"the storm" // far cry 5 mod kit
Overview
Playable, scripted single player stealth level, built in the Far Cry 5 Mod Kit.
Role
Level Designer
Tools
Far Cry 5 Mod Kit
Skills
Level Design, Set Dressing, Lighting, Landscape Editing, Composition, Scripting
PROJECT GOALS
// Create a more linear, story driven level than Far Cry traditionally has in it's open-world sections.
// Design the level layout based on the story of the escape of your character, playing with the players emotions using manufactured luck or fortune, mixed in with surprises, giving the player a sense of suspense.
Using Far Cry 5's built in level editor, I wanted to craft a single player stealth level that strayed a bit from what Far Cry's playstyle usually follows. Traditionally, Far Cry has a lot of large open spaces and encourages a more open-world playstyle. Inspired by action-adventure games that have a more scripted or cinematic play, such as The Last of Us, I wanted to create a more linear level which was a story experience, playing with the players emotions, and telling a story of escaping the cultists from the Far Cry 5 story who had captured you. Check out the video of my playthrough below, as well as a more detailed description of my choices beneath the video!
DESIGN DETAILS
One of the core concepts I wanted to play with in this level was the idea of manufactured luck or fortune, and the contrast of that with it's opposite of bad luck or things going poorly for the player. I think it is important for action-adventure or story based level design to invoke emotions in the player. I wanted to accomplish this in my level through the chance acquirement of items, and also through scripted events.
For instance, I started with this in the first room the player begins in, while the player is able to immediately sneak past the guard who was looking at the TV, enabling them to take out the guard in the kitchen area, this good fortune is immediately contrasted by the approach of two more guards in the car pulling up to the front of the house. This not only provides a cinematic moment for the player, but forces them to think quickly and find a new exit out of the house instead of the front door.
The next moment I wanted to emphasize is once the player has escaped from the house and made their way down to the garage. Once the player peaks around the corner of the ice box, they enter a trigger volume which first activates an explosion and fire in the distance, directly in the player's sight line, and second spawns an AI to drive the car in the garage out to the explosion.
Using this moment I wanted to once again simulate some good fortune for the player and have an enemy appear to be reacting to the explosion, providing the player with a distraction and opportunity to get in the garage as well as get across the road after.
Once in the garage as well they happen to find an enemy with a bat facing away from them, once again providing them with an opportunity to get a quiet weapon to aid them.
After making their way across the road to the alley beside the log cabin, once again the player enters a trigger volume, which spawns an AI in the distance who flies the helicopter over the player.
I wanted to use this moment to generate suspense for the player. As they are sneaking up to another enemy and seem to have things under control still, the noise of the helicopter grows and suggests there is more commotion happening around the camp and that the enemies might possibly have begun looking for the player. My hope with this, is this might cause the player to enter the alleyway to the right following the helicopter event as they might be seeking some cover.
Following the helicopter, I wanted to simulate how stealth levels can quickly fall apart, but still provide the player with some good luck. While entering the alleyway and hiding behind the barrel, the player enters a volume which spawns an AI to walk past them, furthering their sense of suspense, but giving them a "Whew, that was close", moment.
Should the player decide not to hide behind the barrel, the AI simply won't spawn, allowing the player to continue through the alley towards the front.
Following their exit from the house, I used the players sight line from the back of the house to the campfire beneath the ridge with smoke and embers, as well as the top of the warehouse where the player makes their escape.
I also wanted to add a bit of a cinematic action moment, by having the player leap off the rock to take out the guard by the campfire. Sometimes just adding in some cool moments for the player to experience adds some flavor to the level.
Finally, to finish the level out, I wanted to give the player a climax moment in the story of the level by having them sneak through a warehouse with several enemies within it. I wanted to use the patrolling girl with the clipboard to provide the player with a suggestion for the correct direction to proceed in order to avoid more enemies towards the center and entrance of the warehouse.
Lastly, as they proceed towards the exit door, an enemy AI is spawned to patrol in front of it, prompting them to use the window to their left to finish their escape and the level.
Also, I wanted to include a top-down image of the intended stealth path of the player and also what a potential path could be if the player decides to try and fight their way out instead of sneaking. I showed mainly my thoughts with the stealth path as I intended the level to be a more scripted single player experience than an open world experience as I stated above.
Below is some additional detail shots of the level and some of the points of interest!
