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JAMIE MORRISON
GAME & LEVEL DESIGNER
Cyberpunk City/Subway Blockout
The goal of this project was to create a single player, linear level, with a short narrative that included several scripted events. This was achieved with the use of Unreal Engine 5 and a modified version of the 'Advanced Locomotion System' addon. This provided mechanics such as 1 way doors, movable crates and a climbing system that allowed me to translate my ideas into the 3D space.
Inital Concept
Taking inspiration from games like Cyberpunk and The Last of Us you’re a detective following up a lead in the rough part of the city. The lead only references a bar so you’ll need to get in and question the locals about a crime syndicate you know is in the area. Once found the lead will direct you to someone who is leaving the bar that leads you into the subway where you will find where the boss is hiding.
I wanted to create a level that moved from busy overground streets to cramped subway tunnels. The goal was for the player to chase down a suspect fleeing from the bar which would take them through several streets and eventually into the metro. Once in the metro the player would have to find their own way with the help of visual language I would place around the level.
Initial Top Down Drawings
Level Scripting
Scripting was used throughout the level in several different areas. From narrowly avoiding trains, intense chase scenes, or moving through tight combat areas, this projects intention was to experiment with as much as I could. These were all created through the Unreal Engine Blueprint system.
Chase Sequence
Once the player reaches the bar near the beginning of the level they are addressed by a patron that tells you one of the members of the bar is with the syndicate. Upon hearing this, the mobster leaves the bar, heading left prompting the player to follow them. This chase then leads the player into 2 forced combat scenarios and a couple of short alleyway chase sequences before ending in the subway where the player loses them.
The intention of this was to have some fast pace beats at the start of the level while guiding the player through the tight streets of the city.
As the level was set in a busy city with a subway section I wanted to double down on using trains throughout the level. After the enemy disappears from the subway platform the player will notice an area where they can walk on the track but the train is flying past them at a time interval of 10 seconds. Once they learn this timing they can see they need to make it to an area further down the train line.
This made for a nice, non-combat threat and flows well with the theme and beats of the subway section.
Avoiding the Train
Combat Zones
Throughout the level there are several combat zones. Initially the player is presented with 2 forced combat zones to get used to the enemies movement and shooting. As the player progresses they are tasked with decision to understand the enemies AI pathing and use stealth, or run and gun at the risk of having several enemies detecting you. This culminates with the hardest combat area at the end of the level which is a forced encounter as you need to arrest the crime boss hiding amongst the enemies.
As these combat zones evolve the player has a chance to play their own way with the skills they have developed earlier in the level.
Visual Language
Visual Language was used throughout the level to help guide the player. Some examples used were more subtle than others with the main goal to help familiarise themselves with their surroundings. With the removal of waypoints or a map these methods were the main techniques used to assist player navigation.
The player starts coming out of an apartment building with a line of internal dialogue that mentions they need to head to a bar based on a tip they received. The initial street the player arrives on directs them towards a large sign that reads 'BAR'. The sign is lit up which is another indicator. Using the colour red was intended to make the player consider something bad may happen there.
Flicker lights were used throughout the level to draw the players attention to several different areas, the most prominent being the exit of the subway tunnels. Although initially unreachable it signals to the player that something interesting is there and they should find out what by working towards it. It is used in other areas to show things like pickups and alternative routes around rooms.
I used a warm, orange light throughout the level to indicate an exit.
Changes and Future Plans
While building the level, and playtesting afterwords, some changes had to be made to maintain a good flow throughout the level.
While entering one of the later combat rooms people had a tough time avoiding being spotted. Although stealth is option it did feel a little unfair in this area so I converted the opened up area with boxes into a small control room. While it did give the player more cover, it restricts there vision more as a payoff keeping the rooms balance as it was before. A change I was happy with.
During the first chase section, people were having trouble seeing the enemy when entering the first combat zone. This slowed down the players momentum and made the beat feel quite sluggish. To improve this I moved the alleyway to get a clearer sense of where the enemy was and bring them into the combat area more smoothly. I also widened the alleyway to allow for more fluid movement in this fast paced section.
The final boss room also created some problems for players as, once alerted, there were too many enemies for a lot of them to deal with so numbers were cut down. I did leave the enemies with the higher vantage points so the player would still have to use the cover effectively.
Moving forward with the project there are a couple of sections I want to improve on, mainly the inital subway entrance. A the moment it's just serving as a large area after losing the enemy where the player can explore but my intention would be to create an event. The door to the subway tunnel will be guarded by subway staff that don't allow the player through. The player then explores the area and discovers a way to create a distraction allowing for safe passage.
Gallery
This project was a great dive into Unreal Engine 5 and provided a nice opportunity to work on some different level design techniques that I typically wouldn't use in my professional work. Being presented with a suite of mechanics from the altered version of the 'Advanced Locomotion System' allowed me to come up with, and work on, ideas without the need to develop full systems myself. I learned a lot from working on this project which I'm looking to take forward in both my personal and professional development.