THE FINALS
Role
Level Designer
Team Size
1
Genre
First Person Shooter
Date
2023/2024 (5 weeks)
Engine
Unreal Engine
Join THE FINALS, the world-famous, free-to-play, combat-centered game show! Fight alongside your teammates in virtual arenas that you can alter, exploit, and even destroy. Build your own playstyle in this first-person shooter to win escalating tournaments and lasting fame.
Planning
DISCLAIMER: This projects uses 2 kits from the unreal marketplace, Venice - fast building and Blockout Starter Pack
Venice inspired me to create a level based on its unique canals and architecture. Before starting the blockout, I gathered references to brainstorm gameplay mechanics that would leverage Venice's setting and create a truly unique experience. One standout mechanic was the deadly water, which added a new layer of challenge and strategy as players weren't able to swim.
To better understand the scale that the level would need to be I set out to do a blockout of the Monaco level. Since I only had access to the beta version, researching the level size in FINALS proved challenging. To overcome this, I used YouTube videos and my memory to estimate the scale. While difficult, it was a rewarding challenge that honed my research and analytic skills.
Venice's unique charm lies in its iconic landmarks and intricate architecture, and I aimed to capture that essence in my level design. I began by breaking down key themes that define Venice: bustling plazas, awe-inspiring churches, charming residential areas, and of course, the city's lifeblood – the canals – and explored how they seamlessly connect.
I originally planned to have four districts, each with its own theme. Given THE FINALS' emphasis on fast-paced gameplay and team coordination, I knew that clear communication and intuitive navigation were important. To achieve this, each of the four districts featured a distinct landmark inspired by real Venetian icons.
In my usual workflow, I refine level ideas through 2D sketches. However, this time I wanted to challenge myself and explore a different approach. I opted to jump into the editor earlier, minimizing the 2D sketch phase. This shift stemmed from my curiosity about the workflows of other level designers who prioritize early editor blocking. By experiencing both methods firsthand, I aimed to gain a deeper understanding of their respective pros and cons.
Diving into the editor, I began by constructing a modular island. This served as a testbed for iterating on buildings of various sizes and styles, experimenting with geometry metrics, and prototyping gameplay elements and mechanics. Since destructible environments are a core aspect of FINALS, I didn't need to focus on covers, at least not in a traditional sense. While I included some cover elements, prioritizing clear readability through height variations rather than relying solely on color-coding, I also ensured the gameplay elements adhered to the game's established color-coding scheme, allowing players to easily distinguish their functions.
Blockout
Focusing on the large reads, I started the blockout by creating basic shapes for the buildings and districts. However, as I progressed, it became evident that four districts might overwhelm players. Since the fourth district essentially combined elements from two out of the three, it would complicate callouts and navigation. To address this concern, I streamlined the design by merging the fourth district with the church district.
Plaza District
The plaza district was the first district that I started with as it was the clearest in my head. The tower would function as a landmark that was easy for the players to spot and use as a way to navigate through the level. The tower was also going to act as a great sniper spot for the light class that had access to the sniper rifle. Of course with this in mind, I knew that I would need to design the other districts in a way so that it didn't become an too advantageous position.
Being up at the tower would give the light characters a great overview of the upper floor of the church, but this is by design as I believe that there is a risk and reward to this; while the light character would be able to sit and snipe from that position they would also be quite far away from the rest of the their team this
Church District
The number of unique churches in Venice made it an obvious choice for a district centerpiece. I looked for a church that could serve as a prominent landmark while offering interesting gameplay opportunities within its interior.
While many churches were visually appealing, their size or the presence of towers posed a potential problem for player communication since the Plaza already had a tower as its landmark.. Ultimately, Basilica Santa Maria della Salute stood out. Its distinctive dome and spacious interior provided an ideal foundation for dynamic encounters, making it the perfect choice.
One of my ideas for the Church district was a dried-up canal where players could traverse and encounter enemy players. At the canal's end, a barrier holds back the water. Breaking this barrier would flood the canal, killing anyone inside. This mechanic could create cool scenarios, such as a player sacrificing themselves to eliminate an enemy team or making a dramatic escape.
Residential District
The residential district is the third and last district with this one I wanted to capture the distinct feeling when moving through the Streets of Venice. In addition I wanted to add something that was unique for the district and I landed on drawing inspiration from the shape of Palazzo dei Camerlenghi. I felt that the shape of the building could help shape a part of the district bringing in interesting angles to it.
Scripting
Being set in Venice I wanted to incorporate gondolas in a meaningful way beyond aesthetics. Initially, I considered them as moving platforms for shortcuts across the water, allowing skilled players to traverse the map efficiently. However, the more I sat with the idea, I wasn't completely sold on it as I didn't feel engaging enough. That's when it hit me looking over my reference pictures that when not used they would have a tarp over them and we all know that tarp = trampoline. This added a new layer of verticality and unexpected gameplay opportunities.
Trampoline
The unique gameplay mechanic for this level is the trampoline gondolas, which bring a vertical playstyle to the level and open up interesting moments for the player.
Multi-actor Spline
I didn't want all the gondolas to be statically placed in the level so I created a multi-actor spline that had them move along it to make the level feel more alive.
Rising Wall
One of the gameplay mechanics in THE FINALS is the rising walls, I scripted a version of it that when shot on it would rise.
Retrospective
Straight to the editor vs 2D sketching.
Directly jumping into the editor offers advantages like immediate spatial understanding, something that isn't always clear when working with a 2D sketch. Creating buildings, paths, or gameplay moments is often easier due to a quicker feedback loop and better assessment of verticality.
However, 2D sketching provides a holistic overview, promotes easier peer feedback, and enables quicker iterations.
Incorporating flowcharts into the 2D sketching process also helps with visualizing the flow of the level, something that isn't always easy to gauge when doing blockout.
This was a great exercise and I'm happy I did it as it helped me grow as a level designer. In the end, I think that I will keep doing 2D sketches but perhaps doing a mix of both, where if I'm unsure of scale or verticality I can do a quick mock-up in the editor before continuing with the 2D sketching.
Layout.
Overall, I'm very satisfied with the layout. I successfully captured the essence of Venice, lending the level a strong sense of believability. My experience as a world designer, constructing cities and towns, definitely contributed to this outcome. I believe this is why the level could be used in other games as its layout would lend itself well in other genres.
While largely satisfied, I would make minor refinements, such as expanding the residential and plaza areas and introducing a unique focal point in the park. An amphitheater could enhance player orientation when vegetation obscures the plaza
Overall I'm very happy with my work on this level as I learnt a lot from doing it.