THE EVENING FALCON
Summary
For this project, I wanted to make an immersive level with a short, satisfying, and emotional story.
You play as Millie, chasing the elusive Evening Falcon, whilst exploring the park and picking up garbage.
Taking pictures of the birds causes Millie to remember her complicated relationship with her father.
Will she forgive him? And more importantly: will she forgive herself?
Breakdown
- Solo project developed in 6 weeks half time (4 hours/day)
- Focus on narrative and level design
- Made in Unreal Engine 5
- Assets made using Blender
Software Used
- Blockout Tools Plugin
- First-Person Movement Template
- Bird sounds and sfx from Freesound
Story Synopsis
Millie sees a falcon when driving and decides to stop to try and find it. She always wanted to see one with her dad, who recently passed away.
When exploring the nature reserve, she picks up trash, which brings the birds back. Taking photos of these birds brings back memories for Millie. Memories about the complicated relationship she had with her father.
She remembers going birdwatching with him, then losing contact with her father. One day she receives a phone call saying he’s dead. He didn’t tell her about his sickness. Millie is sad, but most of all angry.
Now, just after the funeral, she sees the falcon that they always wanted to see together. She finally forgives him, and more importantly: herself.
Level Walkthrough
1. Beginning
Millie is driving home when she sees a bird. Could it be the elusive Evening Falcon? She has to try and find it.
2. The Woodpecker
She remembers calm mornings at the park with her dad, back when everything was good between them.
4. The Swallows
Her dad seemed distant. Their relationship was fragile and broken.
3. The Blackbird
She remembers being a teenager, no longer wanting to go to the park with her dad.
5. The Lake
Millie gets a phone call her dad has passed away. He didn’t tell her about his sickness.
6. The Evening Falcon
In the present, Millie finds the falcon, and forgives her father, and most importantly: herself.
Level Mechanics
CLEANING THE PARK
I made a satisfying gameplay loop with my picking up trash mechanic. It acts both as a way to unlock the next chapter of the story, but also as breadcrumbing, guiding the player forward. When placing the trash, I had to consider sightlines, but also sometimes hiding the trash in plain sight, encouraging exploration.
To make the player notice the trash, I made it have a bright red color, a stark contrast against the green nature.
STORY AS REWARD
When the player clears all the trash and takes a picture of the birds, the next part of the story is revealed. This causes the player to take an active part in revealing the story.
It is their choice to experience the story or not, which increases player agency, and motivates them to keep going.
Design Techniques
BIOMES & BORDERS
To make the environment more interesting, I made small variations in the nature, so the player doesn’t get visual fatigue.
There is the forest, the cave, and the lake. I focused on making clear borders with bushes and rocks, to show that player can’t go there.
I spent a lot of time in making the nature look natural.
LANDMARK
In the beginning of the level, the player sees the birdwatching tower in the distance, which is both a landmark and foreshadows their goal.
Seeing it throughout the level helps build the players mental map.
When climbing the tower the player looks back at the previous areas, showcasing how far they have come.
BAIT & SWITCH
I baited the player forward using the trash as a guide. The trash acts as a red herring, luring the player forward. When they turn around the corner, they see a fallen tree, showing their path forward is blocked, and foreshadowing a coming area.
When the player turn around they see another path forward, through the cave.
FUNNEL BEFORE REVEAL
I wanted to control the player’s experience of the level by funneling them into a more and more cramped cave right before opening up to a reveal of the birdwatching tower. This creates a more impactful reveal from the dark contrast of the cave.
NARRATIVE DESIGN
Story Beats
I initially wrote a story synopsis and later developed this more, using the 3-Act Story Structure. Each bird represents a story beat. The first flying bird being the inciting incident, and the last falcon being the climax of the story.
I decided to go with first-person perspective, which makes it a more personal story when we can feel what Millie is feeling.
As to not bore the player, I kept my story beats short and snappy. They tell exactly what is needed and nothing more.
Interest Through Conflict
I wrote the story to focus on a strong emotional narrative, ending each story beat with a twist. In this way I am trying to hook the player into the story to make them want to find out what happens next.
For example: “That was before everything changed” makes the player wonder what happened, how did it change, and makes them want to pursue the story more.
The Emotional Core
Early on, I wanted to find the core of my story. It started just as a bird watching simulator, a girl looking for a falcon.
But something felt off…
I had to find the core of my story. Something to base everything else on.
When I came up with Millie’s father, everything clicked. That was what the story was really about. Their relationship.
When I couldn’t come up with anything to write, that is what I always came back to. What would Millie and her father be going through here?
They were the emotional core of my story.
PROCESS
PRE-PRODUCTION
I took a lot of inspiration from Swedish nature, the different oak and hazel woods I’ve seen many times, as well as my own experiences birdwatching with my family.
From games, I took inspiration from Alba: A Wildlife Adventure, and the environment in Lil Gator Game.
I started with finding reference images to guide my blockout.
WRITING
I wrote several drafts of the story. First on paper, then in a document.
It evolved longer than I planned, so I had to cut parts down and focus on the absolute vital parts of the story.
BLOCKOUT
After sketching, I focused on making essential blockout meshes, and started blocking out the general areas, whilst also working on my scripts.
To better streamline my process, I reused some scripts from previous assignments.
I encountered an error with flickering textures early on which slowed my progress. But after some technical difficulties I managed to fix it.
REFLECTIONS
I accomplished many of the things I wanted to do with this project, and I’m very proud of it. It really represents who I am and my love for nature.
However, I faced some problems with my game design. Players could easily run past all the trash and reach the end without partaking in any of this story. Hidden barriers would have fixed this, but I didn’t want that. More time on the project could have made me solve this problem.
Overall, I am beyond happy with how my level turned out. Playtesters would express how they genuinely felt touched by the experience, which really motivated me to continue creating. If I had the time, I would have polished the experience even more.
Thank you for reading!
