Apocalypse Guardian: Echoes of Nature

Apocalypse
Guardian: Echoes of Nature

Platformer, Combat, Unity 2D

INTRODUCTION

"Apocalypse Guardian: Echoes of Nature" is an action-adventure platformer game that thrusts players into a beautifully rendered post-apocalyptic world where nature has begun to reclaim the ruins of civilization. Players step into the role of Alex, a guardian chosen to uncover the secrets of the Gaia Crystals, inspired by the five elements—Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth.

The game features a dynamic world that reacts to player decisions, altering the environment and unlocking new paths and strategies for achieving objectives.

MY ROLE

As a game programmer, game designer, and sound designer for this team project, I primarily focus on developing and implementing core gameplay mechanics, optimizing performance, and troubleshooting technical issues. Additionally, I design engaging levels and characters, and create sound effects and background music to enhance the game's atmosphere.

PROJECT OUTCOMES

Revolutionize interactive entertainment by creating immersive, narrative-driven video games that inspire players to reflect on environmental issues and their role within the natural world.

Develop a dynamic action-adventure platformer with thematic levels, immersive soundscapes, and a unique art style, ensuring smooth performance and seamless gameplay.

TIMELINE

February 2024 - April 2024 (Two months)

PROJECT SCOPE

1 Project Manager, 1 UI/UX Designer, 1 Graphic Designer, 1 Programmer, 1 Game Designer, 1 Sound Designer, 1 Animation Specialist

TOOLS

Unity, Adobe CC, Procreate, Canva, Zoom

01. Designing Moodboard

A thoughtfully crafted moodboard that captures the essence of a post-apocalyptic world reclaimed by nature, providing a comprehensive guide for designing this game with its distinctive colors, evocative environments, and versatile font families.

overview of the customized moodboard

02. Designing Main Character

Initial Prompt

Disclaimer: Images above are created using advanced artificial intelligence algorithms. These visuals are generated based on descriptive prompts and are intended for illustrative purposes to enhance the narrative and thematic presentation of our game.

Personality

A strong sense of duty and a desire to make a positive impact
Outgoing, Adaptability
Resilience, Determination

Background

30-year-old who lived in the city
His transformation begins with a catastrophic earthquake
Discovery of the Gaia Crystal marks the inception of his quest, turning him from an average office worker into the last hope for saving the Earth

Behaviour

Office routine. Armory
The cataclysmic events force a drastic evolution in his behavior and interests
Exploration, and puzzle-solving in the quest for the Gaia Crystals
Surviving instincts

Final Design

Character Demo

Character Design in Parts

Character Rigging Demo

Idle Animation

Run Animation

Jump Animation

Attack Animation

Die Animation

Jump Animation

Attack Animation

Die Animation

03. Designing Game Environments

Initial Prompt

Disclaimer: Image above is created using advanced artificial intelligence algorithms.

Earth

Desolate farmland with unsustainable agricultural practices
Navigates through the ruins of once-thriving fields, now home to mutated plants and animals
Combat mechanic with mutated farm animals

Metal & Fire

Intersection of technological failure
Nuclear facility, threats of radiation, and waterborne hazards
Indoor setting, devoid of electricity
Darkness hinders navigation
Maneuver through gear traps and other mechanical puzzles

Disclaimer: Image above is created using advanced artificial intelligence algorithms.

Wood & Water

Overgrown woodland area
Encounters aggressive flora and animals such as carnivorous plants and mutated bears
Environmental puzzles that require manipulating natural elements to clear paths or create safe passages

Initial Draft

Drafts created for three game levels, each featuring unique environments and game mechanics

Final Design

Due to time constraints, we adapted our initial drafts, creating distinct backgrounds for each game level. We limited the farmland map to interior spaces, swapped the map directions of the power plant and eerie forest, and modified some game mechanics accordingly.

overview of the game backgrounds

Mutated Farm

Power Plant

Eerie Forest

04. Designing Game Assets

Creating tile palettes and game objects for game levels and mechanics.

Tile palettes are essential for building game terrain in Unity 2D. We designed diverse tiles in Adobe Photoshop for all three levels: mud and grass tiles for barn grounds, brick tiles for barn walls, metallic stand tiles for factory grounds and walls, rock tiles for forest grounds, and many more.

Game objects are crucial for game navigation and visuals. We designed five elemental crystals representing nature's forces to guide players through all levels and thick vines as traps to obstruct player progress. All game objects were crafted with care in Adobe Illustrator and Procreate for immersive game graphics and unique design.

partial demo of the game assets

Tile Palettes

Game Objects

05. Designing Non-player Characters

Introducing mutated and aggressive creatures to the post-apocalyptic world.

Brown Bear

In the Eerie Forest, a mutated brown bear has grown immensely powerful with hard skin and giant claws. Despite its formidable strength, its larger size results in slower movements and attacks.

Toad

In the Eerie Forest, a mutated toad has grown to a giant size and developed multiple extra eyes. It is extremely aggressive, attacking anyone in its path.

King Cobra

In the Eerie Forest, a mutated king cobra has developed spikes on its body and become extremely aggressive, capable of shooting venom at anyone even from a distance.

Cattle

In the Mutated Farm, cattle, now poisoned from nuclear radiation with stiff limbs, has become aggressively hostile, attacking anyone in their path.

Sheep

In the Mutated Farm, a mutated sheep, affected by nuclear radiation, has lost its wool and grown deformed horns. It has become very hostile, attacking anyone in its path.

Pig

In the Mutated Farm, a mutated pig suffers from facial muscle atrophy and becomes disoriented, attacking anyone in its path and firing devastating laser beams at distant targets.

Final Outcomes

A 2D platformer adventure game featuring intense combat in a post-apocalyptic world, where players unlock three unique maps, solve puzzles, and strategically battle mutated creatures with seamless animations and sound.

Game Demo

Level 1

Mutated Farm

Combat formerly friendly farm animals that have turned hostile due to nuclear radiation exposure.

Level 2

Power Plant

Dodge hazardous areas and trigger moving platforms to collect elemental crystals.

Level 3

Eerie Forest

Encounter aggressive creatures hidden in the shadows and swing your way through the forbidden forest.

Can't wait to try it yourself?

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Impact

Educating players through innovative interactive entertainment that highlights the importance of environmental conservation.

With players exploring diverse ecosystems, encountering mutated species, and witnessing the impacts of pollution and deforestation, this project has successfully addressed the environmental issues and inspired the public to cherish and safeguard our planet's beauty.

Encountering aggressive, mutated versions of formerly friendly farm animals in the game inspires players to prevent animal exploitation.

Witnessing falling metal stands caused by aftershocks in the game raises public concern about factory pollution issues.

Passing through the bare forest with unstable soil and rocks in the game raises public concern about the devastating impact of deforestation.

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