SaintMadeOfPlaster
Member
This makes no sense. What if they implemented a map that was terrible? You have no idea what kind of map they would use.
-
Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!
Let's stop taking good maps for granted
- Thread starter scitek
- Start date
This makes no sense. What if they implemented a map that was terrible? You have no idea what kind of map they would use.
ResidentDante
Member
Totally agree on this, the game also had a dedicated map button, making it fast and easy to check!
Dagobert Duck
Member
I really like Guacamelees map. And its awesome on the Wii U when you can play on the big screen and look at the map on oyur gamepad...Nintendo where is our metroid??
The level and world-design of the game is so well done, you don't even need a map for this game, even though it's huge. Everything is perfectly connected and memorable.
Still, things could make even more sense and orientation easier, if there was an actual map.
I'm sure, no matter how bad or good it would be, it would help. Even a map with just the names of the locations, geographically positionated.
I have a soft spot for Ultima Underworld's:
* It's the first automap I encountered (not the first automap created, as far as I'm aware)
* It was fully-annotatable
* You could find map fragments in the game world and apply them to your own map; some puzzles hinged on that. They often came with their own annotations
* If you got disoriented - falling down a pit or teleported to an uncharted area - the map would not update until you found your way back to a previously-mapped region.
* It's the first automap I encountered (not the first automap created, as far as I'm aware)
* It was fully-annotatable
* You could find map fragments in the game world and apply them to your own map; some puzzles hinged on that. They often came with their own annotations
* If you got disoriented - falling down a pit or teleported to an uncharted area - the map would not update until you found your way back to a previously-mapped region.
SaintMadeOfPlaster
Member
I know this is me being pedantic, but this thread is about good maps, not well-connected and/or memorable worlds. The game could have a world in which a map isn't really needed, but still have an awful map.
Best maps (Good game or not doesn't matter)
Far Cry 2
Far Cry 2 has one of the best map implementations ever. It's such a shame the sequels don't have it. It would have been so cool if Blood Dragon the map would have been a hologram on Reese's hand.
MehsterChief
Member
It looks overly complicated at first, but the detailed map in the Descent games (here: Descent 3) were excellent and pretty much necessary to progress.
I wish we'd get 3D levels as complex as those nowadays....
I wish we'd get 3D levels as complex as those nowadays....
It looks overly complicated at first, but the detailed map in the Descent games (here: Descent 3) were excellent and pretty much necessary to progress.
I wish we'd get 3D levels as complex as those nowadays....
To be honest, I found Descent's maps messy. They needed *something* to make the information they were trying to convey clearer, because they always ran the risk of looking, well, just like a mess of lines.
Also, are you sure that's Descent 3? I didn't play D3, and I'm sure I've seen a map like that on one of the earlier games.
If Dark Souls had an in-game map, this would probably be my choice.
Otherwise:
From Ni No Kuni.
I also remember Dead Space 1 to have a very good map system. You could pull it out while still being able to walk and have an eye on your environment. Fully 3D models of it made it very easy to navigate and orientate through the game for me.
What makes you so sure that Dark Souls would have a good in-game map? The out of game map was atrocious!
And Dead Space had a map? I never knew and I Platinum'd it! The light from my hand is the only thing I ever used.
FutureZombie
Banned
I_D
Member
I ended up making my own map for Dark Souls, and it was fucking hard. That game has a crazy amount of levels, in terms of elevation.
desertdroog
Member
If only Alan Wake was the open world game they originally planned:
http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100507205900/alanwake/images/2/2d/Bright_Falls_Map.png
http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100507205900/alanwake/images/2/2d/Bright_Falls_Map.png
HiddenForbiddenHolyGround
Member
The I Am Alive map reminded me of Silent Hill. It was very helpful too. The red lines showing dead ends, landmarks, and dungeons.
I like the Dragon Warrior maps that came with the games because they show exactly what is in the game. Not sure if these images zoom close enough to show that.
Old games like Final Fantasy Legend 2 and later ones like the Dragon Warrior 1&2 re-release came with those paper maps that just showed the world exactly as it looks in game from a birds eye view.
These maps are from DW4 and 3.
Dragon Warrior 9s in game map does the same thing though. The map shows you exactly what the world looks like, landmarks, ditches, puddles and all.
Enlarged and stitched together version of full in game map to show treasure locations.
What the world looks like while flying.
Because while the gameplay is 2D, the levels are 3D. Batman moves on a "rail" that can change direction depending on the room. For example, you can enter a room from the west and leave through the north. In many places there are multiple "rails" accessible through grapple points and vents.
The overhead map would work if there weren't overlapping floors, but there are. To make matters worse the map doesn't display the entry and exit points in each room properly, so you have no idea where the "rail" can take you when you enter a room. They really should have done Metroid Prime style maps or at the very least an isometric map.
AcademicSaucer
Member
The SotN map is still the best for me