Gas Station

The Last of Us Part II (fan art) Unreal 5

Special Thanks to Livio Ambrosini for his feedbacks.

ROLES

Level Designer

Narrative Designer

DESCRIPTION

Personal work

With Thomas Bachelier (Environment Artist)

YEAR

2023

TYPE

Action-Adventure

PLATEFORM

4 Weeks
Using Unreal Engine 5

WALKTHROUGH

Objectives

Create a brief mission in The Last of Us Part 2 universe
Give the player the choice to play stealthily or head-on
Emphasize the player's ability to adapt to enemies and different zones

Constraints

Create the level within a set time limit.
Design a map true to the base game's DNA
Out of my comfort zone, used to using Unity

PAPER DESIGN AND BLOCKOUT

First iteration

Quickly iterate
Determine Gameplay Beats
Try out things in the engine
Have a pleasing good structure to work upon.

THE LEVEL LAYOUT

The Beats

The 5th beat serves solely as a link between the gas station and the radio tower.

Fragment the level into 5 "Beats" :

Gradually increasing difficulty for structured progression
Dynamic rhythm between planning and intense engagement.
Clear objectives to guide and maintain player focus at each stage.

The level's intention is to challenge the player through a series of tactical confrontations and stealth encounters.

Cover-to-cover is crucial for both stealth and frontal gameplay
Allowing the player to plan the approach.

Characters and Behaviors

ENEMY TYPE

RANGE

Mid - Range

Short- Range

Melee

Long - Range

BEHAVIOR

Maintains an intermediate distance, tries to keep pressure with sustained fire, moves frequently to find better firing angles

Close combat, charges at the enemy with fast and powerful attacks

Seeks to get close for melee attacks, hides behind cover, quickly ambushes

Stay back, seeks elevated positions for distant shots, uses cover to protect themselves.

Diverse enemy behaviors provide players with a range of challenges and strategies.
Eliminating various enemy types breaks the monotony in gameplay.

Top Down

Level Composition Table

BEAT

1

2

3

4

LOCATION

Service Station Forecourt

Convenience Store

Staff Parking

Roof Store

ENEMIES

RESSOURCES

DIFFICULTY

OVERVIEW

1.Servie Station Forecourt

OVERWATCH SNIPER POSITION

TACTICAL TERRAIN ADVANTAGE

"TWO BIRDS, ONE STONE"

FORESHADOW

The player's mission: clear all enemies, reach the radio tower to signal area clearance.

He must adapt to each zone, each offering a different dynamic:

The size of the area
The arrangement of enemies and their routines
The resources at his disposal, including various covers and tall grasses.

2. Convenience Store

BACK OUTSIDE

STORY TELLING

CLOSE QUARTERS

Some 'close-quarter' zones force the player to act quickly, but he always has the choice to be discreet or not.
The enemies' conversations also require the player to carefully time his actions for a discreet approach.

3. Parking Staff