The climb (2016)
Oculus rift (vr)
Crytek GmbH| Level Designer
The Climb is a VR game that delivers the thrill of free solo rock climbing with immersive motion controls, realistic physics,
and stunning environments. The first-person perspective enhances the challenge, making every ascent feel intense and lifelike.
As a Level Designer on The Climb, I worked on four levels: "Old Mine", "Flame Bay", "High Sky" and "Tough Choice".
Later, for the free "North" DLC, I've worked on the boulder level "Cold Split"
It was a lot of fun to work on these levels! Each of them plays like a giant puzzle, as players figure out how to traverse the environment without losing grip and/or stamina. For us, this meant balancing the types of grip and where they are placed. Additionally, we were challenged with finding the correct balance between being able to find the route easily enough,
without spoiling the entire route.
My work on the The Climb included:
- Created the layouts for each level, using CryEngine Designer and placeholder (rock) assets
- Grip and ledge placement, with many iterations and refinements
- Prototyped and implemented the headlight for night levels
- Prototyped and implemented the final climb-on mechanic and rewards screen
- Supporting other teams wherever possible
Credits
CRYTEK GmbH, Oculus
The Climb (base game)
"Old Mine"
(Alps - Easy difficulty) - As this was the first Alps level, I wanted to put focus on showing the gorgeous alpine landscape. To build up anticipation and increase the impact of the vista, I opted to start in a dark cave first, rewarding the player afterwards with the gorgeous view at the checkpoint.
"Flame Bay"
(Asia - Hard difficulty) - Taking place at night at a rock formation, the player will have difficulty finding the right path. For me, this meant an extra focus on player leading, flow (comfortable turns), and drawing the player's attention by moving objects and light and shadow areas.
"High Sky"
(USA - Hard difficulty) - Located at a US desert canyon, the player needs to find their way in the dark with nothing but their headlight. For me, this meant striking the right balance between making the player think and look for their route ahead, but preventing the player from ever feeling stuck.
"Tough Choice"
(Alps - Insane difficulty) - Boulder levels were the insane mode in The Climb. Each of these are shorter, but much more difficult than regular climbing levels. As the level is shorter, I wanted to go for a more memorable shape. Hence the two slanted rock formation spikes.
THE CLIMB "THE NORTH" (DLC)
The Climb "The North" transports the player to new snowy and icy landscapes. This offered us opportunities to explore new mechanics such as moving ladders, sliding from ice, and new grip types (pickaxe hooks).
"Cold Split"
(North - Insane difficulty) - With "The North" being a DLC pack for The Climb, I figured the player has likely already played a few levels, so difficulty can be increased a bit further. In this level, the player needs to jump, slide and hang frequently to get to the top. I've made it my focus to force the player to make split-second decisions.
