Echoes: A PS4 Metroidvania-like Game

Trailer

Gameplay Walkthrough

Core Info

• Coding Language: C++
• Personal Roles: Core UI Programmer, Code Liaison (For duration of final module), Core Profiler
• Platform: PS4
• Team Size: 15-27 (27 for Modules 3 & 4, 15 for Module 5. Up to 8 Programmers, 11 Artists & 8 Designers)
• Project Length: 6 Months (Modules 3 & 4 – 6 Weeks, Module 5 – 3 Months)

This project has been made as the majority of my postgraduate Masters degree. It has now been completed and my course has finished.

Echoes is a Metroidvania style game with a top down camera that incorporates deep combat with Lovecraftian influences set in an Art Deco styled 3D environment.

For this project I was the core UI Programmer for a large portion of the development cycle. Towards the end of the project, I spent time on Gameplay Programming and Profiling. I worked on bringing such elements to the game, both as a HUD and with in world elements. The work I have conducted, currently, can be split into five distinct categories:

1. Setting up back-end code that helps programmers that touch UI code on the project
2. Generating the foundations for a large portion of the visible UI in the game state (Front end to come)
3. Working on lower priority, quality-of-life gameplay changes to improve the overall feel of the visible end product
4. Profiling the project during the final stages to ensure high quality performance in the form of stable 60 FPS whilst maintaining high production quality
5. Understanding and learning UE4 to grasp it’s limitations, usefulness and capabilities to prepare myself for working in industry with a well established game engine

To keep builds safe during development, we have worked exclusively on Version 4.18.3 of UE4 so that we are relatively up to date with the engine but do not run into problems regarding updated functionality.

My work on this project, to date, has encompassed:

User Interface Programming

• Various custom C++ Class Creation & Implementation based on UE4 architecture e.g. inheriting from the engine class UUserWidget
• A single, multipurpose, UI Element generation class called SuperUI to handle Widget construction, placement and other regularly referenced properties
• A Map screen that updates the position of the player based on their location in world space and placing an icon on a map image within the viewport
• A Skill Tree Prototype that displays images to the screen, pauses the game, and shows what is currently available to the player
• The creation of UImage types that reference a file location and allowing non-programmers to edit the accessed through the editor
• A now defunct time slowing effect that would have been used for a UI element to select elemental properties in combat without pausing the game

Gameplay Programming:

• Enabling the player to open treasure chests only from the front and only whilst they are facing the chest
• Converting a BP template creating Tutorial UI prompts into pure C++
• Enabling and disabling Player Input capabilities during multiple parts of the game (e.g. during cutscenes, when opening chests)

The PlayStation 4 Cover Image is the property of Sony Computer Entertainment