Distrito Atlético
An FPS zombie survival game
Distrito Atlético
Team: Solo Project // Tools: Unreal Engine 5 // Time: 4 weeks
Distrito Atlético is a 3D zombie survival unreal engine game that was created that was created as a summer project, and then converted to a school project. The project took one month to make; with two weeks dedicated to preproduction, and two weeks dedicated to coding/implementation.
Distrito Atlético is a game that was inspired by Call of Duty zombies. As a kid I used to play a lot of zombies with friends from school, it was a time before cell phones and I specifically remember calling my friends on the home phone and not allowing my mother to call her friends haha. Special memories like this is the reason I wanted to research something I loved as a kid and showcase my own take on the design.
Trap style level design
One of the game pillars of Distrito Atlético was non-stop movement. I aimed to make a level that was rewarding for players who kept moving, and to give them the freedom to choose from multiple routes. The challenge of the game was managing the zombies as they exponentially spawn, and the ultimate objective was to make swift and strategic decisions in order to survive.
As a result, I developed a design approach that involved creating individual modular sections with specific pathing, which I referred to as the "trap style". The idea behind the trap style is a section of a level that corners the player if they do not make a fast pathing decision.
An example of a level using this design approach would have:
- Two opposing exits that lead to a secluded area
- An inner area with obstacles that create a circular movement path
- At least two bailout entry/exit points that break circular
The training mechanic of zombies works to compliment this style of level design. The train mechanic is when hordes of zombies are funneled into a small path, which will cause them to follow the player in a single file line. It allows for easy headshots and provides the player keep zombies in a controlled group.
The level design traps players in an area where they can freely "train" the zombies around the circular path, however if not properly managed the player can quickly become overwhelmed by the sheer amount of zombies and find themselves cornered. The bailout points are used as inner exits that allow players to break the loop at the cost of losing control over their horde of zombies.
Lighting and decals
My objective for the game's atmosphere was to convey a sense of abandonment and neglect, through the use of decaying, dusty and crumbling environments. Lighting and atmospheric fog was used enhance the rugged and decaying textures. I wanted to showcase some of effects that lighting has on the atmosphere and some of the cool decals that were used to decorate the level.
Programming
The main coding challenges for this project was coding the horde spawner/director and the enemy behaviors. Below will showcase some of the blueprints that were used for those systems. Please note that these are not all of the blueprints, I didn't want to clutter the page!
Horde Spawner system
AI Behavior and BPs
