Cult of the Moon
Unreal Engine 5 Block-out
Overview
My goal was to create a theoretical side quest level for Borderlands 4. The level was designed to fit the game’s themes, mechanics, and gameplay style. I modified a generic first-person shooter gameplay pack to match the play-style of Borderlands 4. I also added a double jump and altered the walk speed, sprint speed, and jump height to match those in the game. Additionally, I scripted a grappling hook from scratch using UE5 Blueprints.
The name of my level is Cult of the Moon. It would be located in the Carcadia Burn region of the game’s map. After the arrival of the moon Elpis into Kairos’ orbit, many inhabitants of the planet rejoice. However, some take the moon’s arrival differently. In the outskirts of Carcadia Burn, a band of rippers dedicate their lives to worshipping Elpis. They believe its appearance to be an act of divinity. Tonight is their Moon Festival, in which they celebrate their “Moon God.” The night will consist of drinking, dancing, and, most importantly, sacrifices. The side-quest entails entering the Cult of the Moon’s compound and killing the group’s ring leader, Ainar, for his unique gun that is powered by the gravity of Elpis. An additional, optional adjective to kill all of the enemies in the worship/sacrifice area allows the player to free the prisoners slated to become sacrifices.
The idea for this level was inspired by my love for the Borderlands series’ contrast between seriousness and goofiness. I wanted to challenge myself to create a level with this tone. The Carcadia Burn region itself inspired the idea for this level, and the level is designed to match the other areas in this region. During research, I created a reference file of objects and props in the area, which I then used to create the props that fill my level. This allows for a seamless fit of my level into the real game.
Responsibilities
Created a detailed Level Design Document (LDD).
Designed the layout and map of the level.
Created a metrics gym for the level.
Created the entire block-mesh.
3D-modeled every object in the block-mesh using the UE5 modeling tools (excluding rocks).
Created the fire/smoke VFX on top of the tower.
Scripted enemy spawning locations, health, specific item drops, and trigger boxes that spawn enemies once the player has walked into a certain location.
Scripted events triggering when all enemies in an area have been killed.
Scripted grappling hook for the player.
Scripted loot boxes.
Scripted the crane that picks up the storage container.
Scripted the dance floor changing colors.
Scripted quest text that changes throughout the level.
Scripted a boss fight that periodically spawns basic enemies up to a maximum number. When the enemy count falls below that number, they start spawning again. The boss drops a unique weapon upon defeat, and a loot room opens after killing the boss.
FULL Video Playthrough
Layout
The level consists of three main combat spaces and a boss fight. Every area is designed around the three-lane idea. The best way to design a FPS combat area is to give the player three different lanes they can choose to traverse, each having its own strengths and weaknesses. Varying elevation was also a major focus during the design process. The Borderlands series has intense elevation changes, and Borderlands 4 expands on this by giving the player a grappling hook and a double jump. In Cult of the Moon, every space has multiple elevation changes and at least one place the player can grapple to, in order to fully utilize these new mechanics. Below is an image of my final map and images from my level.
Area Analysis
Combat Zone 1 - Compound Entrance
Basic Enemies - 7
Badass Enemies - 0
The player first spawns outside of the Cult of the Moon’s compound at ground level. Immediately, they can see the moon, colorful spotlights filling the air, and a giant industrial tower. This gives the player a visually striking scene and establishes the aesthetic of the level. I want the distant view of the level to look like a whimsical oasis in the wasteland of Carcaida Burn.
Gameplay in this zone consists of two higher elevation outer lanes and a lower middle lane. There are also two watch towers at the beginning of the level, with one enemy each. The player can choose to take out these enemies before entering the compound. There is also a small tower with a grapple point on it that allows the player to grapple from one outer lane to the other.
Combat Zone 2 - Inner Compound
Basic Enemies - 5
Badass Enemies - 1
Zone two was designed to expand on the ideas of zone one, while maintaining the same core features. Terraced edges surround a multi-story tower in the center of the zone. The three-story tower in the middle lane provides cover for the player and allows them to grapple from one lane to another. It also contains a secret room with a gun chest. This combat zone introduces the first “badass” enemy of the level, which are blue and stronger than the regular enemies.
Design process and iterations
My plans for this level changed significantly throughout the design process. There was initially going to be cages throughout the level holding prisoners, rather than the final dedicated prison area. The combat areas also got more complex as time went on. There were originally very few elevation changes, and I had no plans for how the tower would look or be traversed. Below is my first draft of the level map and a Miro board I created for brainstorming.
Before I finished the initial blockout, I had already redesigned the prison areas and interaction. The player no longer needed to kill The Warden to get a key to open the cells. Instead, they are now able to free the prisoners by pressing a button near their cells. Additionally, instead of being in their own cubbies, I removed some of the walls around the prisons so the player was not forced to backtrack every time they found a prison cell. This allows the area to flow better and the player is no longer running in circles constantly. Below is a screenshot of what my blockout looked like with these side prison areas.
At this point, I realized Borderlands 4 has essentially 0 backtracking during missions. This realization necessitated another redesign of the prison areas. This is also when I decided to overhaul the entire level. At this point, the level was too flat, and cover was placed randomly without rhyme or reason. I scaled up my entire level to be 20% larger, and I made each combat zone a higher elevation than the previous. I also added terraced sections to each combat zone to make the elevation more varied. The third combat zone was completely reworked. It was made significantly larger, and became the prison area. I added some terraced steps up to the main combat area, and a giant lava pool that the prisoners would be dropped in. At this point, the prison area also became the cult’s worship and sacrifice area. I modeled a giant statue of a hand holding up the moon, and I added people kneeling and praying in the direction of the statue. I also added a small crane whose purpose would be to drop the prisoner cages into the lava. Making this area larger allowed me to create more complex gameplay throughout the level. After the prison area, I created a giant crane that the player needs to activate in order to pick up a storage container blocking their path. This crane section is pictured below.
The last thing I iterated on is the boss arena. It started out as a flat rectangle with two small points of cover. My initial concept was inspired by many Borderlands boss fights, which take place in a flat arena. However, those boss fights have unique and interesting mechanics that work best in a flat arena. The asset pack I utilized does not have an AI interesting enough to make a flat arena boss fight worthwhile and fun for the player. Redesigning the boss area also allowed me to push myself and prove that I am capable of making a complex boss arena (original boss arena pictured below).
When I began redesigning my boss arena, I didn’t have a precise vision in mind immediately. I was simply playing around with the modeling tools in UE5 to see what I liked. I quickly decided on having a lot of terraced platforms in a three-lane area. In the initial design, the side paths were too disadvantageous to the player when compared to the middle path. Adding elevated platforms on the two side paths allows all three paths to be worthwhile. Below is an image of my final boss arena.
Overall, I think I have learned a significant amount about level design theory and how to apply it while working on this level. This is the first project I’m extremely happy with, and I am very excited about what I will do in the future.
Combat Zone 3 - Prison/Worship Area
Basic Enemies - 5
Badass Enemies - 2
For the final combat zone before the boss, I wanted to make something exciting and unique. Terraced steps lead up to a plateau with four prisoner cages, a small crane, a statue dedicated to the cult’s Moon God, and a lava pit for the cult to drop prisoners into. Zone three is a 360-degree combat zone, with enemies shooting from multiple angles. The player is able to run around and get cover anywhere rather than being restricted to three lanes. This area also has an optional side-mission to kill every enemy to free the prisoners. Upon the defeat of the last enemy, all of the cages open. After leaving the plateau, the player pulls a lever that activates a crane to move a storage container, allowing the player to ascend the tower.
Combat Zone 4 - Tower and Boss Fight
Basic Enemies - Spawn periodically during boss fight
Badass Enemies - 0
The player does not encounter any enemies on their way up the tower. This is intended to be a calm area before the boss fight. It is not a complete cake walk, though. Failing the platforming sections will result in the player dying and respawning at the base of the tower. At the top, the player can stock up on health and ammo from a vending machine before dropping into the arena. Terraced sections and ramps in the arena make the fight more dynamic. While many Borderlands 4 boss arenas are completely flat with little to no cover, I wanted to create an interesting boss fight experience, even when restricted by simple enemy AI. Another element of this boss fight is the spawning of enemies. I blueprinted a system where two enemies spawn every eight seconds at the base of the spectator platforms. If there are four or more enemies currently alive, the spawning is paused until the enemy count falls below four. All of the enemies die when the boss is killed. The boss drops a unique weapon that is not obtainable anywhere else in my level. After the boss is slain, a loot room opens to reveal loot boxes with money and weapons.
