Shaun Ng
Game | Quest Designer
VISAGE
Side-scrolling | Puzzle-solving | 2D
Team Size: 8 | Custom Engine | Duration: 8 Months
Roles
Co-Producer | Lead Designer
Design
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Overall Design Direction
I was responsible for all design direction within the game.
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Visage uniquely features the simultaneous control of two characters to solve puzzles and overcome obstacles.
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Rapid Prototyping
In the game's initial stages of production, I was responsible for scripting a large part of the prototype to sell this idea to the team and lecturers.
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Through the design of a modular system using Unity's ScriptableObjects, several iterations were produced and features tested out and fleshed out or scrapped.
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An example of a scrapped feature is the energy system shown on the left, which limited Faye's actions to how much energy the mask provided to her. This was eventually deemed too restrictive to the player experience and cut.
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AI Development and Implementation
On top of the player character, I was also responsible for scripting the AI. A quick state machine that enabled patrolling, chasing, and attacking, was developed and fine tuned within the Unity prototype.
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Due to the game's narrative, the enemies were scripted to only attack entities of a different kind (the Faceless attack human knights, and vice versa).
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On top of this, the enemies also check if their targets are above a certain height, throwing an upward swing if so. This prevents the highly mobile mask from bypassing challenges too easily.
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Level Designs
As the game's engine featured a grid-based tilemap system for building maps, deciding on proper metrics at the beginning made level design quick and iterative.
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Putting down designs on paper helped to visualise the level's overall layout and user flow.
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Refining the User Experience
Due to the innate complexity of the dual controls featured in the game, special care was taken to ensure that each individual experience was as intuitive as possible through the organization of multiple playtests and countless iterations.
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I worked within the custom engine developed by the team to craft a smooth user experience for the player.
Other
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Effect Assets
Having to refine the user experience also naturally means having to determine the kinds of feedback for the various events in the game.
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As such, for effects that the game needed while the art team was busy, I supplemented by creating my own with external references.
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Co-Producing the Team
I also had a hand in managing the team's workflow and assigning tasks. Trello was a useful tool to track progress and planning during the project's life cycle.
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Audio Asset Creation
I was also responsible for creating SFX in the game. Editing sounds to provide audio feedback was integral to a good player experience.
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Incidentally, the game's main theme, which was used in the main menu, initial areas, and second area, was also a personal composition. Experimenting with music composition was unexpectedly very fun!