As we saw previously, the environment became part of the video game experience and that sparked many new concepts and ideas for future game titles. The next step was to integrate those slight changes into the gameplay and use them to shape the way characters behave inside the game. This definitely had a positive contribution to video game history, where everything inside the scene started to gain life and the player became aware of those rich surroundings. Using the environment to achieve goals inside the game started to be part of the gameplay experience.

To demonstrate one example of an environment object that directly influences the gameplay, we have the Tomb Raider franchise that showcases this perfectly. In this example, our character, Lara Croft, needs to push the cube until it is positioned on top of the marked area. This will change the environment and unlock a new path that allows the player to move forward in the level. We can find this type of challenge...