Horror Revamp

Evan O’Connor

Revisiting a genre that has a generally low playtime

Team Members:

Evan O’Connor, Game Design

Technical Field
This project involves the technical field of Game Design.

Background Information
The inspiration to the creation of this project comes from a background of horror games and the
studying of their design. Horror games are often a one-and-done experience, usually only
providing the player with whatever the first experience had in store for them. I am pursuing this
project to give replay value to horror games and to provide differing experiences from one player
to another.
Prior Art (legal term)
The source of inspiration for this project is the Resident Evil Randomizer by Benn Powell. The
Pros of this randomizer are that with each use of the randomizer playthroughs will vary and that
it does provide a different experience each time. The Con of this are that it is completely random
and the pacing becomes distorted.
Project Description
My project aims to create a differing experience in horror games by analyzing the player’s
gameplay and placing items and pathways accordingly while randomizing elements to make sure
that players will feel a greater amount of replay value from a genre that often struggles to find it
outside of the first playthrough.
Innovation Claim
In horror games, by using a system that dynamically analyzes the player’s actions and
performance, we can enhance the experience and give replayability using methods that involve
arranging elements accordingly throughout first and future playthroughs.

Usage Scenario
A scenario involving the typical use of this project would include use of it outside of the scope of
horror games. This system could be used in different forms of single player gameplay, role
playing games, shooters, and other genres of gaming.

Evaluation Criteria
The following questions will identify the successful completion of the project.
1. Gameplay changes
1. How will different item spawns affect the player’s habits?
2. Do the different item spawns affect the route the player takes?
3. Does enemy placement (and replacement) change the route the player takes?
4. Does the placement of key items affect actions and change the player’s decisions?
 2. Program Stability
1. Does the Revamp run without soft or hard-locking the game?
2. Does the Revamp run without causing crashes?

Objectives and Tasks Associated with the Project

1. Create the blueprints in Unreal to support the system created.
2. Create the levels themselves and the system that keeps track of player information.
1. Add support for times the player takes damage
2. Add support for times the player misses shots
3. Add support for time the player spends in each room
3. Create the blueprint that changes item and enemy placement/spawns.

Description of Design Prototype

The prototype will be built within Unreal Engine 4.

Evaluation Plan
First, I will have to analyze the games references themselves; Resident Evil 2 and Silent Hill 2,
itself and take note of where items and enemies have a possibility of spawning. Secondly is
determining where other areas possible spawns are to add to the variance and possible spawns.
Third would be creating the blueprint that analyzes the player’s actions and performance, and
last would be creating the blueprint that places items and enemies and tweaks aggression.

Project Completion Assessment

Appendices