THE LAST OF US INSPIRED BLOCKOUT

LEVEL DESIGN / LEVEL SCRIPTING

ABOUT

Summary

Medium sized project that I worked on during my third year at Saxion University of Applied Sciences. I had full freedom on what I wanted to work on during 6 months, and I decided to make a TLOU inspired blockout.

Details

Tools: Unreal Engine 4

Date: November 2021 - January 2022

Development Time: 3 Months

Assets: Blocking Starter Pack by Xavier Loux + Interaction With ALS by Jackub W

Overview & Process

This was a big project for me personally since I've never done something this big before. The inspiration for this level came when first playing The Last of Us Part 2. The main idea was that y ou are in a post-apocalyptic world and you need to escape. Originally I wanted to make everything in one level, but seeing how big the space was I decided to cut it into 4 smaller levels. For any questions feel free to contact me at the bottom of the page .

Gameplay Video

Level Breakdown

I started researching a bit on how TLOU2 levels were made. From the research done. I learned they used real-life locations and then adapted them to fit the game. I figured out that I want my level to be next to a harbor since the end is supposed to be on a boat.

Keeping everything in mind, I set the level in Seattle (which I found later that TLOU2 was also set in Seattle). After setting the place I started looking around Seattle on Google Earth to find out a small path for my level to take.

The idea of the level was to start in the neighborhood and have some houses that you can go into and then run towards a second point which is going to be an Armory in which you get barricaded, and fight zombies. After that, you'll go over the train lines into a train depot and then go onto the roof of it. From there onto a bridge, and then going down into a small harbor. Originally in the small harbor, the player had to solve some puzzles, but that idea got scrapped for a more immersive scene that features more action.

The Beginnings

The first level is based in the small neighborhood next to the pier. The focus on this level was to make the player aware of its goal by highlighting the cranes in the distance. This first level is mostly an introductory level, showcasing the mechanics of the game.

Around midway, through the level, there are some side houses where the player can get more loot and get more immersed in the story. The side puzzle house has a small puzzle that the player needs to unravel in order to get to the important loot. The side extras house is meant to be explored and find some important collectibles to the story.

Before the end there's a big tree falling on top of another house. This forces the player to find an alternate route through the nearby houses that are taken by the zombies.

The ending is a cutscene of the player running in the distance being chased by zombies. Originally this had to be playable until you go inside the next building but since I didn't had that much time for this project I decided to just make it a cinematic.

Getting Stealthy

The second part is based in an armory building that has been overrun by zombies. The player starts around an office area that is designed with primary stealth in mind. It can be also played loud, but it's going to be more difficult.

After the player goes back to the first floor, there is a small detour where he can loot some more before the next big area. The next big area consists of a warehouse that's very dark until the player turns on the generator in a room next to the entrance.

The end of the level is an intense one where a bunch of enemies gets released in waves. The player has to kill all of them and then exit the building to advance to the next level.

Going for a swim

Exploration and Puzzle were the particular words for the train lines level. The main idea of the level was to have the player look around some abandoned trains for loot. This level was designed to be relaxing and easy to play.

The level has only two combat areas, one at the beginning of the level and one just before the power puzzle. At some point, the player arrives at a locked gate. The player has to restore power in the smaller building next to the gate and press a button to open/unlock the gate.

Just before the end of the level, the player has to solve a small water puzzle. He needs to raise the water level to move a small climbable object. The water level can be raised by turning some valves and flooding the small room.

Running away

Running is the main verb of this last level. The player starts on top of the last building with his only way being on the bridge next to the building. As soon as he steps on the cars, the nearby zombies arise and start chasing the player.

After a chase where the player can select various paths, he arrives at a big crane, the same one that was teased in the past 3 levels. The crane can be climbed. At the top, the player sees the small escape boat and starts running on the crane. The crane proceeds to fall, with the player still on it, on the container ship below. The crane breaks the balance of the ship, making containers go left and right. The player gets injured by the fall, removing his ability to sprint. Ultimately, he reaches the escape boat, making his escape in the sunset.