3D Level Design

I needed a forest map that could believably house wolves — both as enemy NPCs and as a boss encounter. With the prototype NPCs and boss already built, I needed an environment to match their theme. So I started by gathering references.

Blockout Inspirations

After a few days of review, I went with the 2nd style — specifically the last image above. My picture in my head: a linear main path with enemies, plus a split-off path requiring light platforming and fewer enemies. Both paths meet at a point of interest leading to the boss arena.

Grey-Box

Here's that idea come to life — a large woodland area with two branching paths, a waterfall point of interest, a center island, and a red temple at the intersection leading to the boss arena.

After playtesting, the map felt simple and fun. I began replacing grey blocks with permanent environmental props.

Final Result

After many more passes adding grass, fog, foam lines for the waterfall, falling leaf particle systems, and more. Performance is sitting at ~150fps on low-end hardware at high graphical settings.

Boss Arena — Second Iteration

I went back to improve the flat, boring boss arena with a roman colosseum-inspired structure to make the moment feel cinematic. A roof was out of the question since it would break global lighting, so I focused on giant pillars and walls.

The central pillars felt boring on the sides, so I made them more central and added walls. Kept the three giant relics from the original blockout since they still fit the theme.

After applying the environment shader and adding blue particles near the relics, the arena was transformed without much extra work. Not Elden Ring quality, but I think it looks pretty cool.

I needed a Japanese rooftop environment for a katana-wielding boss. The vision: the player runs across rooftops fighting fast katana enemies, eventually reaching a large dojo-like building for the final boss arena. I drew inspiration from Torii gates and traditional anime-style Japanese architecture.

I designed for three player types: casuals who follow the main path to the boss, explorers seeking hidden treasures, and speedrunners who skip everything and go straight for the boss.

Final Screenshots

After adding rain, fog, and spawn triggers, the map was ready. Really happy with how this one turned out.

I wanted a flexible environment for any enemy type. Re-watching Lord of the Rings gave me the idea of a cliffside castle. I combined Helm's Deep with the open spaciousness of Halo 3's "The Ark" — a large outdoor area with a castle theme.

I also reused the "destroyed door" idea from map 1. Fog particle systems were placed throughout, later supplemented with real engine fog.

With Lighting & Fog

The screenshots don't fully do it justice — enemies blend into the dark environment until the sparks fly, making this map a real thriller. Here's the final result after a few more passes:

Originally designed as a destroyed town the player was fleeing — with a downed telephone pole and destroyed car as obstacles. It evolved into a burning city street built from a mix of suburban and Japanese city structures.