Unannounced Unreal Engine Game

We shifted between open-world design to mission-based levels, so I ended up with a lot of experience working on both styles from the start up to the art phase. I did a ton of research on each location I worked on so I could ensure authenticity.
 
I worked closely with our other departments to align the level direction, story direction, and gameplay features. One of my specialities is creatively pulling together the disparate elements of a game into a fun, exciting experience. It once again proved invaluable to this role.

• Worked on 4+ open-world locations, and 8+ mission-based locations of layered level design.
  • Prototyped, outlined paper designs, grey-blocked, implemented encounters and bespoke mission logic, and set-dressed according to theme.
  • Added in various side paths, secrets, special bosses, encounters, and side-missions for each.
• Prototyped and implemented various level design features, interactions, mechanical puzzles, and traversal puzzles.
• Set up various test gyms for the gameplay team to validate the traversal and combat features in accurate level scenarios.

I was quite enamoured working with Unreal’s Blueprint visual scripting on this project and enjoyed the opportunity to experiment. I developed enemies, behaviours, puzzles, interactable objects, layered combat interactions, and a few global game feature prototypes. Some of my prototypes even helped validate design direction during times of indecision.

• Prototyped 5+ enemy archetypes:
  • Each had custom attack patterns, weaknesses, defenses, and displayed various gameplay challenges in overcoming them.
  • Utilized our weapon and other gameplay system to add variety and change up attack patterns between different archetype versions.
  • One of my prototypes was remade nearly 1:1 with full art treatment as our first elite enemy archetype.
• Prototyped Day/Night feature proposal:
  • Produced changes to enemy behaviours.
  • Exposed different level paths depending on time.
  • Utilized power and electricity to change what could be done during different cycles.
• Prototyped various world interactions with new gameplay system:
  • Water volumes with element interactions. Changed player and enemy locomotion.
  • Gas volumes that reduced player/enemy health and could be enabled/disabled by interacting with the environment in specific ways.
  • Security traps and sensors that could be exposed and interacted with in different ways.

I had a close-knit relationship with the writers and narrative team. We bounced a lot of ideas off each other and kept each other in the loop on changes and direction. Throughout development, I made sure to use my level designs to intertwine with and emphasize the story beats and character arcs.

• Implemented dialogue, NPC triggers, character placements, and animations.

• Worked with writers on all the levels and missions that I owned to ensure that the story beats, level design, and gameplay supported the narrative intention.

• Worked with writers and gameplay designers to brainstorm, pitch, and design boss fights that fit specific environmental and cultural themes.

• Worked with writers to provide mission beat details for character dialogue.

• Worked with writers to ensure that important gameplay tutorial levels hit the needed story beats.