In this exclusive developer diary, Coffee Stain Studios writes about the new environments of Sanctum 2 and how the soundtrack is interwoven with these new areas.
The environments in Sanctum 1 received critical acclaim from fans and reviewers alike, however the transition between them wasn’t ideal. Players would simply click which map they wanted to play in a menu. This was acceptable for the time, but we realized that if our indie studio wants to compete with bigger developers with bigger budgets, we need to make this much smoother and cooler.
In Sanctum 2, the world will be divided into four different environments, where every environment has a unique visual look and its own set of maps in it. Furthermore, the type of enemies encountered will also vary depending on the area.
The facility is the first environment in Sanctum 2. It’s here that the alien attacks start.
The Rocky Fields are the second area, and from some angles the tall buildings of the facility can be seen in the distance. The Rocky Fields are home to especially many flying aliens.
The soundtrack and the environments in Sanctum 2 go very much hand-in-hand. We have tried even harder than we did in Sanctum 1 to make sure that they’re both not only very well polished, but that they reinforce each other and work in synergy.
For example, the most important role of the background music in Sanctum 2 is for it to enhance the mood and the environment. There won’t be catchy hit songs with sing-along melodies, but rather soundscapes made specifically to enhance the different elements that make the world of Sanctum what it is.
The Giant Trees area is home to the old and abandoned labs of earlier colonization attempts that are now overgrown with spore pods bulging out of enormous roots. These bases were built on actual giant trees, so the Core Guardians will actually be building their mazes and towers on their huge tree-crowns.
In each area there will be two types of music. At first, the main theme plays during the building phase while players construct towers and enjoy the scenery. However, when players hit enter and start the action-phase, the music will become much more intense while still containing some elements of the previous track. However, once players encounter something out of the ordinary, they will definitely notice it in the music elements as well!
The Swamp is the most mysterious environment in Sanctum 2. Little is known about these Cores that have not been turned on for hundreds of years, and the strangest compositions of aliens lurk everywhere. Tread carefully.
To see Sanctum 2 in motion, watch Tim and Peter tackle a pair of missions from the game. And you can read even more in Tim’s preview.
Published: Apr 29, 2013 07:46 pm