// Project Cupid
A Sci-Fi/Horror FPS created using Unreal Engine 4
// Key Responsibilities
Role: Game Designer & Level Designer (Independent)
Designed an FPS horror game in Unreal Engine 4 (using assets from the Unreal Marketplace) where the player attempts to escape a zombie-infested space station
Created a top-down map within Photoshop to establish the geometry layout along with the locations of doors, enemy/player spawns, collectible key and the level’s exit point
Implemented enemy A.I., FPS mechanics, collectibles, unlockable doors as well as health and ammo systems using Blueprints
//2D Map Layout
When beginning to design the general layout of the play area, I made sure the player knew where their ultimate goal was by having them spawn in front of a window where they can see the glowing circle that acts as the level’s exit (the background of this section being the rotating globe also symbolically reflects the “home” that the player must return to).
Once the player leaves the room they spawn in, the rest of the map layout has them "circling" the map so that they will become familiar with it through exploration and thus will naturally know how to progress through the environment rather than through UI prompts.
For example I made the room containing the key have a locked door so that once the player has collected the key, they must unlock the door in order to leave the room. Upon exiting the room, the player is then back in the main hallway and is naturally facing the final locked door which they can now unlock and face the final horde of enemies to reach the exit.
// Illusion of Scale
Due to the small scale of Project Cupid, I had to figure out a way to give the illusion of scale within the space station itself in order to make the environment feel more believable and immersive.
To accomplish this, I implemented a section where the player must move through the ship’s ventilation system and used the floor vent as a “window” for the player to see another room below them within that is invested with zombies. Although this room isn’t accessible to the player, it adds to the level’s atmosphere by making the ship itself seem larger and more “lived-in” than it actually is.
//Moodboard
Player Character: Visually similar to the exo-suit wearing protagonist in the Crysis games. This makes character’s relationship to the environment believable and visually fits-in with the near-future space ship setting.
Gameplay: Heavily inspired by Call of Duty: Black Ops zombies gameplay loop of shooting zombies that chase player/use melee attacks. Also similar gameplay progression in unlocking doors to reach new areas with more enemies
Atmosphere/Setting: Inspired by the more claustrophobic space ship interiors found in Dead Space and Alien: Isolation.
Environment/Aesthetic: Combine the Dead Space interiors with the smaller play spaces found in Alien: Isolation and the Labs section of the Call of Duty: Black Ops map “Five”. Lighting and particle effects also seen in these examples are used to add to the horror elements.
// What Went Wrong
Creating the ventilation system was the biggest challenge for me during this project. Since I chose not to implement a crouch ability, I instead wanted to use the level design to make it seem like the player is crawling through a small area by making a very cramped vent section.
This portion of the level went through the most iterations since it was either too short and seemed like a pointless addition or too big and was easy to get lost in. The vents also became difficult to design since figuring out how to add natural light sources to a place that wouldn’t normally have any.
In the end I decided to use a small fire as the light source in the first half of the section and a floor vent that casted light from the room below and into the second half the ventilation area. These acted as the “natural” light sources within this section. Overall, by overcoming this challenge I was able to learn more about the importance of lighting in level design.
// Post-Mortem
Project Cupid began as an assignment from one of my game development classes at Chapman University. The assignment was simple: create a sci-fi themed level from a 2D map layout in which the player must collect a key in order to open a door and complete the level. This initial concept challenged my programming skills within Unreal Engine 4, find creative ways to utilize a select number of assets and tested my ability to create a virtual space that felt alive.
After it was turned-in as an assignment, I decided to make this my first serious endeavor as a level designer by continuing to work on it as a way to enhance my abilities in Unreal Engine 4. This included an overhaul of the FPS mechanics, adding enemy AI with animations, implementing more sequences for doors, creating a new UI and finally adding a menu system to make the project itself playable from start to finish.
In reflecting on Project Cupid I can say that it gave me the chance to understand my weaknesses as a developer such as my difficulties programming mechanics and spending too much time adding decorative detail to areas that aren’t going to be seen by the majority of players.
