Futuristic Metropolis

A short game based on a robotic future where you play as a robot refugee who is trying to get processed at the immigration gates. However, things don't exactly go as planned...

Genre: First person adventure
Engine & Platform: Unreal Engine 5.4 for PC
Development Context: University module assessment
Development Duration: 2 Months
Team Size: Solo project
Total Grade of Module: 100% (A)

Introduction

This is the 1st assessment of a 2-part assessment series for my university module: Game Creation. This was my first ever try in creating a game on a full-fledged game engine like Unreal Engine. I have never done anything to this scale before, and for this reason I had to learn most of the concepts by myself. The aim of this assessment was to demonstrate my understanding of game development fundamentals. I had to plan and implement appropriate responses to a set of small scale scenarios. We had a list of 3 themes to follow, and I chose the "Futuristic Metropolis" theme.

This assessment was divided into 3 scenarios where there were different requirements to be met for each scenario.

Scenario #1 - The Ordinary World

In this scenario, I was tasked to demonstrate basic visual scripting and 3D modelling skills in a small premade environment. It called for a replacement of the placeholder cube, the door, and the door frame with new meshes appropriate to my chosen theme. There were also 9 challenges that basically messes with the transform and material values using collision box triggers. For the replacement meshes, I created simple cube sized crates with an industrial look, almost reminiscent of crates seen in games like Mass Effect. The door and door frame were also modelled the same to introduce my intermediate skill in 3D modelling.

We had a simple floor plan to follow with the map already blocked out. The yellow diamond boxes indicate the different pre-placed cubes and the challenges that came with it.

Scenario #2 - The Call to Adventure

This scenario became more complex as I had to develop playable characters and construct my own levels to facilitate them. I was tasked to create simple obstructions, such as doors, and experiment different methods in leading the player around to develop awareness of pacing, challenge, storytelling, and other design principles. Several of the challenges include redesigning a 3rd-person character suited to my theme, the level must be structured according to the given floor plan, and coloured obstructions (orange and blue on the floor plan) must be programmed to be overcome with a simple interaction (orange) or through an additional actor (blue).

I came up with a generic story of a person in the airside of an airport, as a means to reflect my past experience in Heathrow Airport in a light-hearted manner. The story of the game developed further as I progressed in its development. I realised from experience that games which mimic the real world would have real brand names redacted or changed to prevent unwanted attention. As a result, I turned it into a robot attempting to get past security at a spaceport.

Scenario #3 - Meeting the Mentor

This final scenario introduced me to user interface creation and Widget Blueprints. I was given the free will to design a playable space of at least 60 x 25 metres without any flat or unobstructed areas. Level layout beyond the blue obstructions was in my hands. I reused all my assets from the previous scenarios to make a level similar to scenario 2 with two routes and a final puzzle. I also expanded on the health and damage systems to include a way of purchasing Repair Kits (restores health).

Final Thoughts

This project has been a blast to develop as I received numerous positive feedback and reinforcements from multiple university lecturers about the quality of my assets. It was truly gratifying to hear each response as it was my first ever project on Unreal Engine. This game showed the potential I had in creating games.