SOLACE
Individual Project (6 weeks) - Unreal Engine 4.27
A third-person time-trial platformer inspired by Mirror’s Edge (2008). The player is given checkpoints and a timer, the rest is up to them.
The brief provided was to create an experience of “Flow state”. The direction that I took this design was these three pillars:
Fluidity
This meant the animation blending
Root motion for movement systems
Multiple pathways
The fastest path is precise and requires meticulous input
The safest path is the most obvious
Subtle feedback
Information should be intuitive via environmental and auditory systems
This was the most technically challenging project I worked on as working individually it tested my ability to problem solve whilst maintaining tight deadlines.
I utilised a few 3rd-party disparate systems (ALSv4 and some animation packs) and integrated them together to create the overall experience.
I loved working on this project and learned some great lessons, I hope to create a successor one day.
Features
Dynamic sound system
The music has multiple stems that play an increasingly complex rhythm the more difficult path (and faster) the player travels.
This was to encourage people to following the music in a way.
ALSv4 animation system
Utilising this custom animation system allowed for more fluid animation blending as well as collisions.
Wall-running and Vaulting
Integrating wall-run and vault systems into ALSv4 to maintain the fluid movement to allow for more freedom of expression.
Time-trial and checkpoint save system.
A modular checkpoint system that tracks your time and saves it.
Each map being able to have its own times and personal bests.
