Jacob Harvey - Level Designer
SHADOW STRIKER
ROLE - Level Designer
INTRODUCTION
This project was a side-scrolling Metroidvania-style game which I produced as part of my 2nd-year games design course. However, I adjusted the project a fair bit to adjust the gameplay and created a level to focus the player more on a stealthy approach to the game. Which made it differ quite a bit from other Metroidvanias that I have played.
GENERE
Metroidvania
RESPONSIBILITIES
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Research for level
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Design and document level designs
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Design and produce mechanics
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Created maps for the level
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Created beats and pacing maps
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White box level within the engine
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Placing mechanics within the level
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Testing and balancing level
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Bug fixing
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Meshing out level
TOOLS
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Unreal Engine 4
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Unreal Level Editor
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Unreal Blueprint
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Microsoft Office Suite
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Photoshop
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Given Framework
LEVEL DESIGN PRODUCTION
For this project, I was given a framework in which to produce the game the direction, level as well as additional mechanics was up to me to design and produce. From the framework given I wanted to adjust it to make it a more stealth-focused Metroidvania which focused on using cunning and player placement to succeed. I also wanted the player to pick up power-ups as they progress through the level using ability unlock chests.
RESEARCH
The first part of the research was to look at existing Metroidvania games the two games that I took the most inspiration from when coming to the level design were the games Guacamelee 2 and Carrion. Guacamelee 2 for its more winding and backtracking nature and Carrion for its use of sections that allow the player to be sneaky and avoid enemies but also for a sneakier combat engagement style.
I also went about producing mood boards for what themes or styles I wanted to have in the different parts of the game.
LEVEL DESIGN
The first thing I did before properly designing the map was, create a basic level flow diagram that purely focused on what each section would focus on. This allowed me to plan the layout and planning without having to focus too much on the precise design of each section. This allowed me to set out my choke points properly and allowed me to plan how I would ensure the player would collect the necessary power-ups throughout the game.
Using this basic level flow and the influences of the two prior games, I could design more specifically what the level would look like. At this point, I also had to be content with challenges such as how do I as a level designer ensure that the player can enter and exit sections without it making it able to circumnavigate the roadblocks I had put in place. It was also a challenge to decide how to effectively design the Metroidvania trope of exposing a problem to the player that they must return to when they have gathered the required skill.
BUBBLE/BEATS AND PACING MAP
LEVEL PRODUCTION
This bought some issues that being of scale as some sections had to be widened and shortened to make sure that the designed roadblocks for progression functioned within the level and were not circumvented with things such as jump height or length or the actual scale of the character themselves. Once the white box was finished and playable I went to meshing out the level in accordance with the mood boards that I created.
MECHANIC DESIGN
This project as mentioned was made using a framework however the direction that I wanted to take the project was not entirely available in what was provided. As a result, I designed and produced a few custom-made mechanics in order to make what I envisioned.
ABILITY CHEST
As I wanted to have the player unlock abilities as the level progressed I need to create a mechanic that allowed the skills to be unlocked for the player which meant I as a designer could control when and where the player would be able to use a certain mechanic making the Metroidvania formula or backtracking with new skills easier for me to design for.
SHADOW STRIKE
This ability (for most of the game) is the main way in which the player engages with the enemies in the game. This mechanic was entirely designed and implemented by me and took a large amount of time to produce and bug test. It was made so that the player could use the hiding spaces to avoid enemies but also as a way to attack enemies from the shadows again feeding into the game’s theme of a stealthy Metroidvania.
ENERGY BLAST
This mechanic was somewhat present in the framework in the form of a magic attack however I decided to adapt it so that I could be used to destroy energy shields that either blocked progression or protected enemies from damage which included the Boss at the end of the game.
WALL PHASE
BOSS ENEMY
This again was something that I adapted from an enemy within the framework. The boss enemy already existed however I felt that it did not fit the gameplay that I had established in my game so I adapted it so that the player could be craftier and sneakier about fighting it. This involved some adjusting in its behaviour as well as adapting other mechanics already present so that the player could interact with them as well as the Boss enemy (the falling bombs).