Yibing
Chen
Game Designer & Level Designer
Anchors Deep
Team Size: 7 | Engine: Unreal Engine 4 | University Project [Feb - May 2022]
My Roles: Level Designer, 2D & 3D Artist
Itch.io Download: Link
Anchors Deep is a stylized, combat-focused action-adventure game. There is one tutorial and three mini-levels with engaging combat that ramps up as the player travels through the game. Play as a legendary Fish Guardian that has awoken from his long thousand-year slumber, only to realize that most of his people were mercilessly killed by the fishing company. The Fish Guardian takes it upon himself to eradicate the fishing town from existence using the weapons they used to murder his people... Fish Hooks and Fishing Rods!
The game is an expansion upon a 4-week demo I co-designed, Fishermen Will Cry.
My Responsibilities
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Designed and grey-boxed the tutorial and end-game levels in UE4.
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Revised all level grey boxes based on combat and narrative needs.
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Implemented all environmental assets and lighting.
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Documented playtest sessions.
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Set the art direction and managed the art team pipeline.
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Drew concept art of both the scenes and weapons.
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Model and texture environmental assets.
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Original Demo: Fishermen Will Cry
Team Size: 4 | Engine: Unreal Engine 4
Development Time: Nov - Dec 2021
My Role: 3D Environmental Artist
Fishermen Will Cry is a four-week demo. It is a high-octane, stylish action game that provides players with smooth, sleek, and high-level combat.
The gameplay is heavily inspired by Devil May Cry. This proof of concept emphasizes on creating satisfying combat and enemy designs that engage players throughout the game’s progression. You can pull enemies towards you with the power of your fishing rod and tear apart your foes with a gigantic fishhook. Even steal rocket projectiles from tanker enemies!
In the original demo, I made the fishing village looks aged and eroded to incorporate the theme of fishing and erasing the last bits of humanity. I took inspiration from villages in Resident Evil 4/8 and Scorn. I added red, moss-like textures to emphasize the corruptness of the models.
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Level Design
Level Goals:
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Create a clear progression from easy to hard.
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Narratively from the pier --> business area --> living area --> the town center.
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Teach players the hook & reel mechanic through environmental objects and combat encounters.
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Create breathing rooms between each combat encounter to pace the game and build up the narrative.
I devoted the tutorial area to emerging players to the story and teaching the hook and reel mechanic. The hook and reel mechanic allows players to throw out their fishing reel, hook to a surface, and pull themselves on top of that surface. Players can also use this mechanic in combat to pull enemies closer.
Since the game is in a fishing town, I set the tutorial area on the pier. The Fish Guardian emerges from the water and steps foot on the farthest tip of this town. The long pathway of the pier allows players to talk to fellow fish, who will give their requests and instructions. From the dock, players can also see a giant lighthouse that serves as a guiding landmark. Initially, I wanted players to fight their first enemies in the first open area. After playtesting, I removed the first enemies to allow players to take in the controls and back story fully.
I added a platforming session to teach players to jump, hook/reel. Players first jump over several boxes to bypass a locked door. I put a bookable surface over a cut-off road, forcing players to learn the hook/reel mechanics. I then created a layered platform where players must hook and reel repeatedly to pass through. This area reinforces the mechanic. This layered platform is also where players fight their first enemies. The enemies teach players the combat mechanics, and players can practice hook/reel on them.
Tutorial level sketch
Tutorial level greybox (in progress)
Final look from above the tutorial level
I was then tasked with revising the level two grey box. Level two is the main town area where fishermen live. I identified several goals for this level:
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Scope down
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The current level is very out of scope in comparison to the previous levels (see pictures below).
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The layout should reflect the narrative (this area being a living quarter)
Original level two
New scaled-down level two
I scaled down the level two area to create a tighter, more cohesive experience. I kept the "semi-open area" design from the original grey box; while the game is primarily linear, giving players a small explorational area is refreshing. I set an octagon-shaped area before the living area. Here, players will fight a new enemy type: tank. The open area gives enough space for player movements.
In the living area, I added many hookable surfaces to the buildings; they allow players to traverse from the ground to the rooftops. They further reinforce the hook/reel mechanics, and a hooking/reeling sequence can be very satisfying. I added the sniper enemy type on the rooftops. Players need to identify their locations, dodge their shots, and get to the rooftops to take them out.
When swapping in the environmental assets, I added lighting, creates, chairs, and other decorations to make the area look more like a living quarter for the fishermen.
I also designed the final level: a circular arena. In this arena (the town center), players will fight a combination of all three enemy types: fodder, sniper, and tank. I added hookable houses along the arena's edge. In the original sketch, I planned to have a set of scaffolding around the centerpiece in the middle of the arena. Players could climb up on the scaffolding and fight the snipers on them. However, the scaffolding was taken out because it hinders the AI movement.
^ Final arena after environmental dress up
< Final arena sketch (Armadillo enemy type was taken out for the scoping purpose)
All level's greyboxes vs. final look
Expanded Upon Original: Art
I was the lead visual designer for both projects. I used Maya for all the models (except the characters, which are pre-existing assets due to the four-week time constraints) and Substance 3D Painter for texturing.
My role in the original demo of the game was the environmental artist. To expand on the demo and develop my skills, I set out to be a 2D and 3D artist and one of the three-level designers for Anchors Deep. I became the art director one sprint into the process, coordinating visual assets with the newly joined team members.
In Anchor's Deep, we updated the combat and the narrative. To fit the stylish, over-the-top combat, I set the art direction to be comic-like with cel shading. I pitched adding comic panels to the beginning of the game, which fit the overall art style and added to the comedic vibe of the game.
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Harpoon Model (Modeled by May Li, textured by me)
I drew quick environmental concept art based on the level block out to provide a general atmosphere. I designed a custom harpoon. In the original plan, the Fish Guardian would transfer a normal harpoon (top) for his own use (bottom). I used organic outlines, darker materials, and blooded cloth to echo Fish Guardian's unworldly and vengeful characteristics. Due to time constrain, we eventually dropped the second design.
Instead of humanity's last fortress, the main stage becomes Trident Seafood Corporation's fishing center. I added containers, shops, street lights, and dining areas to show that this is an active fishing town; people working for the fishing company live here. For the living quarter, I modeled basic building blocks, windows, and doors. Each has a different set of textures. This allows me to create variations in the map and easily move the building blocks around when changes in level design happen. I modeled a hook-fountain as a landmark and a symbol for the fishing company.
I modeled and textured most of the environmental assets with the help of May, another 3D artist on the team, and I helped out with texturing May’s models when she was having trouble with them. Since I was one of the level designers and was doing revisions, I had a clear sense of what models I needed, which made my asset-creating and coordinating process much more manageable. I came up with a list of what models were needed for May, and we would divide the tasks. May also suggest what she thought the environment needed. I was responsible for implementing all environmental assets, including posters and signs designed by Peter, our graphic/UI/UX designer. I worked closely with our programmer in the engine, making adjustments based on the programming and combat system.
Modeling Process
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Game Presented at NYU Showcases
Winter Showcase - December 2021
2022 Showcase - May 2022
