To Find A Solution For This Cubic Problem

As the sole developer for this game, I worked on many areas, including but not limited to Audio Programming, Animation Programming, Level Design, and even some UI/UX Programming.

The main focus, however, was on Technical Game Design and Gameplay Programming.

Throughout this page, said area of focus will be demonstrated and explained in order to showcase my skills.

I was responsible for player character input reads, movement, shooting, abilities like grappling, Level Rotate or the Ultimate, and the entirety of the AI Programming.

To Have A Character

A lot goes into creating a character for the player, from perspective to animation work, UI/UX, inputs, character logic, and gameplay mechanics.

All these systems work in tandem to supply the player with a great gameplay feel and gaming experience.

A Viewing Perspective

The window through which the player views the world is very important as it affects many aspects of game design. Certain elements may be well suited to present in first-person, but not so much in third-person and vice-versa.

Since one of the main gameplay components of this game is a rotating level, the best way to showcase said component is to allow for a greater view of the level surrounding the player character, and thus, a third-person perspective was implemented over a first-person one.

For the player’s inputs to be registered by the game and translated into actions taken by the player character, a small but important number of steps need to be taken to allow for said process to take place.

Using Unreal Engine 5’s EnhancedInputComponent, it is possible to attach said inputs from the player to functions/actions to be executed in-game by the player character, like the “WASD” keys to movement, the mouse movement to looking, or the space bar to jumping.

Shooting Mechanics

UI: Show, Don’t Tell

Full Abilities

Grappling Mechanic

An Animation Suite

It’s through animation that our characters come alive and perform any actions we, the player, request. They sell the characters, the world, and the game in general.

With that in mind, a set of animations, blends, offsets, and state machines were designed, focused on an over-the-shoulder third-person shooter. Jumping, Aiming, Walking, Strafing, Shooting, and Ultimate Ability are the main elements of this animation suite.

Ultimate Ability Used

Player Character Health Display

Level Rotation Ability Used

Level Rotation Mechanic

Unreal Engine 5 Blueprints For The Health Display Functionality

Gameplay is the bedrock, the foundation on top of which video games are made. The interactive element that differentiates games from any other medium of entertainment. Being this key to the experience, it’s only natural that they take center stage when developing them.

For this game, the focus resides on three key mechanics: Shooting, Grappling, and Level Rotation.

Shooting and Grappling are somewhat self-explanatory as to their general function. As for the Level Rotation mechanic, this is a gameplay device that allows the player to hold some power over the playing field. By rotating the level, not only can the player choose a different level layout to engage in, but also gain a moment to reassess the situation and relocate to avoid losing the battle.

Gameplay Mechanics

Reading Player Input

In order to convey certain essential information to the player, select elements of the game work to present it effectively and efficiently, with the intent of avoiding removing the player’s focus from the utmost critical aspects of the gameplay.

This can be used for multiple gameplay mechanics, such as player health, abilities, crosshairs, and more. Below, 3 mechanics (Ultimate, Level Rotation, and Health) are presented in a way that reduces the amount of effort the player requires to check on said essential information, maximizing the time the player stays focused on the action.

Artificial World

Artificial Intelligence

Basic Actions

The behavior of the A.I. can be split into a set of actions that take place at different points, given a set of checks.
Most actions are simple by design.
Aiming, Shooting, Entering, Leaving Cover, and general Movement such as Patrolling.
Animation Work

Just like the player character, animating the A.I. characters is crucial in order to seamlessly integrate their actions into the game, maintaining immersion.
Here is an example of how the Animation State “Jog” is defined and executed with blends between jogging and jogging while shooting.
Artificial Behavior

The major building block of making A.I. characters is their behavior. What do do, when to do it, how to do it, and why to do so.
Restrictions, conditions, sensory information, and internal knowledge affect every decision.
Navigation Information

To allow an A.I. to move, one must feed it with the necessary information for path-making, patrol points, and no-access areas.

The cover system was also fed with hand-placed points of interest for cover and engagement.