Epicness through level design : A God of War case study

Abstract: Epic poems originate from Ancient Greece with the most well-known one being the Odyssey by Homer. Today other forms of media than just poems are considered epic. Video games have the possibility of both being incredibly detailed as the epic modern novel and being a spectacle as seen on epic cinema. The big difference between video games and the other forms of new media is that video games offer the unique experience of space. Players can navigate the game space and explore the different atmospheres and environments that it offers. This thesis delves into what an epic is in the context of level design. The case targets are two levels from the 2018 God of War title and the analysis is done by using passion as a method. The researcher and the player are the same person. The results consist of definition of epic levels and a framework for creating the feeling of epicness through level design.