Medical Meltdown

PROJECT OVERVIEW

A white boxed Action Adventure level inspired by The Last of Us. This level features the white box, a mission overview, 2D layout, and a beat chart to showcase each individual part of the process.

Duration

2 Months

Genre

Action Adventure

Engine

UE5

Level Overview

MISSION OVERVIEW

This mission takes place in a run down hospital set just outside any major towns and cities. The entire level is spend inside the hospital.

In search of medical supplies to heal recent injuries, Joel and Ellie explore an abandoned hospital to find out it is packed with bandits. Understanding the risks the two must sneak their way to the medical storage.

This level takes place in the first chapter of the game. Players must find the medical storage to gather equipment. They have the option to complete the level undetected or fight their way to the intended goal. Part way through the level the players will have to change their objective to escaping the hospital before they are overrun by the infected now flooding into the space.

PART 1 - An Occupied Space

The player enters the hospital from the main entrance and discovers bandits are using the space as a home base.

In Game Layout Key

- Structured Geometry

- Cover

- Critical Path

- Optional Path

- Bandits (Enemy)

- Infected (Enemy)

- Item Pickups

Pt 1 - 3 Moment to Moment Breakdowns

1.a - Lobby Entry

Exploration

Difficulty: 1/10

Intensity: 2/10

Duration: 10s

Players enter through the open front door into the main lobby. Seeing the immediate path forward is blocked, they must search for somewhere else to progress onward.

Player enters the lobby.
Player spots blocked pathway and searches for alternate routes
Player finds open hallway and continues forward.

OPTIONAL

Search surrounding area for loot.

1.b - Empty Cafeteria

Exploration

Difficulty: 1/10

Intensity: 1/10

Duration: 10s

Players exit the lobby and enter a large open cafeteria room. They notice the ceiling is caved in, and a wall is broken to their left.

Player enters the cafeteria
Player notices the caved in ceiling above, and broken wall on the left.
Player continues onward through the broken wall.

OPTIONAL

Search surrounding area for loot.

1.c - Sight of the Enemy

Exploration / Combat

Difficulty: 2/10 or 7/10

Intensity: 4/10 or 7/10

Duration: 15s or 25s

Exiting the cafeteria, players enter a courtyard where they spot 3 enemies with their backs turned.

In Stealth

Player enters the courtyard.
Player notices the 3 bandits and searches for ways around.

In Combat

Player enters the courtyard.
Player triggers a combat encounter with the bandits on guard.
After eliminating bandits, the player searches for ways forward.

OPTIONAL

Search surrounding area for loot.

1.d - Sneaky Hallway

Exploration / Combat

(only if player chooses stealth in beat 1.c)

Difficulty: 3/10 or 7/10

Intensity: 5/10 or 7/10

Duration: 20s or 30s

Re-entering the hospital from the courtyard, the player travels down a hallway where they must hide from the bandit's gaze.

In Stealth

Player exits the courtyard and enters into a long hallway section.
The player navigates the cluttered hallway utilizing cover to avoid the bandits.

In Combat

Player exits the courtyard and enters into a long hallway section.
Player enters combat with the bandits triggering a 10s wave combat encounter with other nearby bandits
After eliminating bandits, the player searches for ways forward.

OPTIONAL

Search surrounding area for loot.

1.e - Exit the First Floor

Exploration / Dialogue

Difficulty: 1/10

Intensity: 2/10

Duration: 20s

The player enters the emergency lobby. They search the hallways to their left for a possible way forward.

The player enters the emergency lobby.
The player notices the entrance is blocked.
The player searches the surrounding area for a way forward.
Small dialogue of Joel whispering: "Medical storages are often behind locked doors. Keep your eye out for a head office. We might find a key"

OPTIONAL

Search surrounding area for loot.

PART 2 - Sneaky Thievery

The player enters the second floor of the hospital where more bandits are present, and begin an unwanted confrontation just when everything was going so well.

2.a - Second Floor Bandits

Exploration / Combat

Difficulty: 4/10 or 7/10

Intensity: 5/10 or 8/10

Duration: 30s

The player arrives on the second floor and climbs on top of a barricade. The player must distract 3 bandits in order to continue searching the hospital grounds.

In Stealth

Player enters the second floor using the stairs.
The player climbs onto a one way barrier noticing nearby bandits.
The player grabs a nearby brick and knocks over some boxes in a nearby room distracting the bandits.

In Combat

Player enters the second floor using the stairs.
The player climbs onto a one way barrier noticing nearby bandits.
The player triggers combat.
The player eliminates the bandits, and searches for a way forward.
Bandits on this floor are on high alert.

OPTIONAL

Search surrounding area for loot.

2.b - Preparations for the Future

Exploration / Dialogue Prompt

Difficulty: 2/10

Intensity: 5/10

Duration: 20s

The player sneaks past the guards after distracting them. They enter the office and spot a key sitting on the desk. The player then exits the room to continue finding the medical room.

Ellie reminds the player they need a key and points out the room up ahead as it resembles an office.
The player searches the mentioned room for a key.
After locating the key on a desk, the player searches for a way forward.

OPTIONAL

Search surrounding area for other loot.

2.c - Trek Through Watchful Eyes

Exploration / Combat

Difficulty: 6/10 or 8/10

Intensity: 7/10 or 9/10

Duration: 50s or 60s

After leaving the office and gathering the needed key, the player must traverse a long hallway utilizing the cover and adjacent rooms to continue the search forward.

In Stealth

The player leaves the office room.
The player locates various bandits in their patrol paths.
The player uses the supplied cover and side rooms to navigate the space unnoticed.

In Combat

The players leave the office room.
The player triggers combat and must utilize their surroundings to eliminate the nearby bandits.
After combat, the player searches for a way forward.
Bandits on this floor are on high alert.

OPTIONAL

Search surrounding area for loot.

2.d - A Thin Layer of Glass

Exploration / Combat

Difficulty: 6/10 or 8/10

Intensity: 5/10 or 8/10

Duration: 20s or 40s

After exiting a tight encounter space with some bandits, the player is prompted with dialogue exclaiming that the medical storage is close. Once the player enters this section, the previous bandits in 2.c initiate a patrol path which the player must avoid.

In Stealth

Joel's dialogue is triggered.
The player uses cover to dodge the patrol paths.
The player enters the medical storage room using the key found previously.

In Combat

Joel's dialogue is triggered.
The player approaches the room before the medical storage.
The player triggers combat with the nearby few guards.
After eliminating the threats, the player continues forward to the storage.

2.e - Success and Surprise Failure

Cutscene

Difficulty: 1/10

Intensity: 1/10

Duration: 90s

Once the player enters the medical storage they interact with a cabinet and trigger a cutscene. The cutscene showcases the two grabbing supplies when Ellie accidently knocks over a shelf creating a loud noise. A bandit inspects and shouting at the sight of Ellie and Joel. Joel then knocks out the guard with a brick, but not fast enough as nearby guards are alerted to the players position. Joel grabs the weapon of the guard he subdued.

The player enters the medical storage.
The player begins searching the only closed cabinet.
The player triggers a cutscene.

2.f - An Inescapable Confrontation

Combat

Difficulty: 7/10

Intensity: 9/10

Duration: 45s

As the cutscene closes, the player must prepare for combat in this small medical storage room. The approaching bandits discover the player and combat initiates. 2 waves of bandits approach and the player is forced to eliminate them.

The cutscene ends.
The player engages in combat.
The player continues forward searching for a way out.

2.g - A Familiar Opening

Exploration

Difficulty: 2/10

Intensity: 6/10

Duration: 15s

After the player eliminates the bandits who confront them at the medical storage, they must find a quick escape. The player notices bandits approaching them from the hallway they were in a few minutes ago. To the right of the storage there is a familiar opening in the floor which gives access to the cafeteria room they previously explored. The player drops down and continues their escape.

The player exits the medical storage.
The player notices the hallway forward is full of confrontation and finds an alternative way.
The player drops to the first floor to escape the hospital through the front door.

OPTIONAL

Search surrounding area for loot.

PART 3 - Surprise Outbreak

The player enter the main floor once again only to find out the hospital is being swarmed by the infected, and escape wont be so easy.

3.a - Medical Meltdown

Escape / Combat

Difficulty: 5/10

Intensity: 9/10

Duration: 15s

The player escapes to the first floor and notices the infected outbreak that is plaguing the inside of the hospital. With the front entrance now blocked off, the player must find another way out.

The player enters the main floor again.
The player notices multiple infected running towards their location from the main lobby.
The player searches for another way to escape.

OPTIONAL

Search surrounding area for loot.

3.b - A Familiar Unfamiliar Space

Combat

Difficulty: 7/10

Intensity: 9/10

Duration: 20s

The player enters the courtyard once again noticing many infected are fighting the remaining first floor bandits. A few infected take notice to the player and must be dealt with before searching for an escape.

The player enters the courtyard.
The player eliminates the threatening infected.
The player continues forward searching for an escape.

OPTIONAL

Search surrounding area for loot.

3.c - Wait Out a Calamity

Escape / Combat

Difficulty: 7/10

Intensity: 9/10

Duration: 20s

The players previous path is swarming with infected so they are forced to go another way. Across the courtyard is an open window in a uncontested room. The player must advance towards that window while the infected are preoccupied with bandits.

In Stealth

The player enters the room.
The player stays silent to not alert the infected to their position.
The player exits the room once the infected are gone to continue their escape.

In Combat

The player is seen, or takes a shot near the infected.
The player must use cover to eliminate the infected that begin attacking.
The player exits the room to continue their escape.

Optional

Search surrounding area for loot.

3.d - Hold your Breath

Stealth / Combat

Difficulty: 4/10 or 8/10

Intensity: 7/10 or 9/10

Duration: 25s or 40s

Once inside the room. A few infected enter and begin searching for any living things. The player must stay hidden for 15 seconds from the infected in order to not trigger combat, and continue their escape.

In Stealth

The player enters the room.
Infected swarm the outside hallway, and a few enter the room.
The player must stealth through cover for 15 seconds in order for the infected to leave an opening for escape.

In Combat

The player is seen, or takes a shot near the infected.
The player must use cover to eliminate the infected that begin attacking.
After a 20 second encounter, the player exits the room to continue their escape.

Optional

Search surrounding area for loot.

3.e - Final Shots

Combat

Difficulty: 8/10

Intensity: 9/10

Duration: 30s

Escaping the hallway, the player enters the emergency lobby once again. Infected begin to poor out of a doorway on the right side and swarm the immediate room taking notice to the player.

The player enters the emergency lobby and is confronted by multiple infected.
The player uses the nearby cover to eliminate the infected.
After the 30 second encounter the player searches for a way out of the building.

Optional

Search surrounding area for loot.

3.f - A View of Safety

Escape / Exploration

Difficulty: 3/10

Intensity: 6/10

Duration: 15s

The commotion alerts an unwinnable amount of infected to begin storming the player from behind. They must look around for an escape to avoid being confronted by a large amount of infected.

The player is prompted with the approaching infected through Ellie's dialogue.
The player must search for an escape route.

Optional

Search surrounding area for loot.

3.g - To a Safer Place

Exploration / Escape

Difficulty: 1/10

Intensity: 1/10

Duration: 10s

Entering the side room the infected previously flooded out of. The player notices an open window they previously passed and climbs out it escaping the hospital.

The player enters a small side room in the emergency lobby.
The player escapes through the window and escape the hospital premise.

Optional

Search surrounding area for loot.

FLOW CHART

TOP VIEW

Floor 1

Floor 2

2D LAYOUT

Post Mortem

I believe I stayed true to the gameplay of The Last of Us with this mission. I wanted to focus on the creativity the game emphasizes, and the unpredictability of the game's setting.

The main challenges I faced was creating a space that could have its section replayed, but with different gameplay. The space had to be memorable, but also feature multiple ways to access the different rooms so the gameplay could be close to previous encounters in some sections, and near identical to allow players to escape easily.