The project was to create a level in UDK that would fit in a Third-person zombie game based on 'The Walking Dead'. The level had to be spacious to allow for gameplay and feature Kismet Scripting, enemies, lighting, and dynamic objects for the player to interact with.
I decided to base my level around a lone survivor who just escaped the city and is looking for supplies to help him survive in a nearby petrol-station on a dual-carriage way.
Below is a video play-through of the finished level, showcasing the Kismet scripting and gameplay in an easier way than screenshots would allow.
During the initial pre-production stage, I spent most of my time researching and referencing 'The Walking Dead' and the style of the environments. I produced 3 seperate moodboards for the terrain and architecture I intended to use in my level.
The first moodboard I produced was a basic research into the zombie drama series 'The Walking Dead'. If I intended to produce a game level based on this series, it would require me to have a firm grasp on the style the series is in, and what the mood and feel of the level would be.
My second moodboard was research into the main feature of my level, an abandoned Petrol Station. Using images from Google, i looked into a variety of run-down petrol stations, as well as working petrol stations, so i would get a feel somewhere in the middle. I wanted my levels Petrol Station to be abandoned but not completely run-down, as the setting of the level would take place shortly after the zombie outbreak and as such not much time has passed.
The final moodboard I produced was a look into the types of terrain that might accompany a dual-carriage way, or highway. My ideal reference would be that of a dusty dried-up landscape with a light overcast allowing some light from the sun illuminating the environment. I wanted the environment to feel lonely, but tense.
I also produced some basic top-down level layout images to better plan out the level progression and how the player would be able to proceed through the world.
The first level layout image shows the players starting point in the world. This section features a scavenger hunt, an interactable gas tank for the player to pick up, and some destructable cars blocking the players path.
The second section of my level starts just after the destrutable cars from the previous one. The player enters the nearby petrol station to take part in another scavanger hunt. The player also has to disable the power to the building to open the fire door without setting the alarm off.
This section also features the first zombie encounter in a closed off arena-style area.
The final layout shows a wider area than the second, and features continuously spawning enemies and an objective based around obtaining the key to exit the level before being overwhelmed.
The following screenshots are beauty shots I took as part of the project. They showcase the finished result of my level and highlight key areas the player would be in.
Some shallow water the player may walk in.
Inside the mens bathroom of the Petrol Station
The interior of the Petrol Station, has been emptied of its supplies by previous survivors and was used as a safe spot for survivors to hide in
A long shot of the petrol station, dual-carriage way, and the nearby pond
A low-angle shot showing the petrol station and the abandoned cars clogging up the dual-carriage way
The small enclosed arena behind the Petrol Station that the player encounters his first zombie in
A wide FoV shot showing where the player starts in the level, on the dual-carriage way amidst the abandoned cars
The interior of one of the nearby office huts used by the millitary when the Petrol Station acted as an outpost/checkpoint
