Premise/Parameters:
Premise:
- This was the second project for a level design course, in which I had to research sidescrollers and create a level inspired by another game.
- I had practically free reign over every aspect of the levels design, mechanics, and aesthetic.
- This project was a chance to challenge myself with what I had learned from the Location Study Project by creating something I have not seen yet which was a 2.5D sidescroller based around D&D's Underdark.
Project Parameters:
- Perspective: (My choice) 1st person
- Player mechanics: (Open-ended), except it could not be a walking sim or template.
- Environment mechanics: (Open-ended)
- Deadline: 3 weeks from July 11 to August 1 to finish the project.
Ideation/Reference Materials:
Ideation:
For this project, I used this as an opportunity to test my understanding and knowledge of horror for a game I have been doing research for. This was my first time doing any kind of horror as I have cultivated knowledge on the genre for a very long time with this case being more atmospheric to draw the player into the setting instead of relying on loud noises or jump scares that ruin tension rather than build it.
The initial ideation of the level was an open environment with a monster chasing the player which can only be seen by the night vision, however due to time constraints/scope concerns I pivoted to a more linear experience without a monster and instead having a lingering presence over the player. I then created a top-down map of the level to have a baseline idea of how the level will flow.
Reference Materials:
My process begins with gathering information on horror games that pertained to the kind of horror I wanted to exemplify in a future project. I gathered inspiration from 3 games being Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, Outlast, and Escape the Backrooms. I took the gameplay elements from Outlast like the night vision mechanic while repurposing its function and certain visuals from Escape the Backrooms to create a more tangible environment.
The project requirements were to have the perspective be a side scroller, player mechanics revolve around platforming with a self-made additional mechanic, and environment mechanics that are hazards with another self-made additional mechanic.
I had 4 weeks from June 13 to July 9 to finish the project.
The first step in my process was to gather information on side scrollers. I gathered inspiration from 3 games being Rayman Legends, Speedrunners, and Oxenfree.
I took the ideation of variety, level flow, and intensity ramping from Rayman Legends. In addition, I was inspired by the use of perspective in Oxenfree due to how the game is set in a 2D space, yet the environment creates a 3-dimentional effect.
The second step was to begin constructing a mountain backdrop environment with a waterfall to help create a sense of scale and as the first section of the whole level in Unreal Engine 5. I also needed to rethink how information was given to the player since I was adding the difficulty of another dimension which lead to me using vignettes to clue the player whilst the camera only truly moving on a 2D plane.
Details from D&D are spread throughout to make the level more authentic to the world such as the word "Death" spelled in angular Drow above the entrance to the tunnels and the tunnel system itself is actually meant to be wormwrithings.
The third step was to add more details to the map to make it more legible for the player to understand certain aspects of the environment and add another section to the level.
The second section of map is meant to be inspired by Baldur's Gate 3 and other renditions of the Upperdark which is the first level of the Underdark. The broken bridges are meant to be in the style of Drow architecture that I got inspiration by looking at official/fan art.
The last step was to add another section to the map being the Middledark based around Dark Lakes which are essentially vast oceans underground. I also made any final touch ups where it was needed and add/use sound design to really bring the level together to produce the final product.
Note: This was my first time doing any kind of sound design in which I acquired them from my university's sound library/repository. In addition, there was actually meant to be a fourth section to combine elements from the previous sections to culminate in the Lowerdark, but due to time constraints I could only produce three sections.
