The Sentinel's Escape

Introduction

Over the course of this projects development, I was provided with a crash course on the basics of Unreal Engine 5’s capabilities. This gave me a lot of room for exploration/experimentation with these systems, and with this I aimed to develop an experience that was truly my own. The use of blueprinting allowed for rapid iteration on systems, due to the system being built for prototyping, allowing for open discussion with peers and mentors on how systems could be developed and allowed freedom to make mistakes.

Gameplay Design

The design of the game was the major focus of the project, and I used a framework on top of iterative prototyping,to ensure a sense of completion with the levels and mechanics. I worked alongside peers on ideas and play testing to achieve this which was vital to the finished product.

A reoccuring critique throughout the development was play testers feeling lost and confused, leading to me going back to the drawing board and taking apart my previous versions to see where the issue lay. This came down to two main issues: low visibility and unintuitive room layouts. Low visibility was due to a mix of lighting and prop placement, and one play-tester gave me very detailed feedeback on my use of props especially. Sitting down and working through the issue with them helped improve the game to the level it is at now with props not just being used as decoration but also to entice the player to the next destination. I also added text pop ups when new mechanics were needed to pass a new section, as the old gameplay mechanices caused players to think the game had broken.

What was Learnt

This project was a crucial learning step of Unreal Engine 5 with many micro discoveries being made throughout, with usage of the tools I understood from level sculpting to the niagara system. Outside of Unreal Engine, my major take away from the project was how important getting others perspectives and feedback is. Tunnel vision of a project is inevitable when working on a single project for a long time, which can lead to a disconnect in designing intuitive systems that any player could understand, and can cause a belief that “it’s self explanatory” as you are so familiar with the game. Being exposed to feedback from those unfamiliar with the game helped create a smoother process and in curating a better player experience.