Personal project that will be divided into three chapters/parts happening within a fantasy and open-world ARPG game the player will have to explore:

1. Chapter 1 - Start of the level: The player arrives to the main camp and knows about the current situation and needs to explore the surroundings while interacting with some NPCs. This leads the player to find there's no way to reach the castle directly
2. Chapter 2 - The infiltration: Upon finding what seems to be a hidden infiltration route, the player will traverse it in order to reach the castle without being noticed. This will depict underground/cave exploration and potential enemy encounters
3. Chapter 3 - Solving the castle mystery: After successfully infiltrating the castle, the player solves the mystery and breaks the weird barrier blocking the path towards the rest of the area

1. Personal project
2. Unreal Engine 5
3. Action RPG
4. 3rd person
5. Semi-linear

This is the first part of the whole level representing Chapter 1. In this map we can spot the following elements in terms of locations:

1. Player start: Where the player begins exploring the level
2. Main camp: The main camp guarding both the village and castle. It's what the player finds first upon starting
3. Cave: A small cave mainly used for mineral extraction located near the camp
4. Village: The village that connects to the castle through a main bridge now broken
5. Castle: The castle located at the highest point, ruling over the rest of the area. The main connection with it has been apparently destroyed

Apart from these locations, there are three more elements representing alternative paths or items that block and control the player's pace and progression:

1. Blockage: The bridge to the castle is broken, so the player needs to find another way to access the higher plateau
2. Infiltration route: A hidden and old path that served as secondary entrance to the castle, now being the only way to try reaching it. It's an underground area with narrow corridors and bigger areas (Chapter 2)
3. Path towards rest of the map: Path currently blocked by an unknown magical barrier that connects this area with the rest of the level

By making the objective or a key location visible from the start, players instantly have a goal and know where they need to go. A visible landmark helps establish the overall layout and scale of the level, giving the player a mental map of their journey and destination. For this particular part of the level, two key locations are presented:

1. Village: upon reaching the entrance of the camp, the player can see one of the houses of the village (1st image)
2. Castle: once the player enters the camp and talks with an NPC, who gives them a bit more of information about the current situation, the player can see one of the castle's towers (2nd image)

Starting the level close to the camp's location gives the player the following:

1. Get some information about the current situation
2. Get used to the controls and space before engaging into some action
3. Chance to explore the surroundings in a safe and controlled environment and way

Blocking a direct path ensures the player experiences the level in a controlled and intended way. This way the player is forced to slow down and find another way to reach the main goal, boosting the exploration and giving chances to present more elements to them (NPC/enemies encounters, new mechanics, etc). At the same time, hinting at alternative routes when finding the blockage keeps them engaged and without feeling lost.

1. Player finds the bridge connecting to the castle broken. Apart from being a blockage, it also hints at some sort of sabotage or hostile action happening, indirectly warning the player to be careful
2. Player looks around (down) and sees two caves or paths below, urging them to reach that area and investigate further