So now that we’ve taken a deep look at the parts of the movement system, how does it all fit together? How do the various systems and interactions form a cohesive whole?
The first thing to notice is that some forms of movement are very discrete and definite. Any time you stop running on the ground, the X velocity gets set to zero. The game does not quickly move the value down, instead it just makes the value zero. Contrast this to stopping in the air. When you stop holding a direction, the X velocity does quickly go to zero, but it ramps down.
//find better words than definite and relative Generally speaking, when you are physically touching a surface, movements are more likely to be definite. Each action is discrete and does not take into account your current momentum. When you are in the air, movement is more likely to be relative. Momentum tends to carry from one action to the next.
The difference between these two modes of movement makes each feel very distinct. In systems with a lot of discrete movement, platforming often feels very precise and finicky, because the digital objects and characters don’t move in the ways that our brain expects them to. Conversely, systems with only relative movement and feel like you are steering a character, rather than directly controlling them.
The separation of movement allows for the player to sometimes feel very in control, sometimes feel like they are at the mercy of the elements. This allows for different flavors of movement to come through in different sections.
The fastest forms of movement are high commitment or have special restricitions. The dash will send you in a horizontal direction very quickly, but you will move a fair distance before you get the opportunity to change your path. It is very common to accidentally dash off a cliff and fall way more than you expected because you didn’t plan for being stranded in the air above a pit. Similarly, Bash lets you move in any direction, but requires an enemy or a projectile to bash off of.
Launch is the same as bash, but it doesn’t need a target. This is why it is the last ability in the game. It eliminates the need for most other movement abilites. Despite how fun it is, if it was available at the beginning of the game it would remove a lot of the variety and joy of movement. It works best as a reward for getting to the conclusion.
This separation of movement into touching a surface or being in the air lends itself well to the exploratory nature of the game. The fastest forms of movement both vertically and horizontally either need the player to be on a surface, or are refreshed when a surface is touched. This is contrasted with the nature of exploring the 2D map, where being in the air is incredibly necessary to traverse from area to area. General exploration and traversal both encourage a lot of necessary vertical movement as well as movement that takes place exclusively in the air.
This creates a fun dichotomy between places you are familliar with, and places you are exploring. Moving at top speed requires both knowledge of the space you are moving through, as well as an understanding of where you need to go. When you know where the dangers are, as well as where every convenient surface is, you can speed through an area. When you are just entering a new space, your movement is much slower because you don’t know what path to take or even where you need to go. As you start to understand what the area requires, you start to move faster and more confidently.
This natural speeding up as you start to become more comfortable with a space creates a fun sense of mastery. The areas you spend more time in feel more like home because that is where you can move the most easily. The new areas feel much more unsure because you have to move much more carefully. Not knowing or remembering where to go, or what threats are in the area makes the movement much more slow and cautious.
This sense of mastery, alongside picking up abilities that recontextualize the spaces, is the fun of Ori and The Will of The Wisps.