Function of Vistas and Views in Game Design
Views in video games are observation points used to highlight a lot of objects into one frame or shot using a special camera move. Vistas are special types of views that show distant objects, mainly far off landscapes.
Certain games use vistas as one-off moments (like Uncharted and Tomb Raider) where a special camera move will highlight the vista for the first time. Other games like Zelda: Breath of the Wild allows the players to look at views and vistas as they like without a special camera move. Other than showing off beautiful art, these views and vistas perform some important functions in game design. Let us take a look at them.
1. Pacing
This is probably the most common function of a vista. A vista is considered a low intensity beat in design and provides a break to the player between high-intensity beats. For a lot of games, vistas are a mandatory part of the experience to maintain pacing and convey information while for others, it is optional to interact with them.
2. Highlight goals and landmarks
Vistas highlight faraway landmarks in multiple directions allowing the player to create and maintain a mental map of the world. Open world games frequently use this technique to guide players around the world.
