Escape the Lab
This project was 6 weeks long, with a team size of 18 people of different skills and levels tasked with creating the fundamentals of a pitched game idea which was previously selected by a different group of people. This project taught me about managing a team, working with people of different disciplines as well as managing and maintaining the integrity of source control using Github and Unreal engine 5 beta integration. This was one of the first times I had taken a role of leadership within a good sized team and also learn to assign tasks to people using Jira. I was the Lead game scripter for this project with 1 junior working alongside myself as other group members could not contribute due to unforeseen circumstances.
Characters
One of my main tasks with this project was to create the functionality of the two main characters which would be working together throughout the game on different puzzles to progress through the level. This game was create in vertical split screen to allow for local co-op play on two controllers. The two characters had key differences in gameplay, one character had a weapon and had to assist in solving puzzles while also surviving whatever enemies are ahead. The other character has different abilities used to assist the other player in survival as well as having access to different areas of the level to help with progression.
Weapons and Abilities
Each character has different tools at their disposal. One has 3 different weapons which they can use to kill enemies and clear out rooms of threats or even use in different puzzles throughout the level.
The other character had abilities which aim to assist others in survival as they also work on solving puzzles.
The aim was to have one character with more physical tools that a human would have and the other would have more energy based tools, something that would makes sense within a scientific universe for a ghost to harness and use. Neither of these tools were endless though and would have limitations, such as a weapon’s ammo and abilities would take energy to use.
Puzzles Mechanics
Due to the scope of this project I was only able to create a single puzzle myself which was themed on the periodic table and finding different elements around the level and the order in which they went in a sequence to then input a code to input areas to progress through the level.
I created this to be as friendly as I could for designers to implement into the level as they saw fit for their section of the map. Therefore the amount of 2 digit inputs could be changed from 1 to the max amount elements save within a data table.
Sequences were always random and elements could not be repeated. If some how the player managed to break this puzzle there was also a reset button at the beginning on the periodic table to try it again from the start to never lock the player.
Animation Implementation
Within our group we didn’t have anyone else confident with using animation blueprints within UE5. Therefore I implemented all the animations and transitions to the characters as well as rigging the characters models using an external resource called Mixamo for free assets and auto rigging features.
User Interface
Within the group we were also lacking someone with knowledge of user interfaces. From the implementation to the graphics. This was an essential part of our game to convey information about weapons and abilities to the player as well as different pause menus and main menus as well to meet fundamental criteria.
I took the lead of the UI and assigned the design work to a senior design, assigned the graphics to 2 junior concept artists and got on with scripting and implementation myself for all the interfaces in the game. From the menus in the game all the way to the player HUD.
