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Anoverworld or ahub world is, in a broad sense, an area within avideo game that interconnects all itslevels or locations. They are mostly common inrole-playing games, though this does not exclude othervideo game genres, such as someplatformers andstrategy games.
An overworld or hub world is an area within avideo game which connects its otherlevels or locations.[1] The term can also refer to a safer area which players frequently return to, like a town.[2] They are common inadventure games,role-playing games (RPGs),platformers, anddungeon crawlers.[1][3]Multiplayer games have hub worlds which serve as a centre for interaction with other players andnon-player characters (NPCs).[1]
Hub worlds in single-player games are often used for worldbuilding, while hubs in multiplayer games are more purposed for storage for weapons and equipment, as well as restocking supplies. They serve as safe areas in between dangerous areas and quests where players can take on more passive actions.Wired andKotaku described overworlds as a sort of "home" for the player in-game.[1][2] They have also been considered an essential element of RPGs.[1][3]
The 1981arcade gamesRoute-16[4] and005 were among the earliest examples of a hub world.[1] InRoute-16, a driving maze game, exiting a maze takes the player to a large overworld map showing the locations of the player, cars, mazes and treasures.[4] In005, an earlystealth game, players could enter buildings likeice rinks and warehouses from the main screen to avoid enemies, leading to different screens. The final scene tasks the players with controlling their getaway helicopter to escape and finish the level. Dubbed "a game in four screens",[1][5]005 was then described as a "RasterScanConvert-a-Game" according toThe Encyclopedia of Arcade Games.[1]
InSuper Mario 64 (1996),Princess Peach's Castle serves as its hub world. Free of enemies, the castle serves as a safe area where players can experiment with its movement system and serves as an entrance to all other levels. Players are free to leave the castle whenever they wish.[1][6][7]
In terms ofvideo game music, overworld themes are often orchestral in nature, and of greater length and complexity than other pieces in the same game, due to the amount of time spent travelling the overworld map.[citation needed] Because players will usually visit a single level or area a few times in a given play session, the music for any such section of the game will typically be shorter and/or less complex,[8] and thus less time-consuming for the designers to produce. The overworld theme frequently functions as the main theme of a game, often used as amotif for other tracks (e.g., a "romance" theme features the main melody of the overworld theme, orchestrated in a different key).[9]