3rd PERSON ACTION STEALTH EXPERIENCE
Focused Skills
Mission Design
Scripting
Level Design
PROJECT SPECIFICS
ELEVATOR PITCH
"Dive into a dystopian future where implanted chips control society. As Kaori, a rebellious visionary, infiltrate a fortified AI facility to expose unsettling truths behind government manipulation.
Forge alliances, use stealth and strategy to confront adversaries, and uncover the enigmatic AI's origins, reshaping humanity's fate."
GOAL
My final goal was to achieve a refined blockout level where mission design techniques could be seamlessly incorporated during development phases.
I aimed to create a high level of immersion in the game world to enhance the overall experience.
This involved implementing dynamic enemy behaviours, interactive player mechanics, and engaging scripted sequences to immerse the player fully in the game's narrative and challenges.
PROJECT BREAKDOWN
DEVELOPMENT PERIOD
8 weeks - Part Time
ENGINE
Unreal Engine 5.3
MARKETPLACE ASSETS / PLUGINS USED
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Mixamo animations + Elite guard character
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Epic games's Lyra project. Rifle asset and VFX
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Blockout Tools plugin
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Free to use Landscape-Height Map from Motion Forge Pictures
DESIGN FOCUS
Exploring the use of verticality in a blockout, implementing sightlines to guide the player through the experience while maintaining an appropriate pace for an action-stealth type of game.
Utilizing Datum composition in level design to establish an specific spatial geography for the player to orient themselves within the physical world of the level.
Enhancing immersion through world building and environmental storytelling, elevating the overall player experience
Independently handling scripting (enemies, player, scripted events) throughout the project's execution.
VIDEO PLAYTHROUGH - with commentary
PROJECT OVERVIEW
HIGHLIGHTS
TOP DOWN | City & Compound
LEVEL FLOWCHART | City & Compound
TENSION GRAPH | City & Compound
DESIGN PHILOSOPHY
GAMEPLAY ESSENTIALS
Core Concept
The level's spatial geography, delineated by contrasting City and Compound, mirrors the conflict between urban dwellers and the GAFAM Corp. Leveraging this spatial structure, I capitalized on verticality, sightlines, and rewarding vistas.
Employing the Datum composition technique, I crafted an organic compositional axis centered around a river, providing players with a natural orientation point.
Framing techniques were employed to guide players towards focal points, ensuring a clear and engaging gameplay flow.
Core Features
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Basic stealth mechanics: crouching and sneaking
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Facilities either tactical stealth or direct confrontation
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Throwable projectiles - creating noise diversion
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Movable boxes
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Jumping
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Employ firearms
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Gates / doors / key-card system
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To optimize and control level flow
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Pick-up health packs
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To help balancing the game
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DESIGN TECHNIQUES
Leading the player
Guiding players seamlessly through the level, I employed leading lines, lighting cues, and enemy bread-crumbing techniques to direct their path.
Emphasis was placed on establishing a cohesive flow and effectively communicating mission objectives. By manipulating light and architecture, players were intuitively led through elevations and evolving narrative tensions.
Encouraging Player's Choices
Embracing player agency, the design offers multiple gameplay paths and decision points.
Whether adopting a stealthy or aggressive approach, players are empowered to shape their own experience and outcomes.
Meaningful choices, such as resolving hostage situations, further personalize the gameplay experience, underscoring the player's ability to influence the game world.
Telling a Story for the Player
Narrative immersion was achieved through environmental storytelling, utilizing visual cues, world-building, and atmospheric details to convey the conflict between citizens and corporate power.
For example, players witness a store owner being shot by an elite squad, while guards patrol the streets and shield the compound's entrance, escalating tension in the city square.
STEALTH AND COMBAT ENCOUNTERS
In the City
The city area serves as a tutorial space for introducing stealth mechanics and allowing players to experiment with different playstyles.
From navigating store environments to choosing strategic pathways, players are gradually acquainted with the game's core mechanics while facing increasingly complex challenges.
Inside the Compound
Transitioning to the compound area, players encounter heightened stakes and escalating challenges.
Stealth encounters demand precise maneuvering and strategic thinking, culminating in a climactic combat scenario that tests players' mastery of acquired skills and equipment.
DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
My methodology - with commentary
Space Planning
Iterative design and meticulous planning informed the spatial layout of the level, ensuring optimal flow and pacing.
Prioritizing feedback and refinement, the design process focused on establishing a cohesive spatial narrative, with particular emphasis on crafting engaging gameplay sequences in the city and compound areas.
Project Management
A structured approach to project management facilitated efficient development and iteration.
Thorough pre-production and documentation processes enabled effective collaboration with mentors and playtesters, ensuring alignment with project goals and vision.
Leveraging visual references and software tools, the project remained on track, culminating in a cohesive and polished gameplay experience.
My References
Researching visual references played a pivotal role in informing the design process, providing a foundation for creative exploration and decision-making.
Leveraging tools like PureRef, I curated a comprehensive visual library that guided the development process, facilitating effective communication of the level's vision and design intent.
REFLECTIONS
Scope Struggles: Embracing Growth
Tech Nexus Escape presented a challenge in balancing scale and depth within the project scope. My inclination towards expansive experiences, influenced by my background in architecture and film, sometimes conflicted with project constraints. Despite recognizing this tendency, the level grew in size rather than being streamlined.
Midway through development, I faced the decision of whether to trim content or refine the existing concept. Opting to maintain the original scope led to a 15-minute level divided into distinct areas: the City and Compound. However, I had to abandon the planned sewer area due to redundancy.
This experience was invaluable, highlighting personal challenges and offering opportunities for growth in decision-making for future projects.
Refinement Quest: Iterating on Environments and Gameplay
During the project's latter stages, there were areas I aimed to refine further.
Firstly, I intended to enhance the blockout's refinement for specific environments. Though groundwork was laid, refining this aspect was continuously postponed, affecting the level of immersion.
Secondly, enemy scripting, particularly for elite guards, required improvement. While existing features were functional, creating more responsive enemies that align with the experience's theme would have enhanced gameplay. Developing a new type of elite guard for the final AI room could have added depth to encounters.
Storytelling Challenges: Elevation Story Dynamics
Exploring various storytelling techniques through environmental storytelling enriched the game experience in Tech Nexus Escape.
However, incorporating cinematic sequences to frame key moments could have further heightened immersion and player engagement. Sequences depicting the city riot, acquiring the rifle, stealing the AI, and the final escape could have added cinematic flair to pivotal moments, enhancing narrative impact.
Late Additions: Balancing Risk
The decision to introduce a boss battle against elite guards in the AI room during the beta phase posed challenges. While intriguing, this addition came late in development and required substantial iteration.
Despite having numerous ideas for improvement, prioritizing other tasks led to the arena's underdevelopment.
This experience underscored the importance of considering major features early in the pre-production stage to allocate sufficient time for refinement and iteration.