Cage O' Mage

Cage O' Mage is a third-person quest-based action-adventure game, where players assume the role of Juno, a powerful warrior who sets out on a mission to end the Skeleton Mage's rule, save her father and bring peace to the realm.

Walkthrough

In Cage O' Mage, I served as the Level Designer, overseeing the creation and implementation of one of the game levels.

While the core mechanics were part of a pre-established template, I focused on the gameplay and level design, crafting challenges that tested players creativity and endurance. Additionally, I contributed to the combat design, with a focus on planning and designing the final boss fight. However, enemy design was included within the provided template.

Cage O' Mage was solo-developed as part of an assignment during the Level Design pipeline of the Game Design course at Vancouver Film School, from July 2022 to October 2022 (4 months). This project ran concurrently with Robo-Dash, presenting a unique challenge as I had to balance my responsibilities on both projects.

The project was built using Unreal Engine 4.27, with the Level Design instructor providing a starter template that included pre-implemented game mechanics, characters, enemies, systems, props, materials, and textures. This gave me a solid foundation to expand upon and build the level.

To aid in the design process, I used Miro to create a moodboard and a reference board for environmental set-dressing and storytelling, ensuring a cohesive visual and narrative flow throughout the level. This project allowed me to apply and refine my skills in level design while also managing my time and resources effectively between multiple projects.

This single-level project was a culmination of my gameplay design work, joining level design, puzzle creation, and boss fight development, showcasing my ability to take an idea from concept to fully implemented in Unreal Engine. Through these contributions, I helped craft an engaging, challenging, and immersive level for the players.

Level Design & Environment

Terrain Design:
- I began by selecting an appropriate height map and fine-tuned the level's geometry using UE5 terrain tools.
- Using these tools, I sculpted the environment and applied a variety of materials from the given template to create a diverse and engaging landscape for the level.
Narrative Design:
- I crafted a simple narrative for the level where the player character, Juno, discovers his father trapped in a cage atop a tree, imprisoned by the evil mage (the final boss).
- The only way to rescue Juno’s father is by defeating the boss. I included a few dialogues between Juno, his father, and the evil mage to advance the storyline, adding emotional stakes to the gameplay.
Environmental Storytelling:
- I used set-dressing techniques to visually tell the story. From the start of the level, I teased the final boss area, hinting at its importance.
- Fallen trees blocked the path to the boss area, making it inaccessible at first. Players had to navigate through a secondary path involving wooden scaffoldings to proceed to the boss area.

Level Design Document:
- I created a LDD and MDD for the level describing its narrative and gameplay aspects, and showing the progression beats.

Gameplay Design

Puzzle Design:
- I designed and implemented a puzzle using Blueprints. The puzzle involved two sets of 3 candles, each displaying a sequence with a delay.
- Players were challenged to memorize the sequence and then light the candles in the correct order. This puzzle tested the player's memory and was used to transition from the forest area to the boss area.
Boss Fight Design:
- The boss fight was a major highlight of the level. I created a 4-phase boss fight using Unreal Cinematic System.
  - Phase 1: The mage boss attacks with falling meteors, damaging the player. The player is given a preview of where the meteors will land, giving them a brief window to dodge.
  - Phase 2: The mage boss summons 3 smaller defenders to protect him, which players must deal with before attacking the mage.
  - Phase 3: The mage boss summons 2 larger defenders, making the fight more intense and requiring the player to strategize more carefully.
  - Phase 4: The mage boss descends from his pillar and engages in direct combat with the player, wielding his sword.
- The boss cannot be directly attacked until the last phase. Players must destroy an active energy crystal to progress to the next phase of the fight.
- The entire boss fight was coded by me using Unreal Blueprints and visual scripting, creating a dynamic and engaging experience for players.

Secondary Gameplay Features

Lever Interactions:
- I implemented lever interactions within the level using visual scripting, giving players the ability to interact with the environment to unlock new areas and progress further.
Template Mechanics Adjustments:
- The core mechanics of the game were built on a given template, but I tweaked existing gameplay elements to fit the needs of my level design.
- These changes included adjusting enemy behaviors, modifying platforming elements, and refining how certain mechanics interacted with the level environment to create a more cohesive experience.

Samuele Guerrini