Genre: 3D side-scroller stealth game
Engine: Unreal
Date: 2022.03-2022.05
My Role: Game Designer, Map Designer, Technical Artist
Intro
Micro Strike is a 3D side-scroller game in comic book art style.
In the game, A space warrior is imprisoned in an artificial intelligence ship of a hostile planet, he accidentally gains the ability to shrink in size due to genetic modification. The player needs to use the unique ability to evade and hunt mechanical guards to escape
Inspirations
The gameplay was inspired by Hugo Award winner Liu Cixin's science fiction novel "The Micro-Age".
In the story, the nano people defeat human-beings and dominate the earth.
In level design, we divided the spacecraft into several linear zones with different themes. Also, we picked up some nonlinear elements from Metroidvania games such as Hollow Knight and Metroid
This is a typical superhero story, so we used the post-processing system to create an art style by referring to Marvel's comics
Gameplay Design
Size Change Ability
The warrior has two types of different sizes.
In micro type, the warrior will not be detected by the enemy and can pass through narrow places to get behind the enemy. However, he cannot use any weapons.
In the normal type, the warrior can use different weapons to assassinate enemies and go through the level but can be seen by approaching guards.
Micro type can last 5s. When the time is up, the warrior will turn into normal type automatically. The CD of the shrinking skill will be 10s. Player needs to find a proper time to switch the types.
Level Design
Unlit Level Overview
Genetic Engineering Laboratory
The laboratory is designed as the tutorial section, which is set up with many narrow aqueducts. Players can learn to use the shrinking ability to enter the pipes and backstab enemies.
This part also has a hidden room where the player can see a key, but an obstacle blocks the door. Players need to get Shrink Laser Gun in the subsequent sections and return here to shrink the barrier. This is a usual element in Metroidvania games.
Armory
At armory, players will get the hammer gun, which allows the player to create platforms on the walls.
The hammer gun was placed in a high position, so the player had to make several jumping attempts to get the gun, which allows them climbing into the vent and go to the next area
Guard Area & Ore Warehouse
To cross the warehouse, the warrior will use the hammer gun to climb and move among containers and cranes.
In the crushing pipeline, the task for the player is to avoid being squashed by the up-and-down hammer.
Wind Tube
After entering the wind tube, the player need to avoid being crushed by the grinding wheels in different height.
In micro type, the gameplay is similar to Flappy Bird's.
In normal type, the player will fall to the bottom and walk there.
At the end of the pipe, ore and the warrior will be blown together to the hot furnace, the player had to switch to normal type, falling into the maintenance channel below
Technic Detail
Cinematic
As the TA of the team, I used Unreal Sequencer system to create stylized cinematics.
I set up several tracks to control camera motion, character animation and Niagara particle.
Size change gameplay
In programming part, I created the size change gameplay in main character's blueprint.
It mainly uses the SetActorScale nodes, and I added several timelines and lerp nodes to allow him to change the size incrementally
Dissolve Effect
When the enemy gets assassinated, a particle system will be spawned.
It consists of two groups of stretched sprites whose rotation are controlled by force field.
Art Detail
Weapon Modeling
Using blender, I designed and created the models of 3 different weapons in the game.
In this process, I took a research of gun structure and learned some tips of lowpoly modeling
The hammer gun can fire disc-shaped gel bullets, so I designed a huge pipe-covered magazine and a broad firing port
The shrinking laser gun is a high-tech alien weapon, so I made a streamlined metal gun body and installed the coil that fires the laser
Team
Ruzhang Zhao
Producer, Game Designer, Technical Artist
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Designed the gameplay, weapons and levels. Developed the technical prototype and used the models provided by artists to create several parts of the scene
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Produced the cinematic using Unreal Sequencer, Niagara and Animation system
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Created two weapon 3D models
Tianli Shen
Programmer, Technical Artist
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Developed various blueprint scripts including weapon system, animation state machine, enemy, UI and save system
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Developed the VFX in game
Tianrui Cai
3D Artist
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Produced 3D models and set up main levels
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Created the game scene lighting environment
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Created a series of procedural generation models
Yi Deng
2D Artist, 3D artist, Sound Designer
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Unwarped UV and created the texture for models
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Designed and created UI icon resources
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Utilized the models to create several parts of the scene