Eyes up, Medics - you're gonna want to see this.
Last time, we ripped open the medical bag and explained how level design works in Medic: Pacific War. Today, we’re diving deeper into the mind of our level designer for a broader look behind the frontlines.
In this devlog, we explore how the world around you is built to heighten every heartbeat. From lighting and sound to emotional storytelling and performance optimization, this is where level design meets battlefield realism. It's not just about where you fight, but how it feels every step of the way.
Let’s dive in!
Designing for Systems
In designing the levels, we aim for consistency and immersion rather than complexity. While players may unlock additional medical tools like tourniquets or advanced medicaments throughout their gameplay, the structure of the levels themselves remains separate from these upgrades. This way, it allows the game to maintain a level sense of realism, imitating how real-world medics must adapt to situations rather than rely on the environment to adapt to their toolkit.
Unlike games that feature supply boxes or scattered resource nodes as part of environmental puzzles or rewards, Medic: Pacific War emphasizes authenticity. We intentionally avoid placing supply drops or medical stations directly into the level design. Instead, the focus is on the core experience of field medicine under pressure, where the challenge stems not from finding resources but from using what’s available effectively.
To elevate the emotional weight and immersion of treating wounded soldiers, we've developed a dialogue system that brings these NPCs to life. Each injured soldier is not just a gameplay element, but a character with a voice, offering comments, personal stories, or reactions as they receive care. This system transforms them from static set pieces into integral parts of the narrative and pacing, weaving emotional threads into the gameplay experience.
Immersion & Atmosphere
Creating a gripping battlefield experience relies on more than just mechanics. Our team uses a carefully orchestrated blend of sound, visuals, and level design to evoke dread, urgency, and deep immersion.
Ambient sounds like distant artillery, shouted commands or the buzz of flies over debris set a foreboding tone, while the music dynamically escalates tension. Limited visibility through fog, smoke, or obstructive terrain makes players feel vulnerable, heightening their alertness. Dynamic in-level events - paired with UI indicators that highlight nearby threats - make sure that players remain constantly aware of the dangers that surround them.
Lighting, fog, and sound design serve not only as atmospheric elements but also as navigational cues. We use lighting contrast to subtly guide players, drawing their attention to critical paths, interactive objects, or narrative points of interest. Sudden lighting shifts - like a flickering bulb or a complete blackout - can signal impending danger, pushing players to make split-second decisions under stress.
Fog limits sightlines, enhancing the tension of moving through unfamiliar terrain, while spatial audio cues hint at nearby movement or unseen threats. These environmental elements all work in unison to influence player behavior and perception, ensuring a deeply reactive and atmospheric experience.
Among the levels, there’s one particular moment that stands out: the quiet before the storm at the Okinawa camp. Before the chaos of battle begins, players witness a rare slice of life in the camp - soldiers talking, resting, or lost in thought. It’s a subtle but effective contrast to the intensity that follows, and it adds emotional depth to the level. This moment captures the human side of war, grounding the experience and offering players a chance to reflect before they're thrown back into the fray.
Optimization
Performance optimization is a crucial part of our development process, especially as we strive to deliver a seamless experience across a wide range of hardware configurations. Our team regularly profiles and benchmarks the game using tools provided by Unreal Engine, such as the Unreal Engine Profiler. This allows us to identify performance bottlenecks, whether in rendering, scripting, or memory usage, and implement targeted optimizations.
From reducing draw calls and optimizing assets to fine-tuning lighting and effects, every change is made with careful attention to maintaining both visual fidelity and gameplay fluidity. These efforts ensure that players can experience the intensity of the battlefield without technical interruptions, regardless of their system specs.
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