AETHERBLOOM

// BLOCKMESH + GAMEPLAY SCRIPTING

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GAMEPLAY TRAILER

PLAYTHROUGH VIDEO

OVERVIEW

PROJECT DETAILS

INTRODUCTION

Aetherbloom is a team capstone project that was born from my desire to push my level design skills. I aimed to practice the process of learning about a game and applying that knowledge to create levels that align with the game's design philosophies and vision. For this project, I chose one of my favorite genres I've been excited to study, Soulslike. I specifically wanted to learn and understand the level design philosophies used in Dark Souls 3 and Elden Ring, to then apply them to create a level that feels and plays similarly to their levels, but adapted to be shorter and more arcade-like.

GOALS

Practice learning, adapting to, and applying design constraints to create levels that meet a game's requirements and specific needs.
Create 1-2 levels that follow 3 design philosophies: interconnectivity, rewarding exploration, and visual storytelling.
Demonstrate my design process and understanding of level design concepts.

BREAKDOWN

Engine: Unreal Engine 5
Language: Blueprints
Version Control: Perforce
Duration: 4 Months
Team Size: 4

GAME DESIGN DOCUMENT

EF-GDD - AETHERBLOOM-020825-172128.pdf

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DESIGN PROCESS

RESEARCH

I started by researching what made Dark Souls 3 and Elden Ring's level design so iconic, specifically for a third-person soulslike game. I watched multiple video reviews on this topic for both games, playthroughs, and even played them to explore the layout of dungeons and take notes of my observations. This process took less than a week, but in the end, I learned about 3 of their main design philosophies: Interconnectivity, Rewarding Exploration, and Visual Storytelling.

Interconnectivity comes from levels containing 1 golden path and multiple optional paths that loop back into the golden path.
Exploration is rewarded often and consistently, typically in the form of a collectible or gameplay content.
Visual storytelling is not only crucial for giving context to a level's environment, but it also helps the player feel immersed in its narrative.

PLANNING

I decided that the game would take place on various floating islands. Each island would be its own contained level, themed around a spell's element. For this project, I worked on the game's first level, Fire Island. This level was themed around a castle partially destroyed by an erupting volcano.

REFERENCE LAYOUT ANALYSIS

Before figuring out the layout, I wanted to create a guideline that could help me create an interconnected level. I decided to analyze and take notes on the High Wall of Lodric, the first level in Dark Souls 3.
After analyzing the level's layout, I made some observations and created a list of features that my level must have to be considered interconnected and feel interconnected, despite it being a short linear experience.

SKETCHES

I aimed to create a small interconnected level split into several action blocks. I wanted to make sure I was following the 3 design philosophies throughout this process and including every feature from my layout analysis list:

1 Main Path
3 Short Optional Paths (Side Paths + Reward)
1 Long Optional Path (Loops to Main Path + Reward)
1 Boss Arena
1-2 Landmarks
1 Vista
1 Looping Shortcut (Adapted to unlock a previous area of the map previously blocked by a Valve)

MOOD BOARD

DEVELOPMENT & DESIGN TECHNIQUES

I needed to create a level with a casual, arcade-like feel. To achieve this, I decided to emulate the flow and length of older 3D platformers. This would allow me to follow the 3 design philosophies and build a level that, while approachable, still rewards players with an interconnected structure that feels and plays like a level from Dark Souls 3 or Elden Ring.

THEME & ENVIRONMENTAL STORYTELLING

I also wanted the level to tell a story. The theme I chose was fantasy, and the storytelling I wanted to show was that the player is traversing an abandoned castle that was partially destroyed by an erupting volcano, set on a floating island. I planned to use the destruction of the castle to not only tell the story of the level, but also give myself design opportunities to create a unique gameplay experience using the environment.

GAMEPLAY METRICS

Before starting out the blockout, I established some gameplay metrics for the size of the playable space, specifically for the combat encounters. I decided that a 5x5 meter radius would be the minimum space required for the player to comfortably move, fight, and traverse. I then made some modular pieces that I used to blockout the castle structures inside and outside. Following this metric allowed me to create a consistent playable space throughout the level, while only breaking this rule to create variation, difficulty, or for a unique purpose.

AREA 01 // LEVEL START

The level begins with a direct Vista of a distant structure with a glowing orange ring. This structure acts as a Landmark and is the player's main objective. The player starts from a high position with a wide view of most of the level. An attentive player might also spot a distant Torch, which I strategically placed to highlight an optional path. I intended to use both the Landmark and the Torch to establish 2 distinct goals for the player from the start.

This area contains 2 paths. The path on the right is the Golden Path and introduces the first enemy. This combat encounter features reliable cover options and a high vantage point against the enemy.

The path on the left is an optional path with a collectible. I positioned an enemy outside of the player's vision to ambush them, a design tactic commonly found in Dark Souls 3 and Elden Ring.

AREA 02 // FIRST PROSPECT

As the player continues, they are challenged with 2 enemies in an open space. The opening in the building and the light coming from the inside suggest the path forward. Attentive players will spot an out-of-reach collectible across the lava. My goal was to motivate players to explore and figure out how to reach the other side of the lava.

The 2 left-most windows of the building are open and lead to a small balcony with a collectible. The bottom window is hidden behind boxes that the player can break to go through. If they miss it, the top window is opened and has access to the same balcony. Should the player take the jump, they will be looped back inside through the bottom. Hiding paths in plain sight is another design tactic used in Dark Souls 3 and Elden Ring.

AREA 03 // FIRST REFUGE

After the player enters the building, they are met with a checkpoint and 2 potential paths. The bottom floor contains a gated door. The top floor contains 2 paths. This area is meant to be safe from danger, where the player can interact with the checkpoint and prepare before continuing.

AREA 04 // SOFT GATE

Following the optional path, this area is guarded by a Fire Enemy. This enemy can only be defeated by acquiring the Fire Ball, an ability that the player has yet to learn by this point. My goal was to create a Soft Gate that utilized an enemy instead of the typical Lock-and-Key. I say soft because, unlike the lock-and-key approach, this area can be completed by skillful use of gameplay mechanics, without needing the Fire Ball.

NOTE: This game has Dodge and Block as defensive mechanics that are learned during the Tutorial.

AREA 05 // VALVE

Following the golden path, the player reaches a Valve. I wanted to gate the player in a safe area in preparation for the next section of the level.

AREA 06 // THE FIRE BALL PUZZLE

A big part of Aetherbloom's gameplay is using different elemental spells to defeat enemies and solve environmental puzzles. I designed this area to teach the player how to use the Fire Ball to defeat Fire Enemies and light Torches.

I wanted to teach the player that Fire Enemies cannot be defeated with their current spell. So they are forced to use the environment and their defensive mechanics to reach the building.

From where the player learns the Fire Ball, they have a direct line of sight to the Fire Enemy from a high vantage point. Additionally, the lit Torch acts as a clue for interacting with unlit Torches.

AREA 07 // SECOND REFUGE

After solving the puzzle, the player finds another safe zone. I knew I wanted to make the next section have 2 paths, but I did not want the player to immediately be aware of them. My idea was to use the building as an intersection to lead the player into 2 separate paths that are part of the same interconnected area.

AREA 08 // SECOND PROSPECT

For this area, I wanted to create a larger space where I could fit a longer optional path to create the interconnectivity I'm going for. I aimed for each path to be visible from the other, while highlighting the distinct rewards or goals that each offers. I used the game's features and mechanics to highlight a path from another, to promote exploration. This is another level design tactic used in Dark Souls 3 and Elden Ring.

AREA 09 // THE BOSS ARENA

In the game, a Boss Enemy has triple the player detection radius as regular enemies, enough to cover a large arena. With this in mind, I wanted to create a space where I could utilize the boss's long-range attacks to create a unique gameplay experience. My goal was to create an area where, to reach the boss arena, the player must first traverse a path while under constant attacks from the boss.I wanted the gameplay to take place in an area of the castle, sunken by lava. This would not only create a cool storytelling moment, but it would also give me design opportunities to have the player platform through the lava and debris.

When the player enters the arena, the boss becomes aware of the player and begins attacking. The player then has 2 one-way routes to choose from.

The left path is designed to be risky. It features tilted platforms and limited cover. It rewards the player with a collectible and a new player ability.

The right path is designed to be safe. It features 4 platforms protected by large pieces of cover. It also rewards the player with a collectible.

The layout of the environment makes the arena itself a valve that prevents the player from leaving the boss encounter. This is similar to how Dark Souls 3 and Elden Ring use their fog door.

I wanted to make the final path linear and easy to navigate, not only to reduce the intensity but also to refresh the player's flow state. The optional path is the last high-intensity path before the level end.

AREA 10 // LEVEL END

Finally, the player reaches the location of their main objective. I wanted this area to be free of danger, with the only challenge being a simple puzzle. The player then walks up some stairs onto a balcony containing multiple Potion Tables and the Ice Portal, the level's main objective.

POSTMORTEM

WHAT WENT RIGHT +

LEARNINGS & EXPERIENCE

Since the beginning of the project, I wanted to exercise my level design skills. I thought that if I wanted to professionally design levels for a game company, I would need to dedicate time to learning and understanding everything about their game that can influence the level design. So I aimed to practice the process of learning about a game and using that knowledge to design levels that not only meet the game's needs but also elevate the gameplay experience. For this project, I chose to practice designing levels for a third-person soulslike and use FromSoftware's level design philosophies as my design constraints.Researching and analyzing some of the levels in Dark Souls 3 and Elden Ring allowed me to view them through the lens of a level designer. I got to learn, understand, and implement 3 of their main design philosophies: interconnectivity, rewarding exploration, and visual storytelling. As well as applying some of their most famous design tactics, like hiding enemies to ambush players, looping optional paths, and using collectibles to lure players.

THE FAMILIARITY OF IT ALL

During some playtests, I asked some of my friends who are fans of Dark Souls and Elden Ring to playtest my level. Some of their positive feedback was in regards to the level looking and feeling like a Dark Souls 3 level, but at a smaller scale. They even pointed out some of the ambush scenarios. This was a huge win for me because it validates my design approach and confirms that I was successful in my primary goal of adapting my level design to a specific game or genre.

A VISION FUFFILLED

I wanted to tell the story of a castle partially destroyed by a volcano and create playable spaces that would take the player through those events while staying compliant with gameplay metrics. While not perfect and would benefit from more iterations, I believe my vision of the level was made real, even with some last-minute changes and other challenges I faced during the project.

One of my personal design challenges with this level was to make a playable space that would take place on large pieces of castle debris floating on lava. This idea ended up being the basis for the boss arena. I took some extra time to design the boss area in its prime state, and then used it to redesign it in its destroyed state. This approach allowed me to create a traversable space that is believable within the area. This also helped to elevate the storytelling of the level.

WHAT WENT WRONG -

MAN DOWN, MAN DOWN!

During the first month of the project, we lost a member of our team. We spent a few days working as a team of 3, working on our tasks and juggling the extra tasks. This caused a big shift on the project and reduced my available time to work on designing the level. I was forced to speed up my blockout process and rework the layout of the level to reduce its length. While this did alter how I wanted to make the level originally, it also meant that I would have less time to iterate on my design. I had to work fast while staying intentional with my blockmesh.After a few days, we got a new team member. This meant that we had to spend some extra time onboarding them, which also compromised my available time and responsibilities.

AN AMBITIOUS VISION, FOR SUCH LIMITED TIME

Creating a third-person soulslike for a capstone project was an ambitious goal, and I was acutely aware of the potential workload. I was also fortunate to have a team that was passionate about the prototype from the very beginning and was on board with making this game a reality. However, as the final month approached, the reality of our timeline became clear, forcing us to either accelerate development or strategically reduce the scope. This challenge led me to make some critical design choices in my levels.For example, while helping with the Ice Level, I had to pivot from creating fully traversable cave interiors. Instead, I designed the cave entrances to act as teleport points, moving the player from one area to another and eliminating the need to build the complex interiors. Similar sacrifices were made throughout the project to ensure we met our deadline.This experience, while challenging, was invaluable. It provided me with a deeper understanding of the strategic decision-making and project management that real studios face when nearing a release date.

NOT ENOUGH ITERATION

Due to the unexpected circumstances and all of the other ramping tasks I was getting, I was not able to iterate as much as I could have. I had to compromise some of the iteration time of this level to help in other areas like reworking other levels, fixing bugs, conducting team meetings, and overall managing the project. I believe that, under different circumstances, I could've had more time to iterate on its design and improve the layout more.

CONCLUSION

Ultimately, my primary goal for this project was to simulate a real-world development scenario: to practice adapting my level design skills to the specific needs of a given game or genre. In doing so, I demonstrated my ability to first learn a game's core mechanics and design philosophies, and then apply that knowledge to create levels that not only fit within its established framework but also synergize with and elevate the gameplay experience. This project was a crucial exercise in preparing myself to contribute effectively to a professional design team while making me a more versatile level designer.

THANK YOU FOR READING!

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