HIGH VOLTAGE
SOFTWARE:
Unreal Engine 4 | Blueprints | Maya
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INSPIRATION:
The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild
GAMEPLAY
This gameplay is a puzzle-style platformer heavily inspired by "The Legend of Zelda Breath of the wild". Similar to shrines within the game, the player must utilize specific mechanics to complete the shrine. In this project, my goal was to push the limits of what I knew in UE4. Then I wanted to expand on those limits to create a plausible BOTW inspired Level that could be implemented within the game.
SHRINE CONSTRUCTION
After coming up with a map layout, construction was done in Autodesk Maya. I'd used Maya to make 3D models before, but I had only used it to make one previous level. This became a learning experience because I wanted to challenge myself to work faster and more efficiently while building.
First, I constructed large geometric forms for the level. Parts of the level could be created quickly. I also imported the UE4 man into Maya, so that I could create structures to the proper scale.
After setting up larger structures of the level, I focused on the more mechanical pieces. Which included anything the player could interact with such as the moving platforms or boards needed to complete the level.
Finally, I went through the level, adding more minor details and more difficult assets such as the energy blocks and treasure chest. Something else I did was assigning, naming, and texturing specific Materials that I needed in Engine.
CRITICAL PATH
For this level, the critical path is straightforward. The player has to utilize their magnet ability to complete the challenge.
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1 As the player enters the shrine, the shrine's deity offers them a challenge they must complete. In front of them is a turn table with a black crystal in the centre and 3 activators surrounding it. The activators are currently off. The water beneath the turn table is electrified and will damage the player if they enter. The Player must find a way to turn on the turn table to cross the path. This can be done with the three power sources around the map.
2 There is a power source out of range of the player's magnet ability. To reach this power source, they must take another power source and place it next to the activator on the platform. This will cause the catapult on the platform to lift the power source and throw it across the water so the player may use it.
3 The player can lift the gate with a power source, but it must stay there to remain open. So, the player must already be in front of the gate to access the chest. I included the hidden chest to represent how many shrines in BOTW have extra items the player could spend time collecting. This chest contains one extra heart that will aid the player in the shrine.
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4 On the top floor of the shrine, the player sees their end goal. However, multiple lasers block their path. Each time the player hits a laser, they will lose a heart, so it is impossible to run through them and reach the goal. Instead, the player must use their magnet ability to block each laser as they cross it. This tests player abilities such as timing and dexterity to run when the plates obstruct the laser while also ensuring they do not fall off the very thin platform.
5 Once the Player has successfully passed all the lasers, they will interact with the monk and pass the challenge. They will receive full health and another heart.
MAP LAYOUT
As I sat down to design the interior of High Voltage, I knew a few things. I wanted to create puzzles that would utilize the magnet mechanic and allow players to move metal objects. I also wanted to create a level that could be completed in no more than 5-10 minutes, since that is also the average time for BOTW shrines. Finally, I wanted a section where I could test the player's timing and dexterity skills. Below is the final documentation for my level detailing the critical path and specific interactions.
INSPIRATION AND REFERENCES
When starting this project, I knew I wanted to replicate the design style of Breath of the Wild. However, to do that, I needed time to evaluate the shrine design. I created my own process to analyze the design philosophies of Nintendo's Level Designers. Here are some of my findings.
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1 Shrine Levels are not overly complicated and, in most cases, have a singular critical path. Since the target audience is primarily casual gamers and children, this makes sense. This is not to say that shrines within themselves can not be challenging, but the goal itself is never in question. The player always knows where they need to go and what tools they'll need to get there. How to use these tools effectively is usually the more challenging part.
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2 In the BOTW Shrines, most puzzles seem challenging at first but are simple in hindsight. This is because they use small but effective puzzles. In most cases, when players first encounter shrine puzzles, it will take them a while to fully grasp. Players can potentially understand what mechanics they need, whether it be bombs, magnets, or stasis. However the challenge is how to use the right mechanic for a particular puzzle. This type of design can bring about a trial and error period for the player, so when they solve it there is a stronger response.
3 Finally, players are rewarded for exploration or deviating from the one critical path. In almost every shrine, there are hidden chests the deviate from the central path. Players are not required to find or obtain these chests but can go out of their way to do so. In most cases, to get to these chests, players will need to utilize the same abilities they used in the current puzzle. Sometimes getting to chests can be even more difficult than the puzzle itself.
LESSONS LEARNED
Coming back to this level, I never imagined I would do this much in such a short amount of time. From concept to completion, this level took me about 3 weeks to build. During that time, I learned quite a bit about implementing blueprint mechanics, visual effects, and overall presentation.
POV Change: One of the things I found most difficult during this project was changing mechanics for a particular point of view. Initially, I was accustomed to making mechanics for a first-person controller, but I had to readjust for this project. I learned to remake mechanics from the ground up for a third-person controller.
UI Development: Before this project, I had minimal experience in UI implementation aside from adding pop-up text. For this level, I learned how to connect UI elements to gameplay in a unique way than just a score counter. I learned how to script health points to correlate with sprite images, so when health decreased or increased, the sprite would respond accordingly.
Visual Effects: For this project, I took on the mantel of teaching myself visual effects to go the extra mile for presentation. I never used UE4s visual effects studio, but I used it to make this project's electricity, water, and energy beam effects. I did this to make sure the map felt connected to its BOTW reference.
Overall, I'm very happy with how this level turned out. There were some challenges and complications that I didn't anticipate, but I met my goal and created a distinct process for level construction.