Heart of Cygnus X-1 is a recreation of the Call of Duty: World at War/Black Ops era Zombies experience in Unreal Engine 4. Set on a deep space research vessel investigating the black hole Cygnus X-1, the player finds themselves the sole survivor of a sudden zombie outbreak with just one objective; Survive.
My project deliverables were:
– To create one fully lit medium-large sized CoD zombies inspired map in Unreal Engine 4.
– To create fully functional level mechanics and interaction, such as buyable doors & debris,
traps, purchasable wall weapons, usable mystery box and perks.
Despite not being deliverables, I also worked on:
– Main menu, pause menu and HUD/UI.
– Admittedly primitive AI zombies.
– Player and weapon/grenade mechanics.
– Set dressing and decal creations for player direction.
For the game itself I looked to take influence not just from Call of Duty: World at War & Black Ops, but also from other sci-fi games such as Halo CE, Halo 2 & Halo 3, as well as more horror orientated sci-fi games like Dead Space 1 & 2 to get an idea of genre specific world and level building. I also looked at Left 4 Dead 2 and Half Life 1 & 2 for influence on use of lighting and visuals to direct the player and general level design. I also looked at films such as Star Wars, Event Horizon & Alien for examples of world building and environment design in a sci-fi setting. For narrative design, I was influenced by the band Rush, particularly the albums A Farewell To Kings & Hemispheres.
The programs I used during the project were Unreal Engine 4 (version 4.19) and Adobe Photoshop.
Course:
Computer Games Design
Biography:
I’m a Games Designer, specialising in Level Design and Mechanics Design, soon to be graduating Teesside University. I’m proficient with Unreal Engine & Blueprints as well as Adobe Photoshop & Microsoft Office, and also have experience with 3DS Max, 3DS Maya, Substance Painter & Unity. Following the conclusion of my studies I am looking for full time employment and am willing to relocate.
Software & Hardware Proficiencies:
Unreal Engine 4
Adobe Photoshop
3DS Max
Windows Office
Work Experience:
Worked as Level Designer on a 20 person team to create a game in the style of Fortnite during 2nd year of University
Worked as Level & Mechanics Designer on a 10 person team to create a party/race game during 3rd year of University
Interests:
In my spare time I’m a keen musician and often spend time either playing guitar or going to gigs. I also enjoy going for walks/runs and watching/playing football.
