4:25 We just gonna....alright then
I absolutely love ori and the will of the wisps, everything from its music to its characters to its stunning visuals. but this is probably my favourite area in the game
This was SUCH a clean video! I loved it. If you could get in touch with some Enter the Gungeon devs. I would love to hear how they went about constructing their game, especially how they considered making the DLC
Really good idea
It would be cool to see one of these videos on celeste.
I didn't think it was possible for me to love Ori and the Will of the Wisps even more, but you just proved me wrong, sir!
I love that Chris McEntee was able to show the sketches and the prototypes! First time I've seen how a game can be designed before the code or tested before the graphics. ♪
If you want a similar deep dive behind the curtains of this particular game, check out how moon did the switch port for this on digital foundry, it's very comprehensive and well made
YES a new GMTK video and it's about Ori! even better!
15:45 'It shouldn't be that you touch a random trigger and a thing falls on your head and you die.' Oh, the irony. That is exactly what happens in almost each dungeon in the first Ori game.
I love how he kindly asked us to watch the ad
Does anybody else know about the hammer + triple jump = super high jump tech? As soon as you get these, you can cheese nearly all of the secrets and even reach the roof on most maps.
Hit play faster than the speed of sound
Thas pretty fast
Like beggar.
In a perfect vacuum the speed of sound is 0
This is my second favorite Metroidvania behind Hollow Knight. Such a cool discussion on one of my favorite areas in the game.
I agree. This and hollow Knight are in my opinion the best the genre has to offer.
What a great idea for a series! Everything was well prepared and executed. Having the prototypes and everything else shared and shown on screen makes it so much easier for the viewers. I understand not all of the interviewed will be able to share all this information, but I am already looking forward for the next episode of On The Level!
It still feels rewarding because you can feel the difficulty spike in that area, so being gated off at the end tells you that you definetly got there too early and being able to do a late game area while underpowered makes you feel like a badass, like the catacombs in Dark Souls 1 for example.
You're not at all underpowered though. There's nothing different difficulty or mechanically wise between doing it early or later. You might be more comfortable with the game, but that's it.
Amazing idea for a new series! I can’t wait so see what this brings in the future!
Amazing video, really. I love how it started with simple sketches of areas, then simple animations + simple graphics (the spikes started out as red lights showing the hitboxes, I just love that) and then the style was added, but we can see it was all thought since the beggining too, nothing felt out of place and the level plays out just like it was thought in paper. Beautiful!
Less than 2 minutes in and this is already one of the most informative videos on game design that I've ever seen! And I've watched pretty much ALL of your other videos and several others from another channel as well! Really love the idea of developing an interesting mechanic first and then developing a level around it (I know this has been discussed before, possibly multiple times) and using just PAPER to test out level ideas; BRILLIANT! *proceeds to watch the rest of the video with utmost interest*
I'm simple.
I see Ori,I click.
Really enjoyed Ori. A game that really "feels" good to play.
This interview is pure gold, thank you so much for sharing this!
I really enjoyed this interview. It's nice to see devs and designers get a chance to "show their work". They must be proud of the puzzles and problems they had to solve to bring us hours of fun, so I appreciate being able to see them enthusiastically show & tell the process.
I’d love to see an episode on any level from Titanfall 2. “Effect and Cause” is the obvious one to choose but most of them would be great to talk about!
Ori and the will of the wisps is one of my favourite games of all time. The gameplay had been greatly improved from the first game (with some hollow knight inspiration:) with great movement and feeling of flow, aswell as a much needed overhaul of Ori’s combat. The locations are much more unique and memorable than the first game (my favourite is the luma pools) the story is excellent with way more characters and things that happen and change compared to the first game. The boss fights and enemy variety are both creative and bring a change of gameplay and it is really fun rapidly switching abilities to tackle them and bring them down. And finally soundtrack is really, really something special. If you haven’t played this game, do it. You will have a blast from start to end.
Love is being willing to sit through a 2.5-minute ad break because you appreciate a content creator that much.
Good time for a water break(both ways).
This was brilliant! Devs giving insight on how they came up with levels, mechanics, etc is very valuable. Great work, Mark!
The saddest thing is that you either can't play it twice or the 2nd time doesn't feel like the first time.
True, but Hard mode and achievements at least give some replay value
Ori is so cuute i miss playing the game. Best feeling i got out of a 2d platform ever. BY FAR. Ori controls so well.
yes
True, the Controls are so tight, it's a joy (same goes for Shantae IMHO)
Brilliant. I adore hearing game devs talk about their games and everything that goes into the creative process and the levels on which mechanics and ideas are given thought. It fascinates me greatly and the passion being exuded is infectious.
I haven't played an Ori game myself - I tried the first game's demo, but it's just not quite my genre - but I definitely respect what I've seen and heard of it.
I'll be looking forward to whatever you have in store next for this video series, you can count on that.
amazing interview! i love the ori games and this was super insightful. can't wait for more in the series!!
I love game design, I feel I'm learning all the secrets! jeje.
I Seriously Love Sand Levels In Video Games. What's Your Favorite Sand Level?
Journey xD
This took some time to dig up. Sonic's Pyramid cave stage in Sonic Adventure 2 has some good mix of quick puzzle solving, timed puzzles, really long rush moments (a personal favorite was dodging a swarm of ghosts down a long, winding tunnel going down.) and awesome music that has some ominous beats mixed with an electric guitar. Also a boss immediately afterwards.
Chozo ruins in Metroid Prime, probably. Or maybe that sand slide level in galaxy 2, I forgot it's name.
@@legrandliseurtri7495 Chozo Ruins came to mind, but I thought there was something better to me and there was. Chozo Ruins is good especially in a thematic sense. Spoilers for Metroid Prime 1:
Considering Samus has just lost nearly all her equipment and navigates the Chozo Ruins, healing its wounds and her gear is a very special occasion (she gets her normal early game items, missiles, morph ball, charge beam, MB bombs, and the Varia Suit.)
One of the most entertaining and insightful videos I've seen in a long time, big props
This was absolutely amazing! I hope you're able to do more of this!
I can't help but think there was some giggling going on by the devs when they made the level shown at 4:26. Or maybe I'm just still a pubescent boy in a grown man's body.
It’s awesome until you realize you actually need to FINISH the sand worm chase
Even four years after playing the game I still instantly recognized the sketches and could place them. Really goes to show just how memorable Ori's level design is.
This entire game is absolutely, stunningly beautiful: the music, the atmosphere, the animation, the combat. Everything! And this interview was so insightful and fun to watch! Instant subscribe.
I feel like some studios (looking at you, the entire AAA industry) should make your videos required watching for all designers. Thanks Mark for such great content
Honestly, we all should be voting with our feet when it comes to the AAA industry.
I would love to see some stuff on Hollow Knight, this was epic!
I loved this video.
Very cool interview! Would love to see more like this, hope the series can continue.
That was fantastic. Thank you both for all the effort you put into this. The burrow ability was definitely one of my favorites in the game, so to get a sneak peek at how it developed was really neat. It was also interesting to hear about how the dead end came to be and the logic behind it, seeing as the Windswept Wastes were the first area I went to once the game opened up.
Anyway, I loved the video and I’m looking forward to this series. Thanks again, and God bless you with a good day!
This is going to be a great series
I cant belive this, a level design series, im so f**ing happy
fantastic interview. And the answers were so well thought out and shared with detail. really great stuff
Really appreciate your own transparency about your process and the way you announce ad breaks etc, truly honest stuff! Love ya
14:21 when you successfully make it to the ovaries but don’t wanna be born.
A power move
4:20 😂 do you see what I see
Really fantastic interview about a fascinating subject. I love seeing behind the curtain on game design, especially a game like Ori, which has some of the freshest, most innovative and creative gameplay mechanics and design ever.
Definitely an inspiring interview :) Love the vids as always, can't wait to see more of them
When notification are faster than recommendations
Who else agrees that the way Mark talks in these interviews is seductive 😂
This video was so fantastic. Keep up the good work! And great job breaking down your work Chris
This was wonderful! So much knowledge and insight in this interview. Can't wait for the next one!
First 😎
I like this new series!
This series is brilliant, and couldn't have had a better start to it than with Ori! As a designer I'd kinda gotten away from paper prototyping, but seeing it being used to effectively reaffirms its brilliance for me after long. GMTK is no less than a university!
DUDE, this idea of series is SOOOO AWESOME!!
Great idea and great video!!
Please do more of this series, Mark! My biggest struggle right now is developing my process for level design so getting to hear and see how other designers have thought through levels is a phenomenal help.
Hell yeah! New GMTK mini series. I love your ideas for these little offshoot series
This interview was amazing.
Thanks for this knowledge
Great questions and amazing answers! Keep up the good work GMTK.
This was absolutely amazing! Love the format!