Holo-Charge
Overview
Game Statement
Holo-Charge is a 3D platformer where the player navigates a futuristic and technologically advanced ball through sci-fi structures surrounded by a mysterious forest. The gameplay sequences between the forest and the structures greatly differ. The forest is mostly hazard free with obstacles the player has to navigate around, while the structural areas pose more dangers such as electrified water and spinning blades.
Legal and Ethical Considerations
Holo-Charge falls under the PEGI 7 label, as it will be suitable for a audience. This game doesn't contain any sounds or pictures that are likely to frighten young children, nor any bad language present throughout the game. There will be a mild form of violence in the form the character exploding when destroyed, it will be in a childlike setting suitable for the PEGI 7 label.
Holo-Charge also avoids representation of people groups and sensitive topics to ensure there is no controversy against the game.
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Footage
This is a gameplay video of level 1 showing where all of the hidden coins and treasure chests are located.
Gameplay
Mechanics
The player is in control of the characters roll direction and speed with the help of a speed roll input. They have a basic double-jump used mainly to cross larger distances rather than jumping onto a tall platform. The main problem the player will face is needing to control the character near edges to make sure they don't roll off. This can also happen when the player speeds up to do a large jump but they don't slow down on the next platform in time, resulting in them rolling off the other side.
There are also 2 jump-pads within level 1 that charge the player with a very high jump. They're used to elevate the player location quickly without having to do several smaller jumps.
Obstacles
The main hazard within this game is water, if the player falls into water, the character is respawned at the nearest checkpoint.
The first real obstacle is long balancing beam that has many turns, forcing the player to slow down to carefully move the character along the beam. There are also spinning blades that will destroy the player upon contact, this means the player needs to time their jumps to avoid the blades. Then finally, there are bouncy pads, these stop the player from landing safely on the ground to start another jump. Due to the player always bouncing they need to time their double-jump when at the apex of the bounce to gain enough height to move onto the next platform.
Objective
The main objective for the player is to navigate through the level and reach the end to collect a large floating ring. The player does not have to find collectables to progress through the game.
A feature that I would've liked to have added would be a medal system. There would be four medals at the end of each level that the player can earn and view on the level select screen so they can easily see what they are missing:
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Time Trial – Complete the level within a certain time frame.
Collector – Find all collectables within a level.
Survivor – Complete the level without suffering a death.
Flawless – Achieve all badges on the same run.
Badges would be optional to let the player play how they want and not force them to look around every corner for a collectable, or to speedrun a level, to progress further into the game. This will keep the game easy and fun for casuals while still having a challenge for the completionists and increase the lifespan of the game.
Level Design
Holo-Charge Level 1
This was the first iteration of my level design. The player would begin by jumping upon large mounds of land that lead to a higher level.
There would be two structures here for decoration, however there would be a coin hidden on one of the roof of a structure. From here the player would also be able to see the final destination above, they just need to find a way up to that level.
The player would later encounter a waterfall with a series of platforms leading to a coin, however there would be another hidden coin behind the waterfall.
Then the player has to jump across platforms floating above the lower level, meaning if the player misses a jump they have to backtrack to try again.
After navigating past these platforms the player has the option to complete the level by moving into the structure containing the next level or, they could start to climb the narrow and winding mountain path that would lead to a secret coin and a good view of the level.
This is the level design that I decided to create as I felt it offered better gameplay elements than the previous design.
Once the player spawns they can decide whether to take the long path on the grass or jump on the rocks to collect a coin and familiarise the player with the double jump.
They then would reach a jump pad that would allow the player to jump up on platforms within the trees, there will also be a chest hidden on an optional platform.
Then they will reach a large building that has an elevator that will take them down to the underground section.
The first room the player will reach is a balancing room. They just need to steadily roll the ball and not fall into the water below. There will a checkpoint half-way through this room.
Within the next room, the player has to roll along the wall on a thin beam while jumping over gaps and avoiding spinning blades. The red circles will be bouncy pads, these stop the player from jumping whenever they want and will have to time their double jump to reach the next one.
Then the player reaches a large portal room, where there is an additional hidden chest. The portal will take them above ground to a raised area just above the starting area.
Once the player spawns from the portal they will leave the room and can follow a path that will take them up the hill. There is a large canyon between the two raised areas that will have rotating platforms with spikes on the underside bridging the gap. Once the player reaches the other side they just have to roll up the hill and reach the finish line.
Assets
Character
The top left design would be metallic spiral encasing a black hole that would spin in the middle.
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The top right design is the same idea but with a different shell, maybe the loops could spin around themselves without the character having to move.
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The bottom left design was inspired from an arc star from the video game Apex Legends, the electric core inside would be transparent but gets thicker closer to the middle.
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The last design I decided to just go for a robot ball style, the eye would glow a certain colour while the shell stays white and black. The shell would stay upright as there would be an exposed tire underneath that moves the ball.
Collectables
I created the coin originally with a white futuristic design to match the theme of game I was going for. However, I ran into the problem of the coins blending to well into the background, making the coins much harder to spot than I intended.
I decided to use the gold design to make it easier for players to know that this is a collectable. Gold has a common connection to treasure or other valuable items which will also encourage the player to seek out these coins.
This is a chest that can be found scattered throughout the level, there are fewer of these and are more hidden than the coins.
It has an opening animation where the lids open and slide down the side of the chest.
Platforms
Obelisk
Other Assets
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UI
This is my first concept for how the title screen could be displayed. The main thing I wanted to implement was the towering obelisk in the distance as it immediately shows the sci-fi technology and creates mystery.
The title screen is a slightly edited version of the final area, where the player completes the level. I added the character and moved the finish ring so they each fill their respective sides and creates a frame for the menu buttons in the middle. The ring also spins while in the menu to add a bit more life to the game.
This here is rough draft of how I wanted to lay out my controls page. I went for a simple and clean controls screen to match the futuristic aesthetic. I had to work out what actions my character could perform before creating the final page, but I had a rough idea of what to include.
This is the final controls screen. I scrapped having the actions in the middle linking to both inputs as there was to many guide lines going everywhere and it appeared messy, so I just placed the action close to the input to reduce lines.
This is the screen that shows when you reach the large finish coin at the end.
Here is where you can see how well you did in finding all of the collectables on the left-hand side of the screen. You can also access the credits screen where I have listed the assets I used and their creators.