Top-Down Horror Prototype

In this module, I was given free reign to create an artifact for my portfolio. I had decided I wished to do a limited cone sight system, similar to games such as Darkwood (2018)]. For the core gameplay, I was inspired by Slender: The Eight Pages (2012) for a collectathon where the player meets their end if they are caught by the AI stalking and hunting for them.

How I accomplished this was using post processing and using materials. The entire level is covered in a dark blue coloured material that the player can see through using the plane that is their cone.

Another aspect I learnt how to visual script was enemy AI to search and chase the player. This aspect of the project was rather difficult due to my blueprinting skills but it was very satisfying to see the end product working. The blueprinting for this involved having the game check if the player is in line of sight and then triggering two custom events. One event is to roam, where the NPC shall randomly move around the space and repeat this constantly. Once the player is colliding with it's pawnsensing, they shall approach the player until they are caught by overlapping a collision box set on the NPC's model.

Overall, I loved being able to stretch my wings with this artefact, due to me having the initiative with the gameplay. It allowed me to see how far I really came with blueprinting, especially compared to just a year before - as I was able to blueprint and make mechanics work without using in depth guides and tutorials.