OVERVIEW:
System Locked was a solo project which I developed on the Game Salad game engine. It was integrated to be a part of a required course for my Digital Media degree at York University. The objective was to build an interactive project, for which I chose to make a story based platformer for the PC. As time was limited for this course/project, I only developed Act 1 of the game. You can play this (the first four levels of the game), or explore it further by following the blog I made to document the process of creating this game by navigating the links below. |
ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
Level/Gameplay Designer & Storyteller
Programmer
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Artist & Animator
SOFTWARE USED:
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DESIGN THOUGHTS AND LEARNINGS:
Story based Platformer
Story based Platformer
- System Locked told the story of a virus created to mindlessly destroy the world, who on his journey learns to think for himself and make his own decisions. The idea behind the story was to inspire players to play a positive role in their society no matter how dire the situation.
- Cinematics and conversations which progressed the story were weaved in between the levels, though players were also given the option to skip these parts if they wished to do so. Completing specific levels also unlocked pieces of backstory which players could access from the main menu, rewarding explorers with behind the scenes lore.
- Level progression in the game was simple with two core mechanics that enhanced the story of the game.
- Collection: Players had to collect all three keys in a level to be able to advance further. This required players to explore the theme and setting of the game, which was designed to create an immersive atmosphere in order to allow players to feel part of the protagonists world as they activated doors and traversed platforms.
- Control: Traversal was kept simple, with players just having to move horizontally and jump up. The levels then challenged players to use these two mechanics to move across a map to the end zone to complete the level. Enemies encountered along the way could be vanquished by jumping on top of them.