top of page
Third Person Experience
Story Summary
The player has an ancient amulet and according to legend, the holder of the amulet will unlock a gate to the riches beyond one's imagination.
After years of research and exploration, the player has finally narrowed down the location of the gate. Now, the player makes their way through the thick jungle brush on the coast of Thailand to a lost and forgotten temple.
However, the player is not alone. A group of mercenaries is already on the scene trying to figure out a way to open the gate. The player must sneak and fight their way through to get to the gate and beyond.
Breakdown
-
Solo project spanning 4 weeks.
(Halfspeed 4h/day) -
Focus on Combat encounters & Player agency
-
Unreal Engine 5
-
Gameplay
-
IWALS (Created by JakubW)
-
-
3D Assets
-
Created using Blender
-
-
Scripting
-
Reactive & Interactive Environment
-
Enemy Encounters
-
Goals
-
To create robust gameplay encounters
-
Facilitate Player agency through well presented information
-
Communicate believable & alive environment
Top-down
First Encounter
Second Encounter
Third Encounter
START
END
ZIP-LINES
VISTA
VISTA
VISTA
FORESHADOW
FORESHADOW
ASSAULT RIFLE
SILENCED PISTOL
AK-47
PILLAR
STACK
ELEVATOR
LOGS
CLIMB
ENEMY
LOOT
INTERACTIVE ENVIRONMENT
VANTAGE POINT
Tension Graph
Intro
First Encounter
Second Encounter
Second Encounter
Climb
Temple
Teleport
Funnel & Establishing Shot
I funnel the player through the dense jungle, leading them to the establishing shot that reveals the main landmark. This creates a "wow" moment at the beginning of the level and establishes the long-term goal for the player.
Design Techniques
Leading the player
Throughout the level, I use vines, geometry, pathing, and birds flying by to direct the player's vision and draw their attention to specific areas. This helps to establish short and mid-term goals for the player and gives them options to explore.
Vantage point
In multiple combat encounters, I create vantage points for the player to get a better overview of the encounter and come up with an informed plan of action, thus facilitating player agency. To keep things new and fresh, I made different approaches to the vantage points for each combat encounter.
Findability vs Discoverability
Early on in the level, the player is presented with a long-term goal via the landmark, and it's up to them to find the path to it.
To build on this path and reward exploration, I placed items such as a silenced pistol for the player to discover. This rewards the player in a way that fits their playstyle, as the path to the pistol is a stealthy one.
Destructibles
I created a destructible system that allows me to add more depth and interaction to the game's levels. These destructibles provide the player with ways to eliminate enemies in a more spectacular fashion and give them more reason to pay attention to the environment. This helps create a more immersive experience for the player.
Features
Birds
To enhance the jungle environment's liveliness, I created a simple system that makes birds fly to designated points when the player approaches. The initial system was basic (the birds' flight direction was based on XYZ values), but after the change to point system - bird placement became easier and led to more dynamic behaviour. For example, birds can now move to a different bird instead of a fixed point, making the flock's movement more natural.
Pre-production
Combat Encounters
First Encounter
The player starts without a weapon, creating tension and thereby increasing immersion, with the added subtle objective of finding a weapon. This encourages a stealthy approach in the first encounter and introduces it as an option for future encounters.
The player is positioned at a vantage point with a leading stealth path to the first target. The first guard is strategically placed to bait the player into the encounter.
Second Encounter
Here I wanted to expand upon the first encounter by creating a larger area for the player to navigate. The player starts at a vantage point, providing them with a view of the area and the patrolling paths of the enemies below. I give multiple paths for the player to take, promoting player agency.
Two stealthy paths lead to the side of the area where the silenced pistol is located. These are designed for a stealthy approach.
The right side features a scaffolding path with a hook that the player can use to get to a higher vantage point. This position grants the player total vertical domination over the area, but comes at a high-risk as the player will be spotted as they swing by. However, this path is rewarded by an assault rifle on top of the scaffolding.
These design choices allow me to facilitate and reward whichever path the player chooses.
Third Encounter
Upon reaching the vantage point overlooking the center the player observes enemies entering the temple. This sequience is used to show the player that a reinforcements is in vacinity and therefore a loud approach will lead to a more difficuilt encounter.
This, once more, promotes player agency by presenting vital information to the player, allowing them to make informed choices.
The player has 3 options:
To turn left and take an elevator alluded to earlier to get to a high ground and be able to shoot down - this being a more guns blazin approach.
To take a very risky option in the center placing themselves in the middle of the encounter partially surrounded my enemies.
To head right and take a bush covered path with a smaller vantage point allowing to take out all targets unnoticed.
The Environment
Environment of Southeast Asia
I've always found the "Tower Karst" formations of Peninsular Thailand to be stunning due to the thick jungle atop the shore cliffs. This inspired me to create a level that combines the lush vegetation with openness and verticality between the islands. That in turn allowed for a varied and dynamic environment that captures the natural beauty and excitement of this unique location.
Although I am not a graphic artist, my technical art background and extensive experience with Blender allows me to quickly create temporary assets to convey my ideas. All of the assets used to create the environment in this level were made by me in under 30 minutes. Despite their simplicity, I believe they effectively communicate the atmosphere and mood I was aiming for. (The Waterfall wasnt made by me.)
3D Modelling Placeholder assets
Using Blender
Diegetic Signposting
I wanted to use signposting to clarify different paths for the player, but I didn't want them to be out of place. Therefore, I decided to use a white color-coded bird dropping, which fits with the birds that I had already spread throughout the environment.
birds really like this bridge
Reflections
Overall I believe I achieved most of my goals, yet the temple section at the very end I'd say is not on par with the rest of the piece. I wish had more time to iterate on it. I wish I added a more intricate layout and expanded upon the indoor stealth section.
Initially, I planned to create a chess puzzle, but it quickly became a door problem that raised concerns about misplaced pieces, creating a chess AI, and handling losses. To avoid these issues, I created a rail-roaded puzzle that felt unrewarding to solve. Instead, I decided to cut the puzzle and create a visually striking moment by teleporting the player from a dense jungle to a barren desert. The sudden change adds an otherworldly element to the game and creates a hard juxtaposition making the level more exciting and memorable.
By running a couple of limited playtesting & feedback sessions I was able to iterate on combat encounters and to account for different playstyles. It was really rewarding to witness players play through the encounters in so many ways which left me just wishing that I would have playtested even more.
bottom of page