Overworld
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2025) |
An overworld or a hub world is, in a broad sense, an area within a
Description
An overworld or hub world is an area within a
Hub worlds in single-player games are often used for worldbuilding, while hubs in multiplayer games are more purposed for storage for weapons and equipment, as well as restocking supplies. They serve as safe areas in between dangerous areas and quests where players can take on more passive actions. Wired and Kotaku described overworlds as a sort of "home" for the player in-game.[1][2] They have also been considered an essential element of RPGs.[1][3]
History
The 1981
In
Audio design
In terms of video game music, overworld themes are often orchestral in nature, and of greater length and complexity than other pieces in the same game, due to the amount of time spent travelling the overworld map.[citation needed] Because players will usually visit a single level or area a few times in a given play session, the music for any such section of the game will typically be shorter and/or less complex,[8] and thus less time-consuming for the designers to produce. The overworld theme frequently functions as the main theme of a game, often used as a motif for other tracks (e.g., a "romance" theme features the main melody of the overworld theme, orchestrated in a different key).[9]
See also
- Level design
- Open world
References
- ^ from the original on 24 August 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
- ^ a b Alexandra, Heather (29 January 2018). "Hub Worlds Can Be Games' Greatest Pleasure". Kotaku. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
- ^ a b McFadden, Jason (8 April 2022). "Ode to the Overworld". RPGamer. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
- ^ a b "Five great (but forgotten) alternatives to Pac-Man from the early '80s". Digitally Downloaded. 8 June 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
- AllGame. Archived from the originalon 14 November 2014.
- ^ Williamson, Riley (6 November 2022). "Why Super Mario 64's Peach's Castle Is Such a Great Hub World". CBR. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
- ^ Albiges, Luke; Thorpe, Nick; et al. (24 June 2021). "Super Mario 64 turns 25: Examining the impact of the N64's most revolutionary game". GamesRadar+. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
- ^ "The Evolution of Video Game Music". All Things Considered (Podcast). NPR. 13 April 2008. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
- ^ Price, Seth (2002). "Early Video Game Soundtracks" (PDF). In Magazine. Retrieved 28 May 2023 – via UbuWeb.
Further reading
- Marshalkowski, Benjamin (19 April 2016). "Overworld Overload: An Analysis of Link to the Past's Light World, Part 1". Game Developer. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
- Marshalkowski, Benjamin (25 April 2016). "Overworld Overload: An Analysis of Link to the Past's Light World, Part 2". Game Developer. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
- Marshalkowski, Benjamin (13 May 2016). "Overworld Overload: An Analysis of Link to the Past's Light World, Part 3". Game Developer. Retrieved 27 May 2023.