Design Thoughts: Feelings of Loss

In many games, defeating tough enemies is an event to be celebrated. But really, the defeat of a tough foe also comes with a sense of loss -- a character in the world has been removed, and will never be back.

Iwate Mountain Dance focuses on this feeling of loss. I wanted to explore how to get players to feel a sense of melancholy and nostalgia for past times, like the feeling when remembering old summer days as a child.

I think boss-fighting games naturally align to feelings of loss, since while the boss is alive, all you can think of is the intensity of the fight, and how to defeat them. But the moment you release them from the world, that's it -- they're gone forever.

In Iwate, I make a few key design decisions to accentuate this feeling. First, when designing the overworld, I sprinkled many NPCs around as spirits of the land, minding their own business and going about their lives.

But when the boss of the area is defeated, all these NPCs slowly disappear, one by one. Once they're gone, they don't come back. Instead, you're greeted by an empty scene, with only a few memories of those who once lived here.

Second, I really emphasize the contrast between the fights and the aftermath. Iwate is a land of ruin, but it's easy to forget that when you're busy running around challenging bosses. During boss fights, the music is always intense and hype-inducing, along with bullet patterns that fill the screen.

But right as you land the finishing blow, the music cuts. There's no victory fanfare, no level up, no item drops. The spirits just disappear, leaving only a simple landscape and the sound of rain.

Now, this whole bit of chasing after feelings of loss can seem unnecessary. To be honest, this is mostly me being curious in alternate views on game mechanics. But I do believe that there is a bit of beauty in loss -- for example, cherry blossoms are beautiful in that they only bloom one week a year.

The fact that something is temporary makes it worth that much more in the moment. And I want players to enjoy the boss fights in Iwate to their fullest extent.

At the end of the game, all that is left of Iwate will be an empty mountain. But it's not a sad thing -- rather, we can be remember the memories we had here and smile.

The final boss might even have a few words to say about this ;)