I will go over a couple of the valuable tools I am aware of for this:
'Landmarking'-- making a location have a memorable set piece, shape, interaction, etc. in the environment. These will serve both as navigational aids, attention directors, and reminders during backtracking.
'Loops'-- creating hubs and spokes or a looping location inter-connectivity such that players are naturally always going to find their way to a 'home' location, or at least know how to return to the home with minimal need to maintain a detailed mental map. These can serve as navigational aids as well as emotional modulators.
Example of Setpiece-Based Landmarking: Super Metroid is the obvious place to see this in action all over the place. For one example, look at the entrance to Kraids Lair-- It has a giant scary-looking statue guarding the door that is unique and is intended to leave a strong impression of 'wow thats cool but I can't climb it yet', such that when you get the hi-jump in the near future down in Norfair, you have no problem thinking of somewhere to try it out. The game even plops you out next to it from the elevator once you have the given upgrade. The graphics on it also scream 'SOMETHING BAD LIVES HERE', and naturally draw you to it-- it tells you immediately that it is an important location and you should go here as soon as you can.
Linear traversal is a bit easier, as you have set paths and can direct players with other overarching methods like lighting, color, enemy placement, sound, etc. to the obvious path. Where this gets more interesting is when you begin to hone it and spice it up and give players linear routes that are NOT obvious so as to inspire feelings of problem solving and exploration / mystery.
Example of Interaction-Based Landmarking: Metroid fusion and Zero Mission do a good job simply using existing assets to do this, like putting a zoomer (enemy that crawls on surfaces) inside of a hidden area of a room, such that when you enter the room and find it is blocked, you then see an enemy emerge from a secret or hidden entrance / pipe-- cuing you to explore it further. Simple, effective, and super cheap in terms of time/effort.
Example of Loops: Dark Souls 1 is probably the best game to study for this method. Most places you go take you back to Firelink Shrine somehow, or are directly accessible from it. It is both a 'hub' from which different 'spokes' of the world emerge from, as well as something that all the looping paths touch. As you venture further into the world, many places become more interconnected with each other without feeling trite / forced (like a fast travel spot or transport), and instead feel natural (you venture from Firelink to the Burg, and into the Depths and find your way back by going through a sewer canal, leading you to the canal you first entered the Burg). Through this, the player knows how to get most places, or at least an idea of where to start. This is great, but where Dark Souls takes this from a navigation method into masterpiece game territory is the game does not have a map (!) and it deliberately uses this to impose a feeling of homesickness by taking away the loops sometimes, and forcing you down long linear diversions in which you are isolated from everything you have learned and know thus far. These emotional changes can themselves serve as landmarks and reminders in themselves, delightfully complicating this further.
Does this kind of make sense? Apologies for the rambling but I hope its a good start. Feel free to follow up if needed and we can continue chatting.
I will go over a couple of the valuable tools I am aware of for this:
Example of Setpiece-Based Landmarking: Super Metroid is the obvious place to see this in action all over the place. For one example, look at the entrance to Kraids Lair-- It has a giant scary-looking statue guarding the door that is unique and is intended to leave a strong impression of 'wow thats cool but I can't climb it yet', such that when you get the hi-jump in the near future down in Norfair, you have no problem thinking of somewhere to try it out. The game even plops you out next to it from the elevator once you have the given upgrade. The graphics on it also scream 'SOMETHING BAD LIVES HERE', and naturally draw you to it-- it tells you immediately that it is an important location and you should go here as soon as you can.
Linear traversal is a bit easier, as you have set paths and can direct players with other overarching methods like lighting, color, enemy placement, sound, etc. to the obvious path. Where this gets more interesting is when you begin to hone it and spice it up and give players linear routes that are NOT obvious so as to inspire feelings of problem solving and exploration / mystery.
Example of Interaction-Based Landmarking: Metroid fusion and Zero Mission do a good job simply using existing assets to do this, like putting a zoomer (enemy that crawls on surfaces) inside of a hidden area of a room, such that when you enter the room and find it is blocked, you then see an enemy emerge from a secret or hidden entrance / pipe-- cuing you to explore it further. Simple, effective, and super cheap in terms of time/effort.
Example of Loops: Dark Souls 1 is probably the best game to study for this method. Most places you go take you back to Firelink Shrine somehow, or are directly accessible from it. It is both a 'hub' from which different 'spokes' of the world emerge from, as well as something that all the looping paths touch. As you venture further into the world, many places become more interconnected with each other without feeling trite / forced (like a fast travel spot or transport), and instead feel natural (you venture from Firelink to the Burg, and into the Depths and find your way back by going through a sewer canal, leading you to the canal you first entered the Burg). Through this, the player knows how to get most places, or at least an idea of where to start. This is great, but where Dark Souls takes this from a navigation method into masterpiece game territory is the game does not have a map (!) and it deliberately uses this to impose a feeling of homesickness by taking away the loops sometimes, and forcing you down long linear diversions in which you are isolated from everything you have learned and know thus far. These emotional changes can themselves serve as landmarks and reminders in themselves, delightfully complicating this further.
Does this kind of make sense? Apologies for the rambling but I hope its a good start. Feel free to follow up if needed and we can continue chatting.