GRIP: COMBAT RACING
DEVELOPER: Caged Element
PUBLISHER: Wired Productions
ROLE: Level Designer (student)
ENGINE: Unreal Engine 4
RELEASE DATE: February 02 2016
GENRE: Action Combat Racer
PLATFORMS: PC, Xbox One (X), Xbox Series S/X, Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Nintendo Switch
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
A spiritual successor to the old Rollcage games, GRIP is a high octane, hardcore combat racer where players control gravity defying vehicles that can ride on walls and ceilings. The oversized wheels allow cars to flip over and keep going.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
During my studies at Breda University of Applied Sciences (previously NHTV) I had the opportunity to work on 'GRIP: Combat Racing' as an external project during project days for two blocks.
During this time I made a new original design and playable blockout for a racetrack set on the lush green world 'Liddo'.
When designing this track I had the following goals and ideas in mind:
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Provide a showcase for GRIP's unique wall and ceiling ride mechanics: This extends to pulling off unique stunts yourself, and also seeing other players around you engage in jumps and wallrides, creating exciting visuals and memorable moments of cars overtaking each other in unique ways.
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Have some unique gameplay sections that are not seen in any other track.
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A track layout that occasionally loops in on and around itself, allowing players to see later stages of the track when passing them at different height levels. Even though it is preferable that players stay together in a group, track sections passing by each other can gives players on overview of cars that are further ahead and behind.
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A curvy design that allows players to keep a high speed flow throughout the entire track, with curved banks and walls assisting in taking high speed turns.
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Set the track in a location with some distinct landmarks, such as parallel roads carved into the sides of a canyon passing behind a waterfall, or a gaint tower in the distance that looms over the central sightline of the track.
Concept Document
This is the concept document for the track. This document is meant to quickly communicate the idea for the track so it can receive an initial round of feedback from the leads and get approved to start full development.
Blockout Gallery
(Visuals not at all representative of final quality)
Saat Coast
Some features of my track eventually ended up in the reworked track 'Saat Coast'.
Credit for the finished Saat track goes to the level designers at Caged Element:
Tony Cooper
Graham Bromley
Jeffrey van der Zalm
Chris Mallinson
James Mallinson
Saat Coast Features:
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An interior section leads into a horizontal corkscrew where players are forced to wallride across the curved wall. The wallride ends in a jump where cars cross each other at the entrance and exit point.
This room was designed to showcase moments that are unique to the GRIP's 'carkour' style racing, forcing players to ride on walls while allowing for cool views to emerge by having cars zip by over your head and cross each other in mid air. There's also a rare chance of player colliding if they happen to cross at exactly the same time and height.
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A section where multiple ramps cross the paths underneath, providing players with cool visuals when jumping over other vehicles, and seeing other cars pass over their head.
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Ramps allow for jumps over the bottom track, and a giant hollowed out tree forms an overpass for cars to wall/ceiling-ride across the bottom lane below.
