The Heart of the City
When designing this level I knew it was going to be the heart of a city. The location fit our theme well. A chaotic, robotic, and cluttered city center checked all of the cyberpunk boxes.
I designed small, easily identifiable locations around the map. I also wanted them to feel like they were all natural extensions of the world we established. Some sections feel higher class while others, the very bottom of the totem pole.
Shifting Perspectives
This level features vertical gravity walls where driving on them changes the orientation of gravity. This allowed me to create more interesting ways to traverse the space. It also provided me ways to play with sightlines. Players can be on the wall and see other players on the ground in their periphery.
Trashin' The Camp
There is a tunnel that runs through the level. It serves mostly as an alternate route to another part of the map. However, it features a fun surprise for players. Like I mentioned earlier, each part of the level has it's own persona. The tunnel is noteworthy because of its many market stands.
These serve a narrative goal but also gave me an opportunity to utilize my technical skill. I converted the stands into breakable objects. This change had a huge impact on how players experienced this part of the level.
The Path to Victory
Being the center of the city it was inevitable that there would be a lot of 90 degree turns. This works effectively in real (slow) life. In a fast paced death battle, not so much. Because of this I spent a long time trying to keep the look of a city center but create more interesting paths. I solved this problem by lowering the sidewalk so it essentially adds more driving space. I also added small shortcuts that would cut through lines of buildings.