设计劳拉·克劳馥最黑暗的冒险：理查德·莫顿回顾《黑暗天使》
Designing Lara Croft's Darkest Adventure: Richard Morton Reflects on Angel of Darkness
2025年2月11日
Feb 11, 2025
理查德·莫顿在游戏行业拥有超过37年的经验，名下作品超过29款，他曾在多个平台和岗位上工作，从制作2D精灵和3D环境到设计关卡、创作剧情和塑造游戏玩法。理查德与古墓丽影的缘分始于1996年的《古墓丽影1》，他在许多关卡设计会议和剧情讨论中发挥了创意影响，随后在《古墓丽影2》中担任美术和关卡设计师，与希瑟·史蒂文斯（原名吉布森）的技术协助下，参与了标志性的西安神庙关卡。在那之后，他在各种角色中为其他经典时代的古墓丽影游戏做出了贡献，包括主导游戏设计、原创故事开发和概念。
With over 37 years in the games industry and more than 29 titles to his name, Richard Morton has worked across multiple platforms and roles, from crafting 2D sprites and 3D environments to designing levels, crafting storylines and shaping gameplay. Richard’s Tomb Raider journey began with Tomb Raider (1996), serving as a creative influence in many of the level design meetings and story discussions, he then moved on to Tomb Raider II as an artist & level designer, where he worked on the iconic Temple of Xian level with some technical assistance from Heather Stevens (née Gibson). After that, he contributed to other classic-era Tomb Raider games in various roles, including lead game design, original story development, and concepts.
您可以在我们的文章《安迪·桑德姆和理查德·莫顿谈论〈最后启示录〉和〈历代记〉中的劳拉角色塑造》中了解更多关于理查德在塑造《古墓丽影：最后启示录》和《古墓丽影：历代记》故事中所扮演的角色。
You can read more about Richard’s role in shaping the stories of Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation and Tomb Raider: Chronicles in our article: Andy Sandham and Richard Morton Talk Lara's Characterization in The Last Revelation and Chronicles
我们还与理查德谈到了他在《古墓丽影：黑暗天使》中担任首席游戏设计师的角色。
We also spoke with Richard about his role as the lead game designer on Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness.
问：《黑暗天使》带来了更加成熟的叙事，并引入了新的游戏元素，如耐力条和对话选项，使其与早期的古墓丽影游戏有所不同。哪些关键设计选择有助于确立这种更加黑暗、更加写实的基调？
Q: The Angel of Darkness brought a more mature narrative and introduced new gameplay elements like a stamina bar and dialogue options, setting it apart from earlier Tomb Raider games. What were some of the key design choices that helped establish this darker, more grounded tone?
理查德：我们始终知道《黑暗天使》必须有所不同，从更加引人入胜的故事到PS2的未知力量，再到劳拉必须重生……事情必须改变，行业已经改变。我们当时看到了许多包含更加成熟的主题和游戏风格的在售游戏，我们认为我们需要将游戏推向更加成熟和黑暗的方向。
Rich: We always knew Angel of Darkness had to be different, from the even more involved story to the unknown power of the PlayStation 2, to how Lara had to be reborn… things had to change, the industry had changed. We were looking at many current games at the time that contained more mature themes and gameplay styles, we felt we needed to push the game in that more mature and darker direction.
问：在从PS1过渡到PS2硬件的过程中，最大的挑战是什么？这次升级给游戏设计过程带来了哪些关键优势？
Q: What were the biggest challenges in moving from PlayStation 1 to PlayStation 2 hardware, and what key advantages did the upgrade bring to the game design process?
理查德：过渡有点可怕；我们在拥有最终开发硬件之前就开始开发游戏了，我们在Maya中构建了非常大且复杂的环境，而最终的硬件在内存大小和处理器方面都无法处理。我们不得不大幅简化并削减环境，当时我们还没有流媒体技术，所以我们不得不引入加载，这我一点也不喜欢，但我们不得不充分利用手头的工具。我觉得将关卡分成小块也限制了设计布局。不幸的是，我们在PS1系列游戏中使用的关卡编辑器并未在PS2的《黑暗天使》中延续，我认为这影响了关卡设计师通过代码输入所能实现的内容。
Rich: The transition was a bit scary; we started developing the game before we had final development hardware, we were building there very large and complex environments in Maya which the final hardware just couldn’t handle both in terms of memory size and on the processor. We had to simplify massively and cut the environments up, we didn’t have streaming technology back then, so we had to introduce loading too, which I didn’t like at all but we had to make best of the tools we had. I feel that splitting up the levels into chunks also throttled back the design layout. Unfortunately, the level editor we’d used in the PS1 series of games wasn’t continued for PS2 AOD, I think that harmed us in terms of what the level designers could achieve with having code input.
工业屋顶（半成品）
Industrial Rooftops wip
问：这次过渡对您的游戏设计创意方法有何影响？与您之前的方法有何不同？
Q: How did the transition impact your creative approach to game design, and how did it differ from your previous approach?
理查德：如上所述，关卡设计必须受到相当程度的限制，不仅我们花了很长时间来构建关卡所需的资源，而且关卡本身必须以我们能够轻松地将它们分成对玩家有意义的块的方式进行构建。地图不再是庞大蔓延的创作，相反，我们必须将重点过于集中。
Rich: As mentioned above, the level design had to be reined in quite a bit, not only was it taking us a lot longer to build the assets needed for the levels, but the levels themselves had to be structured in such a way that we could easily chop them into chunks that made sense to the player. The maps could no longer be huge sprawling creations, instead we had to focus them down, maybe a little too much.
不过，我们有很多额外的游戏机制可以玩，这有助于推动游戏继续发展……升级系统绝非完美，但它确实为许多现代游戏采用非常相似的系统奠定了基础。徒手战斗和潜行有助于增加不同的游戏元素，但控制系统经历了许多迭代，有些奏效，有些则不然。我们最终得到的是一个半成功但有缺陷的控制系统。
We had lots of extra game mechanics to play with though, which helped keep things moving… the upgrade system wasn’t perfect by any means, but it did pave the way for many modern games to do very similar systems. The hand-to-hand combat and stealth helped add different gameplay elements, but the control system suffered from many iterations, some worked and some really didn’t. What we ended up with was a semi-working but flawed control system.
问：默蒂·斯科菲尔德之前提到他与您紧密合作，身为首席叙事设计师的他与身为首席游戏设计师的您携手合作，以确保故事与关卡设计的无缝融合。您能分享一下这种合作是如何进行的吗？
Q: Murti Schofield previously mentioned that he worked closely with you, combining his role as lead narrative designer with yours as lead game designer, to ensure a seamless integration of story and level design. Could you share some insights into how that collaboration worked?
理查德：确实如此，默蒂和我相处得非常融洽，一见如故。他在故事和叙事结构方面的工作十分出色，这使我们能够真正专注于如何让故事在游戏中发挥作用、我们需要哪些关卡以及如何将故事贯穿其中。我们还意识到，在初步设计关卡运行顺序后，我们需要更多的古墓，因此我们调整了部分故事情节，以包含扩建的古墓区域，并增加了一些原本没有的古墓。
Rich: Yes indeed, Murti and I got on very well and hit it off right away. His work on the story and narrative structure was excellent, allowing us to really focus on how the story would work within the game, what levels we needed and how we could thread the story through them. We also realised after the initial design of the level running order was, we needed more tombs, so we tweaked parts of the storyline to include expanded tomb areas and added some that were not there at all.
幕后花絮：烈焰圣殿
BTS Sanctuary of the Flame
我认为我们遇到的最大难题是不得不将游戏砍半，这意味着德国和卡帕多奇亚地区将不得不为《古墓丽影：黑暗天使》续集保留。这意味着我们需要对故事进行一些重构，以得出我们所需的游戏结局，同时也为下一款游戏留下悬念。游戏删减的另一个牺牲品是柯蒂斯，我相信你们现在已经知道他所拥有的或本应拥有的许多超能力……在成品游戏的动画过场片段中才可见，我们根本没有时间为他添加真正的超能力，虽然已设计和制作了动画，但我们却没有时间为它们编码。
I think our biggest headache came when we had to cut the game in half, meaning Germany and Cappadocia would have to be left behind for AOD2. This meant having to restructure the story a bit to give us the end of game finale we needed, but also allowing that cliffhanger story continuation ready for the next game. Another casualty of the game cutting was Kurtis, which I’m sure by now you already know of the many psychic powers he had or should have had… only visible in the cinematic cut scenes in the finished game, we simply didn’t have time to add his true abilities, they were designed and animated, but we didn’t have time to code them.
问：在早期的古墓丽影游戏中，您最喜欢设计的是哪一关，在《古墓丽影：黑暗天使》中，哪一个关卡或部分最令您印象深刻，成为您的最爱？
Q: What was your favourite level to design in the earlier Tomb Raider games, and which level or segment in The Angel of Darkness stands out as your personal favourite?
理查德：在早期的游戏中，我有几个最喜欢的关卡。西安庙宇是我首个完整打造的古墓丽影关卡（来自《古墓丽影2》），在此之前，我参加了《古墓丽影1》和《古墓丽影2》的多次关卡设计会议，还协助维姬·阿诺德完成故事元素，当时我是核心设计工作室的创意经理，但渴望重回创作领域。
Rich: I have a few favourites from the earlier games, Temple of Xian was my first fully built Tomb Raider level (from TR2) before that I’d sat in many level design meetings on TR1 and TR2, also assisting Vicky Arnold on story elements, at the time I was serving as Creative Manager for Core but was hungry to get back into building stuff.
在《古墓丽影3》中，我创建了南太平洋关卡、内华达州部分关卡和劳拉庄园扩展关卡，其中我认为51区关卡、尤其是UFO机库位居第二，但我最喜欢的还是马都布峡谷，纯粹是因为设计上的挑战，它绝非一个标准关卡……遗憾的是控制系统不太宽容，但我最近收到一个称赞，说这一关卡让一名古墓丽影粉丝成为了一名职业皮划艇运动员。
For TR3 I created the South Pacific levels, parts of Nevada and Lara’s Mansion expansion, out of those I think the Area 51 level and more specifically the UFO hangar comes a close second, but Madubu Gorge was my favourite purely because of the design challenge, it wasn’t a standard level in any way… it’s a shame the control system wasn’t a bit more forgiving, but I recently got a compliment that this level was responsible for a TR fan to become a professional kayaker.
在《古墓丽影：最后的启示》中，我打造了柬埔寨关卡以及国王谷的埃及关卡和沙漠铁路。在这些关卡中，我真的很喜欢塞特之墓，有向导帮助劳拉穿越布满陷阱的密室，但我最喜欢的还是沙漠铁路，因为它与之前的任何古墓丽影关卡都截然不同，并且有一些有趣的战斗和游戏玩法。
For Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation, I made Cambodia and also the Kings Valley Egyptian levels and the Desert Railroad. Out of these levels I really enjoyed The Tomb of Seth with the guide helping Lara get through the trap filled chambers, but my favourite had to be the Desert Railroad, just because it was so different to any Tomb Raider level before it and had some interesting combat and gameplay situations.
在《古墓丽影：历代记》中，我再次使用冯·克洛这个角色，劳拉试图潜入陷阱重重、安保系统严密的VCI塔楼。其中我认为红色警报最具挑战性，劳拉被武装直升机追击，有许多编排好的爆炸场面，以及大块的环境被炸毁。
Tomb Raider: Chronicles had me returning to the character Von Croy, with Lara attempting to infiltrate VCI Tower with its many traps and security systems. Out of these I think Red Alert was the most challenging with Lara being pursued by a Helicopter Gunship, lots of choreographed explosions and large chunks of the environment being blown up.
《古墓丽影：历代记》中的直升机
TRC Helicopter
在《黑暗天使》中，我原本最喜欢的是最初的训练关卡，这是一个大型洞穴系统，是劳拉的导师和治疗师普泰的家。在这一关卡中，劳拉将重新学习一些基本技能，并对升级系统进行更多解释，普泰将亲自以及以幽灵鹰的形态出现，引导她并指出关键功能。这种机制也将继续贯穿于主要游戏关卡中，但同样因时间限制而牺牲。
In Angel of Darkness my original favourite would have been the original training level, which was to be a large cavern system and was to be the home of Putai, Laras mentor and healer. This level would have relearned Lara some of her basic abilities and explain the upgrade system a bit more, with Putai appearing in person and as a spectral hawk, guiding her and pointing out key features. This mechanic was to continue through the main game levels too but was again a casualty of time restrictions.
在发布的关卡中，我打造的最喜欢的关卡是四季大厅，它有经典的古墓丽影陷阱和谜题！
Of the levels that survived to the release my favourite level to build was the Hall of Seasons, with its classic Tomb Raider traps and puzzle!
如果想了解理查德·莫顿的作品，请访问他的网站。
If you want to check out Richard Morton’s work, visit his website.
如果想了解更多信息，请查看《黑暗天使》幕后花絮，其中探索了劳拉·克劳馥在PS2上的首次亮相制作过程，并介绍了核心设计工作室开发团队的许多成员。
If you're interested in learning more, check out The Angel of Darkness' behind-the-scenes feature, which explores the making of Lara Croft's PlayStation 2 debut and features many members of the Core Design development team.
如果想深入了解《黑暗天使》的制作过程，请查看我们与Raidercast的合作！在此视频中，梅根·玛丽和克里斯·卡皮内蒂与理查德·莫顿、默蒂·斯科菲尔德、彼得·康奈利和杰瑞·奥卡罗尔一起坐下来，讨论这款游戏的开发。
For an in-depth look at the creation of The Angel of Darkness, check out our collaboration with Raidercast! In this video, Meagan Marie and Chris Carpineti sit down with Richard Morton, Murti Schofield, Peter Connelly, and Jerr O'Carroll to discuss the game's development.
