BLADE OF RECLAMATION

Game Design Process
"Blade of Reclamation" is a semi-open-world RPG set in a dark fantasy medieval forest. Players take on the role of Isadora, a warrior princess navigating through ruins to uncover the truth behind the destruction of her kingdom. The game design emphasizes exploration, combat, and environmental storytelling. The gameplay combines narrative-driven interactions with tactical combat, creating an immersive experience that balances player agency with a critical path.

Narrative Design
The narrative unfolds in a world devastated by the "Great Collapse," where hellish creatures have overrun humanity. Isadora must explore ruined villages, interact with Points of Interest (POIs), and battle enemies to piece together the events leading to her family's demise. Narrative Interactions (NIs) provide lore and context through environmental storytelling, enhancing the player's emotional connection to the world and its mysteries.

Programming
The technical architecture focuses on three core gameplay elements: player abilities, AI behaviors, and level interactables. Player mechanics are handled through custom blueprints for movement, combat, and camera controls. AI employs behavior trees for dynamic decision-making, including patrolling, attacking, and reacting to player actions. Interaction systems use blueprints to trigger narrative elements and objectives seamlessly.

Level Design
The level design prioritizes creating a believable medieval environment with distinct POIs scattered across the map. The modular approach ensures areas are visually cohesive while allowing for exploration. Village ruins, fire pits, and other interactable objects are strategically placed to guide players along the critical path while encouraging discovery.

Shaders & Aesthetics
The game's aesthetics aim to evoke a somber and immersive atmosphere. Custom assets like oil lamps, wooden carts, and village ruins were modeled in Blender to maintain thematic consistency. A custom skybox created using Spacescape enhances the dark fantasy mood. Quixel Megascans were used for realistic textures, while lighting effects like fire animations add depth to the environment.

Gameplay & Interactions
Combat revolves around wielding a two-handed sword with deliberate movements that emphasize timing and positioning. Players can perform basic attacks and charge strikes while managing stamina and enemy tactics. Exploration is driven by interacting with POIs using intuitive controls, allowing players to uncover lore organically while navigating through the environment.

UI/UX Design
The user interface includes Narrative Interactions (NIs) for lore delivery, an implicit objective system for guidance, and health bars for combat feedback. Onboarding introduces players to mechanics through environmental cues and initial interactions with fire pits and enemies. Camera controls ensure smooth transitions between exploration and combat.

Game Flow
The game alternates between exploration-focused sections and combat encounters. Players start near a riverbank and gradually uncover clues about their surroundings through POIs while facing increasingly challenging enemies. The critical path leads them through ruined villages toward a climactic discovery that ties together narrative threads.

Reflections & Postmortem
The project emphasized individual learning and creative freedom but faced challenges in maintaining cohesion across systems. While modular approaches worked well for level design, integrating AI and combat proved more difficult due to unforeseen design flaws. Playtesting focused on immediate reactions rather than holistic feedback, providing actionable insights but limiting overall polish. Despite these challenges, "Blade of Reclamation" achieved its goal as a portfolio-ready vertical slice showcasing technical skills and artistic vision.