Grappling Hook (video game)
Encyclopedia
Grappling Hook is a first-person shooter
video game which contains both platform
and puzzle elements. It was released on September 18, 2009 for the Windows platform and on September 21 for Mac OS X
, a Linux
version was later released. The player must collect passcodes from throughout 31 three dimensional stages, using the titular grappling hook to swing from green surfaces in order to progress.
The game was developed by Christian Teister, the sole member of SpeedRunGames, who had previously worked on some smaller indie games and the stealth game Velvet Assassin
. Inspired by a fast paced first-person shooter mod
called Cold Ice, Teister wished to couple the mod's speed with the puzzle gameplay made possible by the grappling hook.
The game is available as a 5 stage demo, or the full 31 stage release can be purchased. A level editor
is included with the full game. Use of the level editor can be enabled within the game's option menu, enabling developer-mode. Within this mode the player can create Grappling Hook stages, each of which takes the form of an octree
, a cube which has been divided into eight equal parts and then divided further. Stages can be manipulated, cubes created and surfaces added. It is also possible to change the starting point of the stage, dictating where play will start.
student Christian Teister. Having studied since 2001, Teister developed some small video games before being hired to work on the stealth video game Velvet Assassin during 2008 and early 2009. Work on Grappling Hook began after the developer finished work on Velvet Assassin, development of Grappling Hook began in March 2009. The previously created smaller games gave Teister the experience necessary to undertake Grappling Hook. One, a mobile game
named Gladiator, provided the animation system used in Grappling Hook.
Grappling Hook was inspired by a Half-Life mod called Cold Ice. Teister wanted to build on the "feeling of acceleration and velocity" from Cold Ice with the use of the grappling hook; "I think the spatial puzzles are perfect to encourage the player to explore how the grappling hook can be used."
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
video game which contains both platform
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
and puzzle elements. It was released on September 18, 2009 for the Windows platform and on September 21 for Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
, a Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
version was later released. The player must collect passcodes from throughout 31 three dimensional stages, using the titular grappling hook to swing from green surfaces in order to progress.
The game was developed by Christian Teister, the sole member of SpeedRunGames, who had previously worked on some smaller indie games and the stealth game Velvet Assassin
Velvet Assassin
Velvet Assassin is a stealth action video game for Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows, released in North America on April 28, 2009. Velvet Assassin's working title was Sabotage....
. Inspired by a fast paced first-person shooter mod
Mod (computer gaming)
Mod or modification is a term generally applied to personal computer games , especially first-person shooters, role-playing games and real-time strategy games. Mods are made by the general public or a developer, and can be entirely new games in themselves, but mods are not standalone software and...
called Cold Ice, Teister wished to couple the mod's speed with the puzzle gameplay made possible by the grappling hook.
Gameplay
Grappling Hook has little plot, the object is to complete the challenges set by a malicious computer, play is focused on speed. The player begins in the first of 31 three-dimensional stages, which are viewed from the first-person perspective, tasked with reaching the exit. The exit will only open once diamond-shaped passcodes have been collected from around the current stage. The titular grappling gun is acquired after the earliest stages have been completed. Moving platforms must be crossed, health-depleting electrified panels must be avoided and green surfaces can be grappled in order to swing towards the stage exit. In later stages defensive turrets populate begin to appear, directly firing at the player-character, timing when swinging with the grappling hook also becomes more difficult, requiring the player to release the grappling hook very precisely. In addition, grappling hook jumps may require leaps of faith - the next green surface to grapple from may not be visible until after the player-character has been launched through the air.The game is available as a 5 stage demo, or the full 31 stage release can be purchased. A level editor
Level editor
A level editor is a software tool used to design levels, maps, campaigns, etc and virtual worlds for a video game. In some cases the creator of a video game releases an official level editor for a game, but other times the community of fans step in to fill the void...
is included with the full game. Use of the level editor can be enabled within the game's option menu, enabling developer-mode. Within this mode the player can create Grappling Hook stages, each of which takes the form of an octree
Octree
An octree is a tree data structure in which each internal node has exactly eight children. Octrees are most often used to partition a three dimensional space by recursively subdividing it into eight octants. Octrees are the three-dimensional analog of quadtrees. The name is formed from oct + tree,...
, a cube which has been divided into eight equal parts and then divided further. Stages can be manipulated, cubes created and surfaces added. It is also possible to change the starting point of the stage, dictating where play will start.
Development
SpeedRunGames is a one-man development outfit run by computational visualisticsComputational visualistics
The term Computational visualistics is used for addressing the whole range of investigating scientifically pictures “in” the computer.- Overview :...
student Christian Teister. Having studied since 2001, Teister developed some small video games before being hired to work on the stealth video game Velvet Assassin during 2008 and early 2009. Work on Grappling Hook began after the developer finished work on Velvet Assassin, development of Grappling Hook began in March 2009. The previously created smaller games gave Teister the experience necessary to undertake Grappling Hook. One, a mobile game
Mobile game
A mobile game is a video game played on a mobile phone, smartphone, PDA, tablet computer or portable media player. This does not include games played on handheld video game systems such as Nintendo DS or PlayStation Portable....
named Gladiator, provided the animation system used in Grappling Hook.
Grappling Hook was inspired by a Half-Life mod called Cold Ice. Teister wanted to build on the "feeling of acceleration and velocity" from Cold Ice with the use of the grappling hook; "I think the spatial puzzles are perfect to encourage the player to explore how the grappling hook can be used."