Mass Effect 3

BioWare planned Tuchanka as a sequence of target emotions, one per section. Dave Feltham used emotion charts for the level: hope, then chaos, then mystery, then awe. A big convoy and lazing Krogan gave confidence, flames gave chaos, murals gave mystery, and the city reveal gave awe.

The team broke the level into sections, picked a theme for each, and decided the emotion the player should feel. Only then did they use environment design to evoke it. Contrast between sections, such as dark catacombs into an open city, strengthens the reveal.

BioWare cut catacomb monsters after playtesters found torchlit fights too intense. The intended intensity was charted, with low points for story beats and high points for combat. Playtesters rated how intense each area felt, and the catacomb enemies pushed it too high, so they were scrapped.

A cutscene of friendly bombers was added to raise the sense of hope. The lesson is to check intended intensity against playtesters and change the level where the chart is off.

Enough charm or intimidate points let players talk Saren into shooting himself. This skips the first part of the final boss fight. The source calls it a skill check that only offers a win.

It is held up as an example of making conversation a real way to resolve a fight, not a reduced alternative to combat.