Enviorment Overview:
In this project, I built an interactive 3D environment in Unreal Engine 5, inspired by my own experience during a visit to the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco. While walking through the iconic Golden Gate Park, I was struck by the beauty of nature, the landscape, and the peaceful atmosphere. I merged that real-world inspiration with a fictional, post-apocalyptic setting: a world torn apart by a massive earthquake, where everything is fractured and must be rediscovered.
What was once a lively and serene park is now a rugged, chaotic landscape full of natural cracks, destroyed structures, and challenging pathways. In this environment, the player must find their way back to the windmill, the only remaining landmark.
Story & Objective:
The player finds themselves in a park that has been completely transformed by a powerful earthquake. The terrain has split open, structures have collapsed, and many paths are blocked. The player’s goal is to navigate back to the windmill – a symbol of home – by overcoming obstacles, discovering useful tools, and solving environmental puzzles.
Gameplay & Mechanics:
Third-Person Control
The player controls a character in a third-person perspective. For this, I used the Unreal Engine Locomotion System, which enables realistic movement such as walking, running, jumping, and climbing. This greatly enhances the immersive experience of exploring the broken environment.
Use of Carts
To navigate the fractured terrain, the player must use various carts scattered throughout the environment. These carts serve as tools to:
Act as platforms to reach higher areas
Help bridge gaps or access collapsed pathways
Be pushed and positioned in specific places to progress, introducing puzzle and strategy elements
Environment Design:
As seen in the first image, the terrain has been dramatically altered. Cliffs, deep canyons, and a wild river now cut through the park. The windmill can be seen in the distance and acts as a visual guide for the player.
Key features:
Dynamic terrain with elevation changes
Destroyed infrastructure (bridges, buildings, stairs)
Environmental storytelling through damaged objects and abandoned play areas
The creation of this interactive environment followed a structured and creative development pipeline, starting from conceptualization all the way to fine-tuning gameplay and flow.
Step 1: Reference Board in PureRef
Before jumping into Unreal Engine, I began by collecting a wide variety of reference images that matched the mood and style I wanted to achieve. I used PureRef to create a moodboard, gathering photos of Golden Gate Park, natural rock formations, terrain textures, playground elements, and post-apocalyptic environments. This helped define the visual direction and storytelling foundation of the environment.
Step 2: Blockout Phase
With a clear vision in place, I started working on a blockout to establish the overall layout and player path. Before jumping into Unreal Engine, I also created several sketches to explore different layout ideas and spatial compositions on paper. These early sketches helped me think through the structure of the environment and how the player would move through it.
Initially, I created a first version of the terrain by sculpting in Unreal Engine using the Landscape Tool. However, after reviewing it, I realized that the flow and composition didn’t align with my goals for gameplay and atmosphere. I made the decision to start over, using my insights from the first attempt to create a completely new version with better terrain flow, clearer navigation paths, and more natural elevation changes.
Using the Terrain Sculpting Tools, I was able to test various formations like cliffs, valleys, and open plains. This iterative process helped me shape a level that not only looked visually appealing but also supported the mechanics and pacing of the experience I wanted to create.
Step 3: Asset Placement & Refinement
Once the terrain and blockout were in a satisfying state, I began populating the world with environmental assets. These included:
Playground props
Architectural ruins
Interactive carts
Nature elements like rocks, foliage, and water
During this phase, I also focused on debugging, adjusting small visual or functional issues, and refining the gameplay flow to ensure the player’s journey felt natural and intuitive. Special attention was given to the placement of obstacles and the locations where carts would be needed, enhancing the sense of challenge and reward as players explore.