After beating Uncharted 4, I wanted to make a level inspired by that game. Mayan architecture in Palenque (Mexico) inspired me for this layout. The gameplay is combination of action set pieces, stealth and traversals (basically uncharted). But I wanted to make this level less scripted, and more player-driven.

This level has been designed in a wide-linear style to give the player enough freedom to progress based on their own playstyle.

Clay, the main character, is looking for some clues to find the hidden city of Mayan. The objective is to climb “Justice” tower and reach the highest point, where based on his research there will be some important hints about the next destination.

I used UE4 for the blockout and maya for making external props.

Blockout

• 1. level starts on the top of the hill:
  • It will starts with the vista view
  • Introducing the landmark and how far it is from your current location
  • Narrative elements(tone of dialogues are in a comedic/sarcastic way)
    • He says how much he loves climbing towers(sarcasm)!

• 2. First enemy encounter:
  • Player has the option to take down the enemy (either by stealth or guns) or just pass them.
    • Using environment for sneaking:
      • Hiding in tall grasses
      • Using the swamp
  • Landmark is giving the player hints about where he should be heading to

• 3. Usage of swamp through this level
  • Hiding in the swamp will help the player to not be seen
  • Types of enemies in this level:
    • Patrols: Enemies with red color (to cover short distances)
    • Snipers: Enemies in orange (to cover blind spots from higher areas)
  • Narrative elements:
    • The patrol is talking to himself about why he didn’t get promotion
    • The sniper will shout at him to think quietly for god’s sake!
    • The player could also time his moves based on these dialogues. He can wait until they are finished talking.

• 4. Sniper spot on short tilted tower
  • Player can take down the sniper quietly by climbing up the building
  • Looking at the level from this vantage point helps to scan the area better
    • Locating possible threats

• 5. Reaching/climbing the landmark
  • Player must climb the tower using his traversal mechanics
  • It’s up to the player how he wants to climb. There are multiple routes to the top
    • Player uses climbing mechanics and ropes to climb

• 6. Getting closer to the destination
  • It’s a combination of vista and traversal challenges
  • Player can recognize the path that he came from

• 7. Reaching the objective(top of the tower)
  • IGC: Player finds a map painted on a wall
    • Hints the player for the next possible area that he must explore
  • Player stands near the wall to see everything from top of the tower