A knack for the cinematic
Because of technology like Unreal Engine 5, video games have become more cinematic than ever. They transition between passive and interactive entertainment so smoothly that you almost forget you’re playing a game. Environments come to life like never before, and character performance is now so natural that you can’t resist being moved by it.
The portfolio piece below is mainly meant to demonstrate my penchant for the cinematic and my proficiency with modern tools like Unreal Engine 5. This piece is also meant to show my narrative design skills in action, by way of the creative sensibilities used to plan the piece and the technical know-how used to implement it.
What I Made
"Runt" is a demo level I created to demonstrate my game design skills in Unreal.
This video is the final result of all the work below. I would consider it a first-pass implementation, mainly meant to show the intent of the design.
Scratch voiceover via ElevenLabs.
Work Performed
- Blueprint scripting
- Level sequences
- Voiceover production
- Ambient audio ducking
- Interaction design
- Trigger volumes
- Writing
- Keyframed and baked animations
How I Made It
The rest of this page shows all the work that went into making the playable demo level.
Technical Design & Implementation
Blueprint Scripting
In this snippet of visual scripting, a single cinematic sequence is being played in segments – one for each time the player presses the right trigger button while engaged with the tongs.
With each button press, the player character climbs farther along the tongs, until finally reaching a position to launch himself.
Level Sequences
This example level sequence controls an instance of the player character, one of the “brother” non-playable characters, and a couple cameras.
A baked animation is used to show the brother walking across the level, while keyframed animations provide a quick visualization of the characters’ conversation.
At the end of the level sequence, the camera blends into the player character’s camera, allowing a smooth transition from cinematic sequence to live gameplay.
Interaction Prototyping
This snippet shows how easily baseline interactivity can be prototyped in Unreal using Blueprint scripting.
As the player approaches an interactable object, a white circle fades in over the object. Once the player is within range to interact, a button prompt appears.
Narrative Design & Writing
Game Specs
- Title: Runt
- Audience: Young adults and up (rated T for Teen)
- Genre: Action-adventure
- Platform: Console/PC
- Style: 3D; third-person; semi-gritty with bright spots.
- Logline: The runaway runt of a family of alien settlers must uncover his hidden superpowers in order to save everyone from an evil mountain hermit.
- Theme: It’s okay if you change in the process of finding yourself, because family will always be at your side.
Game Overview
Runt is a fable-like underdog adventure story, where the hero essentially goes from meek puppy to brave guard dog.
You play as the youngest and weakest member of a big family of superhuman-esque beings on a verdant alien homestead, where survival means being able to fight all kinds of vicious creatures.
One day, your siblings’ teasing goes too far, so you run away from home in search of self-worth, purpose, and strength. You cross paths with an evil hermit and realize you must become more powerful than anyone ever imagined in order to save your family and home.
Thankfully, with the help of your trusty pet and a few friends you make along the way, you’re able to overcome your fear and self-doubt and discover the strength within yourself to save the day. Despite whatever differences you may have had with your family, everyone is just happy to have you back home again.
Level 1 Overview
This portfolio piece zooms in on one particular level within the hypothetical Runt game: the very start, which is meant to include a higher concentration of cinematic content in order to endear the characters to the player and to draw the player into the rest of the game.
- Level Plot: You (Thorn) help your giant siblings prepare for the morning hunt.
- Character Story: You get teased a lot for being the runt of the family, but it’s never truly malicious, so everyone seems to get along well enough, even though you can’t help but feel hurt by it sometimes.
- Implied Author: “If there’s one thing to know about Thorn, it’s that what he lacks in size he makes up for in resolve and nobility.”
Level 1, Part 1
The prototype shown in the video zooms even further into the hypothetical game, focusing on just the first part of the first level.
Outline
- Beginning
- Your big brother playfully wakes you up so you can help finish preparing breakfast.
- Middle
- You run, jump, and climb your way through the siblings’ messy bedroom, optionally stopping to try waking your one still-sleeping brother.
- End
- You launch yourself up to the dining table, where you receive a somewhat tepid greeting and your first task of the day: slicing the butter.
Script
Sections of the script are loosely flagged as being focused on either CINEMATIC sequences or GAMEPLAY scenarios.
Character Sheets
Only the player character and one brother are covered here, since they’re the main characters of Level 1, Part 1.
