Whispers of the Old Deus
The following project is an immersive 3D third-person action role-playing game (RPG) in which players are thrust into a vast, high fantasy world filled with mythical creatures, ancient lore, and breathtaking landscapes. The game features real-time combat, allowing players to engage in fast-paced, dynamic battles that require both strategy and skill. A close comparison would be the Souls genre of games, where it rewards players based on the perfect execution of mechanics. Set in a medieval fantasy universe, the world is rich with cozy villages and a towering castle, offering a deep narrative experience alongside intense action. With its blend of fantasy storytelling and fluid combat mechanics, this game promises to deliver an exciting and immersive experience. Targeting players who enjoy an immersive world and high-stakes combat, the game is perfect for fans of the traditional fantasy genre and the action-oriented gameplay, with a mature audience in mind who appreciate the deep world’s storytelling.
Overview
Responsibilities: Develop a playable game concept.
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Date completed: May 2025
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Resources: Unreal Engine, Adobe Photoshop, Fab, OVANI
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Details: The project is a small case study that showcases some of my understanding of pre-production planning for a playable demo. The project starts with pre-planning ideas, building some of the game code, and finishing with the design of the levels. The project was completed in three months.
Pre-production
At the start of the project, I aimed to create a third-person action RPG with fast-paced, responsive movement. I drew inspiration from the Dark Souls series for its strategic, skill-based combat and The Witcher for its richly detailed environments and immersive world-building.
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With this vision in mind, I began by outlining a development schedule based on the timeline I set for myself. My initial research focused heavily on high fantasy media, which influenced many core elements of the game, such as the inclusion of monster enemies, a protagonist clad in medieval armor, and level design inspired by 13th-century European villages.
Once I had a clear direction, I sourced essential assets from the Unreal Engine Marketplace (FAB), selecting models and components aligned with the game’s visual and thematic goals. This helped accelerate the development process while maintaining a cohesive aesthetic.
Gameplay & Systems Development
Initially, my goal was to design a fast-paced, responsive gameplay experience. To establish a solid foundation, I started with Unreal Engine's third-person template, which provided a helpful baseline for character movement. I then iterated on the default settings—tweaking movement speed, acceleration, and responsiveness—to better match the fluid, action-oriented feel I envisioned.
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Once the core movement system was in place, I shifted focus to combat mechanics, beginning with developing a custom hitbox system. This system was implemented using C++ within Unreal Engine, allowing precise control over collision detection and hit registration, essential for creating engaging, skill-based combat.
AI
Developing the AI system for this project was one of the more challenging aspects, especially as it was my first time working with enemy behavior logic. Over about six weeks, I built a basic AI system that allowed the boss enemy to detect the player and execute various attacks based on proximity and state.
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To streamline development, I reused the player character’s hit detection system, which was simple yet effective for registering collisions. While the AI logic was intentionally kept relatively straightforward, I designed it with scalability in mind, given the project's scope. By integrating Unreal Engine’s Behavior Tree system, I laid the groundwork for future enhancements and more complex behaviors.
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This development phase was a valuable learning experience in AI programming, particularly in understanding perception systems, behavior structuring, and hit detection logic within Unreal Engine.
Level Design - Village
I explored several iterations of the village layout to create a map that complemented the game's overall vision. From the outset, my goal was to design a small yet believable settlement grounded in realistic world-building. Through research, I identified key elements that authenticate a village: a defined social structure, political and economic roles, religious presence, and a form of security or defense.
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With these principles in mind, I chose to situate the mountain village high. This location offered narrative and gameplay advantages—it provided natural security and justified the town’s role as a mining settlement, contributing to the game’s economy and lore.
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I kept the village compact to support gameplay pacing and avoid unnecessary traversal. The limited scale allowed for more focused interactions and ensured the player wouldn’t need to travel across large, empty spaces, maintaining a tighter, more engaging experience.
Level Design - Boss Room
Designing the boss arena was one of the aspects of the project I was most excited about. From the beginning, I envisioned a compact space to keep the player’s focus on the core mechanics of the boss fight, without unnecessary distractions or clutter.
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In the initial iteration, I experimented with incorporating destructible objects to add dynamic environmental interaction. However, this mechanic ultimately felt out of place within the game design and disrupted the flow of combat. As a result, I removed elements like chairs and simplified the layout by slightly lowering the arena floor to create a more dramatic, enclosed feel.
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The setting remained consistent with the original concept—a sacred temple space dedicated to worshipping a forgotten god. In keeping with traditional boss arena design, I opted for a symmetrical, square-shaped room where only the player and the boss are present, emphasizing a one-on-one encounter.
The environment was framed by brick walls and tall, stained-glass windows that cast dramatic light into the room, reinforcing the spiritual and ominous atmosphere of the encounter.
What did I learn?
Overall, the development of this project was a rewarding and successful experience. As my first solo game development endeavor, it challenged me to manage every aspect of the process, from design and coding to world-building and iteration. Throughout the journey, I gained valuable hands-on experience and deepened my understanding of game development workflows.
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While I was able to meet many of the core goals I set at the beginning, there’s still significant potential to expand and refine the project. Whether enhancing enemy AI, adding more environmental storytelling, or polishing gameplay mechanics, this project has laid a solid foundation for future improvements and deeper exploration.
