Warlock - Forsaken Citadel

The targeting system is powered by a state machine, enabling players to target enemies within their vicinity. Only enemy actors that meet specific criteria, like being alive, close by, and not obstructed, can be targeted. The targeted enemy actors are then highlighted with an outline effect using a post-processing shader.

The combo system is comprised of a series of inputs executed by the player. Every attack has a buffer window where the player's input is recorded, which later triggers the relevant animations. If the buffer period isn't followed by another input action, the combo will time out.

There are a total of 5 ability implementations, each with unique traits.

“Erupt” - The player uses a charged attack to smash the ground with force, causing AOE damage to surrounding enemies.

“Teleport” - The player instantly moves from their current location to another in the direction of their choice.

“Scorching Missile” - Seeks out enemy targets and causes ranged damage upon impact.

“Power of the Ancient” - Buffs the player, allowing them to endure enemy damage and deal greater damage in return.

“Slow” - Debuffs nearby enemies by temporarily reducing time dilation, effectively slowing their movements.

In "Warlock - Forsaken Citadel" each enemy type has a distinct AI implementation using different state machines. The dragon AI is a prime example of this, with states determined by both its health and player distance. It exhibits the following behaviors:

1. Upon sighting the player, it will pursue them and cast a breath attack based on distance. This attack has a cool-down before reuse.

2. At close range, the dragon has two options for attack: left or right claw strikes. This is available if its health is above half.

3. After taking damage, the dragon will fly up, cast three ranged attacks, then heal upon landing.

4. If its health drops below half, the dragon can use all its attacks, including a tail swing and a wing stomp that cause more damage to the player.

“Balcony” is simply the environment used for the main menu of the game, this was a way of taking the art direction one step further by immediately immersing the player into the world of “Warlock - Forsaken Citadel”. This concept was inspired by the “Witcher 3 Wild Hunt”.

Set on a remote island in the vastness of the ocean, the “Fortress“ stands tall, protected by multiple enemies as well as the first boss that the player will encounter. Secret passages, a destructive environment and a number of interactive objects can all be found within the extensiveness of this level. Moreover, the only level containing a day and night cycle which influences torches around the area, alighting depending on the time of day.

In the slightly darker, eerier setting, the player finds themselves in the narrow passage of a sewer. Upon discovering an ancient destroyed path leading to mysterious chambers, a summon appears at the behest of the player, lighting the path ahead. This took inspiration from the “Zelda” games, where a fairy is used to follow the protagonist of the game around. After exploring this level, a gateway into another world is found, ultimately leading into the third and final level.

The player finds themselves face to face with a gigantic gate inspired by the “Black Gate” from “The Lord of the Rings”. After defeating all the nearby enemies and passing through the portal behind the gate. The player returns to an unfamiliar part of the “Fortress”. While deceivingly peaceful, the player gets ambushed by a large dragon which sets the environment on fire in turn blocks the path behind. A destructive environment, post-processing effects and a plethora of particle effects were used to achieve this.