When the player gets caught by a spotlight, it tracks them and unleashes enemies from a nearby emergence hole.Upon reaching the entrance to the prison, Marcus calls in Jack - his cloakable, robotic pal - to cut open the door.Marcus locates the prison cells, and spots Dom - unguarded - at a distance.A wounded Dom warns Marcus of the dangers ahead and the method by which to free him.Marcus finds the generator powering the automated security system, but encounters difficulties.The glass from the broken lights overhead has showered down onto the ground, threatening to give away Marcus's presence.Unfortunately, freeing Dom also sets loose the Berserker, a sightless beast that tracks the pair by sound.The Berserker crashes through concrete barriers in pursuit of the escaping Marcus and Dom.If sneaking away is not the player's preference, once outside they can always choose to drop the Hammer on the Berserker.
[Feature Image: Marcus waits for the right moment to dash to the next safe spot, as spotlights sweep just past him.]
Prison Break – Gears of War
<Download a brief analysis of this level> (with screenshots), in which I share my design vision, the challenges it presented, and my solutions and final implementation.
This is a stealth-action mission set in the Gears of War universe. Marcus must free Dom from a remote, Locust-occupied prison facility, avoiding detection or else dealing with alerted Locust. Moving spotlights that trigger enemy-spawning emergence holes guard the path to the prison entrance. The Berserker, a blind yet deadly creature that tracks Marcus by sound, provides an engaging climax to the whole experience.
Development Time: less than 8 weeks including design doc.
