GAME DESIGN

 

2D SIDE-SCROLLING GAMES Inspiration :

*Soldat inconnue

ALIEN HOMINID:

Alien Hominid is an independently developed run and gun video game developed by The Behemoth. I have taken example of this game about his nervous and fun gameplay and also by its looking style which is cartoony. The game is a side-scrolling shooter, one hit instantly kills, and can be played simultaneously with one or two players. The player is going to take control of the alien. Players can collect a variety of power-ups which simultaneously give players extra grenades, a shield and unique ammo. Players can also drive vehicles, ride on top of a monster and pilot a UFO. Completing certain tasks will unlock hats the players can dress their alien in. The main game features sixteen stages spread across three areas, Urban, Russia and Area-51. The game has no specific story, it is mainly a alien killing human so I conclude that the game is about world invasion.

 

The main design of the game is quiet interesting  because it is a cartoony style and during your playing experience it seems like if you were watching a cartoon with lots of colours.

 

TYPOMAN:

Typoman is an independent video game developed by Brainseed Factory, it is a puzzle   side-scrolling game platform seems to be a interesting and original way of using typography in a video game and especially for puzzle genre. The gameplay features a number of environmental puzzles that are solved by crafting words that are relevant to the situation. For example, players can spell “up” to activate an elevator, or “open” to open a door. Situations become increasingly complicated as the game progresses, requiring the player to come up with puns to manipulate items.  The creators did very well de level design with typography so they made objects and monsters shaped out of letters, and nothing else.

Here some screen-grabs.

Here some gameplay .

 

 

GAME CONCEPT:

My game  is about a fighting between the police and the villain which is set in a fantasy,  apocalyptic universe with a film noir aesthetics . The purpose of the game is that the player take control of a cop in order to stop a demonic ‘Mob Godfather’ that has turned the city to a post apocalyptic mess. Cobra ( protagonist of the story) r will have to defeat the boss Mob in order to restore the order on the streets of Megacity. Cobra has to defeat the army of mob godfather lieutenants to restore piece.

The game genre is going to be 2D run and gun platform shooter side scrolling ,from left to right. Our character will have to fight against various enemies. He will have different attacks possibilities such as a shooting weapon and a melee weapon. In each level , you will have to collect officers stars while shooting at enemies which is going to be the money you gonna use to buy new weapon and outfits, also the player will have to collect three clues per levels, you will have to collect all clues to unlock the final boss level.

 

CHARACTERS DEVELOPMENT

HERO:

 

 

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Here some screen grabs about different police outfit.  I have been thinking that my main protagonist character is going to be a police officer. I think the idea is original so I have taken some images to help me designing my character. On my sketchbook I have been drawing many sketches to finally get my final design. I have designed a humanoid character with kind of the appearance of a turtle, so I have thought of using his carapace shell as a element of gameplay such as a extra protection, so the player will have to collect the shell while playing through the level. My protagonist will have two weapon in his possession; a gun for long distance damages and a police baton for melee damages.

Character development:

I have been drawing on my sketchbook some ideas about how my character would look like.

I have been making my walk cycle on  illustrator by helping me with some walk cycle sprites.

 

 

I have made the animation on photoshop by using the timeline.

Here is a GIF a my first walk cycle I produced and came out quiet well but still have some issues like the character’s movement seems too mechanical, his head shake a tiny too much I should improve it by adding more frame.

 

In this Gif I have used another running cycle example to experiment which running animation suited this character and I Think the first one is more effective.

 

This GIF is about his melee attack, as a police officer the choice of a melee baton was kind of obvious, I also added a blue attack effect to give a feeling of power to the character

VILLAINS:

ANTAGONIST: My antagonist is going to be a godfather from the mafia but demonic so he is going to be a skeleton. I have drawn many sketches on my sketchbook experimenting different looking for this villain. This “Boss” will be weaponed with a mob’s machine gun.

Hero some screen grabs about different maffia outfit.

 

 

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Here my first main villain looking design that I made on my sketchbooks. I have decided not to keep this looking design because it didn’t suit with my protagonist looking style.

Minion’s antagonist : In video game, the enemies and monsters play an important part in gameplay. They make you remember the game so this is why I have been inspired by The Mario games Franchise’s enemies which according to me made the game famous more than the main protagonist. In Mario there are many types of enemies such as Goombas (evil mushrooms) , Hammer Bro ( turtle that throw hammers) , and lots more. I have ben inspired by these enemies so I have made in my sketch book different minions that all have their role which means one will do close damage and one long distance damage.

 

 

 

 

GAME DESIGN:

I have been thinking about using a Film noir looking design. Film Noir design is mainly  a use of low key lighting, silhouettes, cigarettes smoke ,by the fact that is going to be a game about a fight of police against villains.

 

TRAPS:

I have been elaborating some basic traps in platform games.

I am going to expend my trap development with the Lantern one with illustrator.

 

 

Heads Up Display (HUD):

HUD is short for Heads Up Display. In video and computer games, the HUD is the display area where players can see their character’s vital statistics such as current health, bonus attributes, armor level, ammunition count, and more.

 

 

DESIGN:

BACKGROUND:

I have been thinking of floating island in the space but the population will be civilised like our civilation. I have been searching about the artist  ITALO CALVINO  and his artworks called INVISIBLE CITIEs.

Cities, like dreams are made of desires and fears, even if the thread of their discourse is secret, their rules are absurd, their perspectives deceitful, and everything conceals something else.
             -Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities

For my game background I have been thinking of making in the space to give this sci-fi mood and also adding floating islands in the background to give a fantasy style to it.

I have been making my background on Illustrator.

I have been placing my cities in the background and experimenting  the contrast with my colors in the foreground.

 

I have added stars in this development and think they give a really appealing mood to the game.

 

Game Elements

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a ladder made with a bones to give a feeling to the the player that he/she is not in a friendly place.

 

Unreal Engine

I have started making my 2D game on Unreal, I Have started making the animation of the walk cycle through the game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Corgi Engine – Unity 2D Platformer engine

 

 

LINK to websites:

http://spritelygames.com/blog/2015/2d-video-game-art-styles/