FIRST-PERSON ADVENTURE
DISHONORED INSPIRED
STORY
In this level, you play as an assassin who has just completed training and is on their first assignment. The objective is to gather information about a target's whereabouts in the nearby hideout and then neutralize the target.
The city is filled with guards and checkpoints that protect an impenetrable fortress where the target is located.
PROJECT DETAILS
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8 Weeks Half-Time (2022)
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Engine: Unreal Engine 4
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Level Design
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Storytelling
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Blockout/Whitebox
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Epic Marketplace Assets Used: Advanced Locomotion System, First Person Melee
OVERVIEW
GAMEPLAY
BLINK
The blink is undoubtedly the player's ultimate advantage, as it grants them the power to traverse moderate distances with extraordinary speed.
Its versatility is unmatched, empowering the player to scale towering structures, bridge treacherous gaps, close in on adversaries, or disappear from sight in the blink of an eye.
ASSASSINATION
The player's arsenal includes a small yet potent short sword that can be used to quickly and discreetly neutralize both threats and targets.
This weapon is particularly useful in situations where maintaining a low profile is crucial, allowing the player to eliminate any unwanted attention with confidence and efficiency.
KEYS & DOORS
I incentivized player exploration by placing keys in high-security areas to unlock shortcuts, offering a high-risk, high-reward challenge.
This simple approach made the world feel bigger and enhanced the player's experience.
DESIGN TECHNIQUES
LEADING THE PLAYER
To create a player-centric world, I designed multiple traversal routes and used light sources as breadcrumbs to guide players towards main goals, such as the clocktower.
This approach balanced the dark and moody atmosphere and encouraged players to explore freely, providing them with a sense of freedom and agency in the game world.
At the top of the clocktower, I added a strategic vantage point that reveals the island's fort, providing players with a sense of the environment's scale and importance.
This way, players can take their time to understand the layout and potential obstacles that they may face, enhancing their overall gameplay experience.
VISTA
MOVEMENT
I made the decision to include patrolling guards in the environment. This was done to provide the guards with specific tasks and objectives that the player could utilize, as well as to enhance their visibility, making them easier to spot and track.
Additionally, having patrolling guards contributes to making the world feel more alive and dynamic.
STORYTELLING
LOCKDOWN
My goal was to craft a dystopian setting, envisioning a town ravaged by a deadly plague that has claimed the lives of the majority of its inhabitants. As a result, the town is now under strict lockdown, with coffins littering the streets.
THE PLAGUE SHIP
Since the town is located on an island, it was necessary to find a way to dispose of the many corpses resulting from the plague. To solve this issue, the town established the use of a plague ship, which arrives at the port to transport the large number of coffins away from the island.
CRUSHED GUARD
Positioned on the left-hand side of the clock tower lies an apartment complex situated within the quarantine zone. Here, the player can locate the blue key, which was dropped by a patrolling officer who met an unfortunate demise beneath a pile of boxes.
A TYRANTS RULE
The tyrant, depicted in a portrait painting located within the clock tower, serves as the primary assassination target in this level. As the originator of the plague, eliminating him is of the utmost importance.
PROCESS
BLOCKOUT
After creating a rough sketch, I proceeded to construct a basic landscape and a rough blockout, populating the level with placeholder buildings and landmarks to gauge scale within the editor.
Building upon this foundation, I iteratively refined the design, progressing to a more detailed blockout and honing each area individually.
PRE - PRODUCTION
REFERENCE GATHERING
I initiated my creative process by gathering inspirational images of different environments and settings that could fuel my creativity. At this point, any reference material that could further develop my vision was utilized.
My reference library was largely filled with images of the southern islands of Italy, tropical islands, dystopic environments and old forgotten forts.
During the initial stages of development, I established a Trello board to maintain focus and implement an agile workflow using scrum. I documented the primary tasks for the project and gained a clear overview of the remaining work, allowing me to manage the product scope more effectively.
STAYING ON TRACK
REFLECTIONS
This project was an enjoyable and valuable learning experience that allowed me to develop my design skills in composition and gameplay. Although I had to make some changes towards the end of the project to stay within the given time frame, I was able to do so seamlessly due to the ongoing plague theme.
Sripting - I dedicated a significant amount of time to modifying scripts, fixing bugs, and editing animations for the project to ensure it played as I envisioned. However, looking back, I regret that it took away valuable time from developing and enhancing the level.
Wall of Light - The second area of the level includes a wall of light that could have been designed in a more optimal and open manner. In retrospect, this area could have been longer and filled with more encounters, smaller areas, and interactive elements to create a more engaging experience.
IIn summary, this project had its ups and downs, but overall it was a valuable experience that improved my blockout skills and allowed me to realize my goal of creating an immersive and engaging player experience. I am excited for the opportunity to work on similar projects in the future and continue honing my skills.