Created for the final major project of my Master of Arts (MA) Games Design degree. As this was my final project for my Masters degree, I was given free reign to create whatever I wanted within the timeframe. The timeframe from the start of planning to the final deadline was thirteen weeks, and I created a gantt chart as part of my time management plan, keeping track of my progress as I developed the game. Thanks to this approach, I succeeded in fulfilling my plan within the timeframe I was given.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Inspired by single-player first person shooters such as DOOM and Medal of Honor, Untombed takes you through Egypt in 1948 as you aim to prevent a post-war Holdout group from reviving the Egyptian God of Chaos, Seth.
As a vertical slice, the demo offers the first level, Temple of Karnak. You will face off against three distinct enemy types, and you will have three weapons you can choose from - an M1911 pistol, MP40s you can pick up from dead soldiers, and if you run out of bullets, you can always turn to your fists.
At the beginning of the project, I undertook research into Ancient Egyptian myths and legends, as well as examining reference material found online for the layout and construction of Ancient Egyptian temples. I also undertook a research trip to the British Museum to see the many artifacts from Ancient Egypt there. With regards to the gameplay itself, I looked to games that inspired the idea, such as Doom, Powerslave, and Medal of Honor.
The Temple of Karnak level was designed based off my research. One of the earliest considerations was the scope and scale. The real life Temple of Karnak is much larger than the map that I created, and while I adhered to a general layout based upon its real-life counterpart, I took liberties with the specifics, including adding in buildings and structures that are not present in the real Karnak, as well as scaling down the overall size of the temple complex. I did this deliberately to ensure that there was a balance between a more authentic feeling and satisfying gameplay, as I did not want massive empty spaces with little to do between points of interest.
presentations
These presentations contain my initial pitch and aims, mood boards, inspirations, and timetables.
The preproduction presentation also contains a summary of academic sources that I researched in order to help me justify my design choices.
The final presentation contains a summary of the project, including what I think went well, and where I think I could have improved.
Presentation - preproduction
Presentation - final submission
TRY IT OUT!
For those who are curious and would like to see the finished project I submitted for my final major project, I am offering a download link. Please note that as this was built with Unreal Engine 5, it requires a machine capable of running Unreal Engine 5 games.
Download it by clicking the button below.
This is presented purely as a portfolio piece. Please do not redistribute without my consent.
