Nirvana

My final year project at ESMA Montpellier

About Nirvana

Play as Ari, a young woman with movement-based abilities
Fast-FPS / Bullet Hell set in mysterious temple
Defeat Raj the temple chief and escape
Software: Unreal engine 5.3
Active Period: sept 2023 – July 2024

Task

Design Metrics/3C/Weapon
Design and build level blockout
Design NPC pattern and movement
Blueprint Scripting and gameplay events
Dress room
Debug and polish

Overview

Flow chart

Awake

Tuto platformer

1st arena

Platformer

2nd arena

3th arena

Platformer

4th arena

Boss fight

Narration: emotinal intensity refers to the narrative impact and the meaning of the rewards.

Platformer: mechanical intensity comes from the difficulty of platorming sections and the level of control required.

Arena: combat intensity is defined by the density and varieté of ennemies, and the complexity of the combat arenas.

Game design section

Enemy design

I wanted the player’s movement to feel essential to the experience, so i designed ennemies around mobility.
The Swarmer was created as a predator.
The mid-range as prey.
Each encounter tests a different aspect of movement, positioning, timing and control.

Swarmer

A fast and agile enemy
Objective: Hunt down the player
Forces the player to keep moving, preventing static play and maintaining tension.

Mid range

A ranged-type enemy
Objective: to push the player back.
Comes in three variants with different attack patterns.

Weapon design

- I designed the weapons as answers to the enemies.
- Each enemy poses a question through it’s mechanics, and every weapon provides a different way to respond.
- This approach helped create a more connection between combat design and player choice.

Vajra

The Vajra is the first weapon
Short-range weapon
Effective in close combat

Chakram

The chakram is second unlocked
Long-range weapon
Effective at long range

Level design section

Naraka – Platforme

I designed the area with two gameplay sequences: platforming and combat.

• The platforming section challenges the player to fully use their movement skills.

• The combat arenas add variety — one focused on close-range fights, and another, more tutorial-like, hiding a secret arena underneath.

Platformer n°1

I designed the beginning of the level with a lava pit as a dead zone and narrow, spaced-out platforms.

My goal was to teach the player the limits of their movement metric.

• The layout forces the player to chain multiple jumps, a dash, and climbing

• This creates an intense introduction to the game’s core movement.

Wow effect

I designed the entrance of the second arena as a “wow moment” to make the arrival more impactful.
• It emphasizes the closed nature of the space and draws the player’s eye to the locked door ahead.

Naraka – Arena

The arena was built on a circular layout where each platform could be easily adjusted directly in the engine, allowing for fast iteration during production.

Arena n°1

• My goal was to create a compact space that encourages quick reactions and close combat.

• The circular design keeps the player constantly moving and reinforces the focus on melee encounters.

Arena n°2 – 2.5

In this arena, all enemies are placed on elevated platforms to make the Chakram essential to the fight.

• This setup serves as a tutorial phase for mastering the new weapon.

Early tests showed that central cover made the fight too easy, blocking most enemy shots.

• I reworked the layout by opening the center and moving cover to the edges, forcing constant movement and creating a more dynamic fight.

This arena mixes close and long-range combat.
• Dead zones in the center keep the player mobile, while offset structures make mid-range enemies less predictable and offer height for strategic positioning.

Early versions of the arena included central pillars, but they blocked most projectiles and limited combat flow.
• Removing or moving these covers opened the space, allowing ranged attacks to spread and making the fight more dynamic.

Raj’s altar

This area was designed as a contemplative platforming section.

• Enemies are placed to subtly guide the player along the main path, creating a short moment of relief between intense encounters.

I used a stained glass window to highlight the exit at the top of the room and naturally draw the player’s attention.
• A pillar placed in front of the locked door leads to the upper floor, while individually placed enemies mark key points and keep the room engaging.