Developer
- The Outsiders
Release Date
- September 13, 2022
Level Name
- Voke
Level Type
- 1st Campaign Level
Contributions
- Level Design & Scripting
- Encounter Design & Scripting
Tools used
- Unity Editor
- Pro Builder
Description
Voke was the first level I got my hands on at The Outsiders. It was an exciting challenge, as for a long time, it served as an introduction to the game (we created a dedicated Tutorial level later). Many difficulties stem from the onboarding experience, which is still reflected in the layout. For example, I wanted to introduce a place where it is required to double jump early on, so I raised the exit of the first combat arena.
The explosive Red Crystals also get introduced with this level. Feedback from playtesters demonstrated some confusion about their impact radius. To counter that, a group of Marionette enemies was staged around the first crystal to discourage the player from getting too close to and rather be tempted to shoot at the crystal, witnessing glorious destruction from a safe distance.
For the introduction of the Behemoth, we strategically placed a snowfall VFX to lead the player’s attention toward the hole in the ceiling that the Behemoth is about to crash through.
Level Name
- Stygia
Level Type
- 2nd Campaign Level
Contributions
- Level Design & Scripting
- Encounter Design & Scripting
Tools used
- Unity Editor
- Pro Builder
Description
Stygia was an enjoyable level to work on. Since we chose it as the first public-facing demo level, it still needed certain onboarding elements incorporated. For that reason, it got the most attention and iteration of them all.
When I design engaging combat spaces, I always give the player a good overview of the layout beforehand and a glimpse of the exit to minimize disorientation afterward. This principle applies to enclosed arena encounters and more open transition areas.
I want to make an enemy’s first appearance unique and memorable whenever possible. For introducing the Stalker, I chose a quick teaser of the enemy as it is about to disappear into a maintenance hole. Doing so created a mystique around that enemy and was a guidance tool to nudge the player in the right direction and follow it. Once the player fights this enemy shortly after, the player can establish a mental connection between its teleport ability and its quick disappearance during the teaser.
Level Name
- Gehenna
Level Type
- 5th Campaign Level
Contributions
- Level Design & Scripting
- Encounter Design & Scripting
Tools used
- Unity Editor
- Pro Builder
Description
Gehenna is right around the midpoint of the game. As I am a big fan of Egypt and ancient tombs, this level quickly turned out to be my favorite, and I enjoyed digging deeper into the theme.
As we introduced most gameplay features to the player at this stage, I could focus more on the layouts that did not necessarily have to serve an onboarding purpose. I tried to create an exciting mix of open areas, such as the introductory dessert, and more linear underground structures that evoke claustrophobia and unease. In all cases, I tried to use techniques like pre-spawned enemies and the creative interplay of light and shadow to guide the player.
However, one new element has been the introduction of the Seraph, a flying enemy type with a devastating laser attack, which required a more deliberate placement of cover to protect the player. Since that enemy can navigate multiple heights, it also allowed us to use more verticality in the combat spaces of our levels.
Level Name
- Nihil
Level Type
- 6th Campaign Level
Contributions
- Level Design & Scripting
- Encounter Design & Scripting
Tools used
- Unity Editor
- Pro Builder
Description
Nihil is the direct follow-up to Gehenna and starkly contrasts most other levels of the game. We paired each level with a specific song from the concept stage, and Nihil’s track was to be the one with the highest BPM (beats per minute). Since we ran at the risk that the game could become too repetitive when reaching this level, I decided to go all in on the idea of being fast. I made this level the smallest and shortest in layout to keep the general pacing curve interesting.
I put a lot of thought into the encounter design to make them thrilling, short, and snappy. One encounter, for example, only consists of marionettes. This enemy type is the fastest to eliminate, letting the player have a minute of absolute dominance before moving on to the subsequent encounter.
To keep things challenging, I designed one encounter to be the hardest one of the game so far and then carefully dialed it back towards the brink of being manageable. To help with that, we started to utilize elite versions of already-known enemy types.