A level design exercise that includes a narrative element.
Setting: Located in the bustling heart of a metropolis, a church sits atop a hill with an adjoining graveyard. Tonight the church is abuzz with attendants as it is the cult’s former leaders funeral.
Initial 2D Sketches
Final 3D
Walkthrough
Approach
The players mission is to investigate the new cult leader, and so has been provided a cult uniform. Given the setup, we would expect player to enter the gate ahead.
Gate is lit.
Crowds block both side entrances.
Arriving at the gate the player is allowed access by the guards as they recognize the uniform.
The following is a pitch for a section of a level set in the Uncharted franchise, inspired by the Al-Hambra fortress in Granada Spain.
Level Pitch
Hot on the trail of a big find, Nathan Drake’s destination is Al-Hambra’s Alcazaba (fortress) in search of a vital clue. Unfortunately for him, his arch-nemesis Doctor UptoNoGood and his mercenaries are already on the scene! Now our plucky adventurer must contend with them in-order to reach his goal!
Objective
Traverse the layout to the indicated door, and defeat any enemies encountered along the way.
Characters
Main Character
Nathan Drake: The player is Nathan Drake.
Enemies
Mercenaries: Foreign mercenaries hired by Doctor UptoNoGood.
The following is Skadi’s Ice Temple, a level pitch for God of War (2018).
Overview
Atreus has been kidnapped by Skadi the Goddess of Winter in the previous level. With Atreus in tow Skadi has fled to her Temple in the snowy mountains. Kratos, chasing the Goddess, has finally arrived at Skadi’s Temple and now must ascend it to save his son.
Kratos storms into Skadi’s Temple. He is awestruck not only by the scale of the Temple, but by the great statue that is carved into the side of the Temples tower. Unfortunately Kratos has no time to dwell on such thoughts as he is not alone.
Dev Note – The view of the statue is foreshadowing Beat 3.
1.1. Skadi was well aware that Kratos was coming, but is overconfident. Standing atop a pyramid of stairs in front of an elevator, Skadi summons a massive ice wall across the room to block Kratos’s way forward. Next she commands her minions to attack, and proceeds up the elevator. As a result Kratos’s goal is established as reaching the elevator.
1.2. Following Skadi’s command a weak group of Temple Priests attack Kratos at the entrance.
Dev Note – The overall theme of the level is desecration. So having Kratos kill the Temple’s Priests feeds into that.
1.3. Kratos notices a huge chandelier above the ice wall with giant chains that hold it in place. Therefore he decides to destroy the chains that hold up the chandelier in-order to create a hole in the ice wall.
1.4. On approaching the first chain a stronger group of Temple Priests appear. They are more difficult because they have a height advantage and ranged units.
A partial view of one side of the room
1.5. Once they have been dispensed with Kratos proceeds to destroy the chandelier chain, and collect the nearby loot.
Cinematic Moment – Kratos tears the chain out of the wall. On doing so the chandelier drops violently. Cracks can be heard, the room shakes.
1.6. Noting the chain on the other side of the room Kratos heads towards it.
1.7. After defeating a more difficult group of enemies Kratos destroys the other chain (and again collects loot).
Cinematic Moment – Kratos tears the chain out of the wall causing one side of the massive chandelier to slam into the ice wall which destroys a large section of it, and causes structural damage to the Temple Entrance.
Dev Note – Foreshadow the major structural collapse of Beat 3.
1.8. Kratos proceeds to climb the fallen chandelier, using it to proceed to the elevator.
