On a remote volcanic island, the evil Mistress of Chaos hatches a diabolical plot to infect the world with her designer virus. Thanks to a rebellious captive scientist, Agent Finn has found the facility, and can hopefully neutralize the virus before it spreads. The level is stylized with a humorous flair in the vein of No One Lives Forever, the Incredibles, and campy 70’s spy movies.
Tools
- Unreal Engine 4
- BSP
- Blueprint
- Figma (Illustrator)
Roles
- Level Design
- Block Out / Lighting
- Modeling
- Prop Behavior Scripts
- Event Scripts
- Scenario Design
- UI
Assets Acquired
- Character
- Model (Scanned 3D People Pack)
- Logic (Animation Starter Pack)
- Laboratory Props (Modular Laboratory Equipment Pack)
- Materials (Realistic Rendering Demo)
Mood Board
Level Planning
The mission was designed around the idea that the player would need to recover an object, then escape with it. I created a long elevator shaft to both reveal the exotic location in a peaceful puzzle solving sequence, then again in a hostile context with a drone pursuing the player. The player is effectively caught with their hand in the “cookie jar” as they flee with the objective, and left uncertain if the elevator shaft will withstand the drone’s machine gun fire.
The puzzles are all designed around the literal setting, the characters that would be there, and the function of the space. Environmental elements communicate the tone of the lab’s work environment, and the active lives of the henchmen.
Maps
Playthrough / Screens
Region Descriptions
Underground Lab (Spoilers)
Built around a central rotating sentry, the lab and adjacent security control room are kept under careful watch. Even so, a mole for the resistance has found a way to leave messages for Secret Agent Finn where the security officers and the Mistress of Chaos, their evil master, are likely not to look. Agent Finn must make the neutralizer by mixing chemicals together. It’s the only way to destroy Chaos’s virus. The player is trapped in the lab due to a security fail safe, triggered when lab equipment has been removed from the mixing station. The player can get free if they search the room while staying out of the sentry’s lamp.
A password puzzle in the security office is contextualized by an apparent mistake with a lunch order that has killed a co-worker. The remains of a welcome party for the replacement employee are visible in the security room, along with the numerical codes for allergen information on the menu which are the password cipher.
In the underground lab, there is also a computer drive that can delete the war room virus records if the player can find where the mole has hidden it.
After successfully mixing the neutralizer and unlocking the security door, all defensive systems suddenly spring to life and Agent Finn needs to run for his life to escape.
Sky Office (Spoilers)
Perched at the top of a long elevator is the Mistress of Chaos’s sky sanctuary and office. Here the player finds additional components needed to solve puzzles. The key to the war room is hidden behind a facial scanner. Maybe the Mistress of Chaos’s narcissism can be used against her. The first time the player enters, they are given time to enjoy the reveal of the remarkable landscape, stretching on to the horizon. However as the player is making their escape, this view is overtaken by a hostile drone and its blinding red light. It fires on the glass of the elevator shaft, trying to bring the whole structure down. The balcony is the only exit, but the Mistress of Chaos has other plans.