#designtest

This is my final presentation of all the work I have done during my 4 hour design test task. 

This stage of the task took 1 hour and 40 minutes, so I did mange to finish this task within the 4 hour limit (5 minutes to spare!).

Overall I think that this document does present my idea well, my use of keys is clear and easy to follow so that the reader understands what they are looking at, and the text sections support and explain the corresponding images well. 

In terms of level design, I think that my level could fit well into the Uncharted franchise. I have included parkour/climbing sections, which are a massive part of how the player explores the world in the series. I have added treasure collectables to the level which are also present in the Uncharted games. The crumbling walls give the impression that the player is in an ancient, decaying location; themes of lost civilisations are strong within the series. 

The overall design and player path is very linear, with the player only having a small number of options when it comes to their path. This is something that the level designers at Naughty Dog focus on heavily in the Uncharted series, and I have tried to recreate this in my level by giving the player limited path options (mostly either forward, back or up). Adding the high walls to the playable space means that the player is confined to one area at any given time, and I have added only one entrance and exit to most ‘rooms’ which creates a clear path for the player to follow. 

Following in Uncharted’s footsteps I have added copious amounts of cover space throughout the level. This gives the player the option for stealth when dealing with enemies, but also leaves open the option to go in all-guns-blazing. Having these options means that the player still has plenty of room for making decisions despite their linear path already being pretty much dictated for them. 

I am really proud of all of the work that I have produced for this task. I think it works well as an Uncharted level concept, I think that I have presented my ideas in a way that makes my level easy to understand, and I think that my level design for this project has been one of the strongest that I have produced in terms of design choices, placement and use of space n a linear path. 

I have been given a set time of 4 hours to complete a Design Test - one that has actually been used in industry by Naughty Dog. 

The task involves designing, researching and building a section of a level based off of the Uncharted series. The level has to have an end goal, room for cinematic moments, and has to feel as though it belongs in the Uncharted series. 

To start, I did some basic research into the Uncharted series, as I have never actually played through any of the games. After that, I started to plan out a rough level design, before refining it and adding a key (above). 

This research and planning stage took around 45 minutes to complete.. Despite this being quite a large chunk of my 4 hours allocated time, I think that this stage was one of the most important, especially considering I knew very little about the Uncharted series and I now have a level that fits the game’s themes and mechanics.