Designing the Level

Since I joined the RubyShark team in January 2021, I have been tasked with creating a facility that leads the player to a heavy damage weapon that will be utilized in the next level. Drawing inspiration from the "Blood and Rust" mission in Titanfall 2, I envisioned a major facility that produces a variety of robotic enemies and is responsible for creating the weapon named "Prometheus". In designing this level, I aimed to challenge the player's abilities from the beginning of the game, requiring them to utilize skills such as wall-running, jumping, double jumping, and button interaction, as they progressed through the game. To ensure a sense of momentum and keep the player engaged, I focused on fast-paced traversal, limiting slow down moments as much as possible, while also incorporating puzzles to keep the player's mind engaged.

Throughout the design process, I met weekly with the team leads to go over tasks and brainstorm on next steps. In addition, our team conducted a weekly Stand-To to showcase our current progress, inform each other of our next steps, and receive feedback from others. This has been a crucial step in my growth as a level designer, as I have learned to take constructive criticism and incorporate it into my work to create better and more engaging experiences for players. Overall, the design of this facility has been a challenging but rewarding experience, and I am excited to see players interact with it when the game is released.