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XING: The Land Beyond

Environment + Level Design for Zeneth

Screenshots from XING: The Land Beyond

My role was to create levels from paper to editor. I loved creating vistas, but mostly stuck to smaller cozy spaces due to optimization necessities. My job was to create the landscape and sculpt it, then place all the meshes on top, from architecture to plants to gameplay elements, in ways that were both beautiful and also guiding for player from one zone to the next. My level design includes purposeful occlusions (aka big rocks) of other level areas, as well as thought-out foliage placement for the most bang for our buck at every detail level. I also created puzzle zones, and helped come up with and implement puzzle designs, which were fully integrated into the environments. My ultimate goal was to have each level be beautiful and satisfying, with something always available for the player to do. I worked with 2 other teammates to come up with ideas on what we thought would be fun and look cool.

Probably my favorite shot from this level. The light falls perfectly through the trees! Because this is the hub level, I wanted to make it something that players would look forward to going back to.

Probably my favorite shot from this level. The light falls perfectly through the trees! Because this is the hub level, I wanted to make it something that players would look forward to going back to.

When you first enter this map, you are teleported into this white room. It only has 2 doors and a pedestal. This is the final door that the player returns to after they've completed the rest of the game! This was inspired by scenes in FMA Brotherhood.

When you first enter this map, you are teleported into this white room. It only has 2 doors and a pedestal. This is the final door that the player returns to after they've completed the rest of the game! This was inspired by scenes in FMA Brotherhood.

Opposite the great door in the white room is this smaller door that leads the player into the rest of the level. In VR, tricks like this where the giant whiteness around you disappears when you walk through a doorway are even more magical-feeling.

Opposite the great door in the white room is this smaller door that leads the player into the rest of the level. In VR, tricks like this where the giant whiteness around you disappears when you walk through a doorway are even more magical-feeling.

This is the central area in Zeneth, with giant round "hobbit" doors surrounding the pool and player, which all transport the player to the various levels. I decided to put the giant trees here to give it that mystical ancient feeling.

This is the central area in Zeneth, with giant round "hobbit" doors surrounding the pool and player, which all transport the player to the various levels. I decided to put the giant trees here to give it that mystical ancient feeling.

A closer shot of the stone guardian and crystal.

A closer shot of the stone guardian and crystal.

To keep the player's full attention (especially with VR because they have full-control of where they are looking) these guardian moments are set in a black surrounding. Everything around the player fades to black, except for the guardian and crystal pool.

To keep the player's full attention (especially with VR because they have full-control of where they are looking) these guardian moments are set in a black surrounding. Everything around the player fades to black, except for the guardian and crystal pool.

The pool is the central interactable in the level, used in conjunction with objects that the player can pick up. The door on the side visually shows the progress that the player has made in that particular level, which was a useful late-design choice.

The pool is the central interactable in the level, used in conjunction with objects that the player can pick up. The door on the side visually shows the progress that the player has made in that particular level, which was a useful late-design choice.

There are 2 bonus golden runes that the player can get just by entering the forest beyond the gate. I set up this scene so that it was just within view when looking through the first gate, as a temptation for the player.

There are 2 bonus golden runes that the player can get just by entering the forest beyond the gate. I set up this scene so that it was just within view when looking through the first gate, as a temptation for the player.

This was our first take on Zeneth. A lot changed. The unicorns are still in it!

This was our first take on Zeneth. A lot changed. The unicorns are still in it!

We built this classical architecture pack and designed a complex hub level of Zeneth. Eventually we wanted it to have a more soft and natural look like the rest of the game. We swapped the sharp white edges of this style with rounded stone and foliage.

We built this classical architecture pack and designed a complex hub level of Zeneth. Eventually we wanted it to have a more soft and natural look like the rest of the game. We swapped the sharp white edges of this style with rounded stone and foliage.

Here are some more ideas and iterations. This was definitely our MOST redesigned level. It took us a lot of iteration and different layouts to finally come up with one that was straightforward, clear to navigate, and of course, beautiful.

Here are some more ideas and iterations. This was definitely our MOST redesigned level. It took us a lot of iteration and different layouts to finally come up with one that was straightforward, clear to navigate, and of course, beautiful.

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