Adventure was my first level design project at Full Sail. This project involved taking a premade game provided by the school and creating a level for it using the included mechanics. These mechanics included a simple checkpoint system, a simple pickup system, and a mantling system for climbing up ledges. We were tasked with conceptualizing these levels with mood boards, then creating the level as a blockout. As the project progressed, we eventually were tasked with dressing the level up a bit through the use of simple models, textures, and the material editor in Unreal Engine.

As we designed our levels, we were encouraged to make them visually interesting as well as use our newly learned level design concepts to guide the player. For example, before the room with the large crystal (pictured below), I had a section where you had to climb up a mountain to reach a cave entrance. That cave entrance then dropped you down into the crystal room, acting as a valve, keeping players from backtracking after that point. The crystal cave itself is the focal point of the level, being the big pretty set piece in the middle. These crystals guide the player through the level due to the fact that they’re shiny and pointy. I use them all throughout the space as essentially big glowing arrows to show the player where to go. At the top of that room is a locked door that needs a key found at the very tip of the large crystal. That door acts both as a gate and a valve, locking progression until a certain action is done, then closing behind the player after they walk through. In the final section, the lava runs, I move to using torches to guide the player via light to the end of the level, as well as the direction of the lava flow.

After we first made these levels, we were tasked with working with a group to combine them all into one cohesive level. I remember spending a few hours debating exactly how we should order our levels to make the most sense, and each of us was responsible for making an extension to our level in order to connect it more seamlessly to the one preceding it. In addition to this, we were encouraged to do a second pass on our levels to improve some weaker areas in them as well as download free assets in order to make them look better. This is when I added the door leading to the lava flows as well as redesigned that whole area.

Unfortunately, not long after this project was completed, I had to reset my PC, and I no longer have the project files from this project. This means the only pictures I have of it are the ones I was required to submit for class. However, part of those submissions was a playthrough video where each member of my group talked about their part of the level over the gameplay. You can find that video here, timestamped to my part of the level. In it, you can see some of the things I’ve mentioned here but don’t have pictures for, and can hear my commentary on how the various parts of my level are meant to lead the player through it.