PORTFOLIO

A tank system created over 2 days. It features tight locomotion, strong audiovisual feedback and simple-to-understand controls. Additionally, it utilises Chaos Destruction via BP for tower destruction, and a scalable damage system using BP Interfaces.

A first person melee + magic duelling system, inspired heavily by TES:IV Oblivion. It features the same basic control scheme as Oblivion, but with a focus on audiovisual feedback for a more exciting and reactive combat experience. The magic system is using projectiles and the Homing Projectile logic to follow the camera direction during activation.

An exploration of third person melee gamefeel for a less grounded fantasy experience. Features strong audiovisual feedback including dynamic blood decals, floating damage numbers and controller vibration.

A third person platformer combat system based on combos. This involved creating a Montage handler component to manage the flow from one attack to another - for example the backflip back leading into the charge forward. This was based around trying to create a simple-to-understand yet highly fluid experience for the player.

A slower paced third person melee system created for a short zombie survival game concept. It features rolling, inspired by Dark Souls, as well as standard melee attacking, a ‘bleed’ system on the zombies to trail blood and lower HP over time, and strong audiovisual feedback with animation pacing to provide the player with immediacy on every input.

Locomotion built for my upcoming game, Alistair Black: Of Gods And Graves. It is inspired by several locomotion systems, including Mirror’s Edge, Dishonored and Amnesia: The Dark Descent. It features sliding, tight control over locomotion, sneaking and dynamic audio based on surface and velocity.

This was a continuation of the third person system on the left. It was altered to match the pacing and tightness of control of the original Ratchet and Clank games, with a dynamically adjusting camera (spring arm location, FOV) based on gameplay as well as faster animation feedback for all inputs (such as jumping, double jumping, landing etc.)

An FPS controller developed as a prototype over a week. It features a hierarchy of actions to handle interruptions (such as meleeing during reload), and a slower-paced horror feel inspired by Resident Evil: Village. The projectiles are based on gun location, with a slight lag on the arm movement vs camera itself in order to try and get players to slow down with their combat, being sure to take aim.

Overview

Generalist reel from 2023.

I have particular skills in:

  • Level Design (outdoor, indoor, open-world and linear, PVP and PVE)

  • Systems Design and Implementation

  • Combat Design, 1st and 3rd Person

  • Complex Technical Audio Implementation and Music Composition

  • Rapid Prototyping

  • Functional UI

  • Unreal Engine 5

 SCREENSHOTS

The screenshots below are from various personal projects. Hover over the image to see descriptions and design information.

This is the view of a small mountaintop city in a 3rd person fantasy game I developed during lockdown. The player’s task is to go to the Castle to be briefed. He exits the tavern, and moves through some winding streets before turning a corner, and this is what he sees. This gives the player a sense of awe, but also a clear objective: they see where they need to go.

This is a view of a 3D platformer level from a small lakeside hut. The level takes the player around the sides of this large lake, at the end of which they learn the ability to swim. They can then explore the lake, which has hidden treasures, and the entrance to a dungeon. In the distance, you can see some floating platforms, which act as a platforming segment before fighting goblins on the far island.

This is a small pre-fight corridor in my vertical slice demo for a first person medieval horror. The player can hear the sound of eerie crying beyond the door, reverberating through the corridor. I made the door the focal point, so that they know that stepping through will put them in a new, dangerous situation. The length of the corridor was designed to give enough breathing space whilst ramping up anxiety as they approach.

This is an encounter with a small group of undead Roman Centurions in my current personal project (1st person immersive sim). The Romans are staggered here, allowing the player to stealth-kill them if they’d prefer, or use the winding path’s verticality to help manage fighting them one on one.

This level was for a ‘liminal space’ office game, where the player must go for a coffee break. Each time they go, stranger things happen on the way, with doors being locked or unlocked per-run, rooms changing sizes and mysterious noises. I designed the base layout of the office to be as depressing and bland as possible, allowing any small changes to take a firm place in the player’s mind as their experience continues.

This is a smuggler’s cave in my current personal project (1st person immersive sim). The player must climb a nearby vine to pick up a physics box, throw it down, and place it next to the small cliff by the waterfall by the barrels. This lets them continue their exploration of the cave.

This is also from the first person medieval horror. This is the sight the player first has after turning a corner, exiting a forested cliff-side path. The entrance to the keep is locked, but the key is nearby. As the interior is larger than the exterior view, a lot of rooms are hidden within the rock.

This is a view from a small village in a 3rd person action game I designed as a learning experience. The village leads up to the castle via a cliffside path, where the player can encounter a few guards before making their way inside. I focused on the castle POI and made sure it was a key visual for the player as they approach.

First person medieval environment design

This area is an arena for a 1st person medieval duelling game I designed in 2022. It features several wooden ramps littered throughout, as well as destructible pillars to provide both changes in elevation and cover through dynamic combat. I made sure to have enough open space so that players never feel cramped, as the combat is fast and freeflowing.

This segment of cave leads out into a foggy forest on a tiny coastal island in the Atlantic, part of a level I designed for a short horror FPS. The player has just fought several monsters in a sprawling cave, with abandoned spelunker gear scattered around and old skeletons of the unfortunate explorers. The lighting outside acts as a good diegetic guide for the player as well as giving them a sense of relief as they see the outside.