soulslike Level Blockout

Editor: Unreal Engine 5 (with Flex Combat System Plugin)

The level is inspired by Sen's Fortress from Dark Souls 1, especially the feeling of conquering an overwhelming architecture
To recreate the feel of Dark Souls, the level focused on three key aspects commonly found in the levels from that series: sense of exploration, interconnected spaces, and subtle conveyance

Gallery

Design Goals

区域流程图

Sense of Exploration

Levels in Dark Souls seldom feel linear. Similarly. In this level, besides placing pick-ups and creating branching paths for exploration, it also includes entirely optional areas with unique challenges. The player is constantly making decisions on where to go next

Things that could surprise the player can always make the experience more memorable
The surprise can be both good (a shortcut, a useful item) or bad (an ambush or a trap)
- A good balance of both helps to keep the player engaged and encourages them to observe the environment more carefully
- It could also be something that appears to be bad but turns out to be good
  - A pit of death turns out to be the entrance to an entirely new optional area

In Dark Souls, between bonfires (checkpoints), the player's resources are limited. Therefore, with branching paths, and meaningful placement of encounters and item pickups, the player is constantly making risk and reward decisions:
- Do I take the risk to challenge that difficult enemy to pick up the item in that corner when my resources are low?
- Or do I play it safe to go around and come back later?

Interconnected Spaces

Like Sen’s Fortress, the entire level is built around a single architecture. The player starts at the bottom and gradually rises to the top of the building to challenge the boss to conclude the level
Meanwhile, the use of verticality also creates unique encounters and exploration challenges

区域流程图

Since the entire game space is in a single structure, the heavy use of verticality enables the potential of shortcuts, like ladders, one-way locked doors, elevators, or simply dropping down from a higher place
The shortcuts not only create new pathways to reduce the amount of backtracking the player needs to do, but also offer some directionalities as hint for the player
The entire level is built around a single bonfire (checkpoint) with shortcuts from different locations unlocked progressively through exploration, which also heightens the player's sense of place in the level, and, thus, immersion to an extent

Subtle Conveyance

People often say that Dark Souls has no conveyance, but it could not be further away from the truth. It is actually omnipresent, but often quite subtle and more natural compared to other games

In the level, important elements are placed under lights to draw the player's attention
- E.g., the opening view of the pistons
Doors, elevators, and ladders often come with lights nearby to make sure the player is aware of their existence
Pick-ups also emit lights, informing the player that the specific place is reachable eventually. Knowing that they attract the player's attention, they can also be placed near the critical path to guide the player in that direction

A landmark or a weenie is almost a must-have in a Dark Souls level, as it is not only something that awestruck the player but also the crucial key for the player’s navigation
At the level start, the player takes a good look at the fortress, which informs the goal, helps the player to navigate later on, and anticipates the accomplishment of finally reaching the top
Similarly, when the player enters the interior, the entrance pinches the player to take a good view of the huge pistons anticipate the player with the smaller goal, and challenges
Like the pickups and enemies that the player can view from a distance away, the player can create a mental map about how to reach that place and strategize accordingly

Gameplay & Technical Discusson

Custom Mechanics

This level takes inspiration from Sen's Fortress from Dark Souls 1, the level features the custom-scripted pistons as a new mechanic in the level
Besides acting as hazards, the pistons could also be taken advantage of by the player as a tool of traversal through the space or a weapon against enemies
The challenge around the pistons gradually increases for the player to learn while coming up with new twists to keep the player engaged

Encounter Setup

As for the encounters in the level, each one contains a mix of enemy types, positions, advantages, and disadvantages to make the fight unique
Compared to other games, Dark Souls has a lot more ambushes to create varied emotions. With a clever setup, the level encourages the player to observe the environment carefully and rewards them for doing so

Technical Implementation

The level uses Flexible Combat System from UE marketplace, which includes a basic combat system with some default enemies.
Part of the blueprints are modified to make the system reflects the gameplay experience in Dark Souls, this includes:
- A Bonfire Save System
- Modified UI
- Enemy Variants
In addition, I create some extra blueprints for the interactive gameplay elements in such, this includes:
- Pistons
- Elevator
- One-way locked door
- Ladder
- Healing Potions & Pick ups

Walkthrough Video (No Encounter)