Black Eye Galaxy Mission

Introduction

In this project I set out to create a First person shooter Campaign level design set in a galaxy planet far way. This project includes level design and scripting.

I used sci-fi video games and tv shows to inspire me to created a blizzard planet that was interesting to explore and that worked well with the gameplay.

Project details

What I did:

Took the project to pre-Production to near finish project
Created a whitebox from an idea within 3 days.
First person weapons and UI
Enemy spawning and other events
Whitebox meshes created with supergrid and Ue4 landmark tool
Puzzle Design

What i have help with:

The environment was created by Adrian Jones

Pre-Production

Research

My main reference set in a blizzard planet, I begin my process by gathering inspiring images to use in a moodboard, creating a source of inspiration. I analysed other first person shooter levels in similar settings, like Halo combat Assault on the Control Room and Star Citizen Planet microTec.

2day map (1)

2d Map Design

2day map (1)

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Making Overview

Drawing from my source of inspiration, I started to create a layout that would give me a rough overview of the level I can follow. This helps me with the blocking out, allowing me to work seamlessly with the narrative.

Final Overview

Pacing & intensity

In this narrative event-driven level, I like to follow a rule of 8. It helps me break down the level into story beats, indicating where gameplay events occur and shaping the overall flow of the level.

Finding the hideout
1. Players start the level outside their ship near the Mountains in Black Eye Galaxy and make their way to the enemy's base.
Clearing the Enemies
1. After climbing over the ridge of a hill, the enemy base entrance will come into view of the player. The entrance will be surrounded by enemies with various places of cover, offering the player different ways to approach combat.
2. Players will be able to decide how to approach each enemy encounter whether it be going in loud or stealthily. In order to proceed and gain entrance to the base, all enemies must be cleared.
Start hacking the Door
1. The player is then prompted with a minigame puzzle to emulate hacking into and gaining entrance through the main gate.
Getting to the main control room
1. When the player gets into the enemy's base they will either sneak around the enemies base without killing anyone or clear the enemies stealthily to get into the control room
Find the Biological weapon and Portal Information.
1. The player is looking for clues inside the control room for information about the location of the weapon.
Alert alarm going off
1. When the player has downloaded the information to their device about the portal and biological weapon location it will set off the alarm warning nearby enemies.
Survive
1. The player will need to fight the enemy pirates while trying to find a way out of their ship.
Steal Enemy Ship
1. When the player steals the enemy’s ship it will then go to Cutscenes level finish.

Whitebox and Final Design

Hidden Base In The Mountain

Observatory Room

Security Room

Data Server Room

Level Walkthrough

Landing on the planet

At the beginning of the level, I employ a brief cutscene featuring a passing ship to naturally draw the player's attention to the right. This serves as a subtle directional cue, encouraging players to follow their companion. The dynamic visual of the ship not only captivates interest but also seamlessly guides players, creating an immersive experience from the start.

Enemy scouting

As the player enters from an elevated position, they safely survey the area while the sound of falling rocks draws their attention behind. This unveils an alternative route, offering increased combat versatility. The enemies shooting down the ship adds a sense of danger, building on the narrative.

Cube Puzzle

Introducing a hacking tool to breach the enemy base not only decelerates the pace but also injects a layer of enjoyable complexity through a simple yet engaging puzzle element.

Spying on Enemys

Here, players gain access to security cameras in a secure room, enabling them to observe enemies. The goal is to clarify the location of the data server room, with the companion serving as their eyes as the player prepares to engage with the enemy.

Observatory Fight

In this section of the level, players can choose to either sneak around enemies to reach the data server room, perform stealth takedowns, or engage in combat, introducing different gameplay elements. Discovering vents that lead to an elevated position rewards the player for exploring and gives them a turret for added strategic advantage.

Gathering the data

After the player discovers the biological weapon information, a silent alarm is triggered, prompting a gang of enemies to converge back in the observatory.

Final Showdown

As the player defends the hijacked ship from destruction, the companion works on starting the ship, intensifying the level's atmosphere.