Description
An area with heavy resistance may contain an alternate route that allows characters to gain a positional advantage. Generally, enemy NPCs are positioned in the main corridor, while the player has the option to use the flanking route to get behind or alongside the enemy NPCs. A flanking route may be a separate corridor or elements of cover in a large arena.
Affordances
- The position that can be reached by flanking
- The amount of cover available while flanking
Consequences
A flanking route is used to provide the player with options in combat. Players who prefer direct combat may attack the enemy NPCs without using the flanking route, whereas players who prefer a more stealthy style may avoid the enemies and attack from the side or behind. For players who chose to use the flanking route, the effect is a reduction in the tempo of the game.
Relationships
Flanking routes can exist in arenas. A flanking route might be a hidden area.
Examples
| Description | Screenshot |
|---|---|
| In the level “Trial by Fire” of Gears of War, the player engages enemies in a wide, narrow arena with a flanking route down one side. While the enemy NPCs engage the friendly NPCs from a cover position, the player can use the flanking route to get move behind them and engage from a covered position. |  |
| Many of the arenas in the Killzone 2 level “Corinth River” include flanking routes. For example, in one large arena with a large number of enemy NPCs, the player can move from cover to cover along the side of the arena, gaining an advantageous position to engage the enemy NPCs from. | Screenshot not available. |
