Sol: Last Light is a combat-focused, third-person action RPG game. I was the combat designer for this project, working with teams of designers, artists, animators, and sound designers to bring this project to life.
Combat Preview
Platform | PC
Playtime | 2 Hours
Engine | Unreal Engine 4.23 - 5.1
Download on Steam | Link
Duration | Dec 2022 - May 2023
Roles | Combat Designer
Team Size | 6
Responsibilities
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Led the tech team, managing tasks and guiding the overall gameplay design of the game.
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Designed and implemented player-side attacks, and abilities.
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Made tools to facilitate the work of other designers.
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Designed and implemented the Final Boss of the game.
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Worked on tuning combat to be fast paced and satisfying.
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Worked on bug-fixing and playtesting the game's mechanics.
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Merged work made by different people in the team.
The Combat Component
The combat component is an actor component that handles most of the combat functionality in the game. This modular component can be added to any actor, and that should automatically enable said actor to be a playable character. The component holds the combat functionality and animations. Those can be changed in each actor in the editor to quickly change the attacks, weapons and movement options without needing extra code. This means that, if you want to create extra playable characters, as long as you put the combat component, and then add the animations you want the second character to have, the new actor should automatically be playable as a second character. This is the core of the combat system, and where all the magic works.
Basic Attacks
In the current combat system, the player has 2 types of main attacks, a heavy attack, and a light attack. The light attack deals less damage, however, it is faster and great to increase the enemy's stagger meter. As for the heavy attacks, they are slower, however, deal substantially more damage.
Each attack has different properties, that vary from damage, speed, hitstop, camera shake, cooldown reduction, and more. Those attacks have been carefully thought out and balanced to have unique uses for each situation. With the most simple of it being, the initial light attack being quick for small trades, and the first heavy attack being slow but damaging, for big punishes. But we also have the last attack of each combo being a dash to reduce the gap that was made by the knockback of the combo. Mixing and matching light, heavy and aerial attacks is key to master the combat of Sol: Last Light
Aerial Attacks
In this combat system the player can execute aerial attack by pressing the attack button while pressing the block button. This way the player will execute an uppercut that will enable the character to chain attacks in the air. This system was inspired by Devil May Cry's aerial combos.
The player can only chain one aerial attack combo per jump/uppercut by default. However, by performing an air dash, or by using the grapple ability, the player can extend their time in the air, and chain more aerial attacks together. The player is also able to end their aerial string by either pressing block and attack again, to perform a plunge attack, or by using the fireball ability, that will slam the enemy into the ground, causing an explosion.
Ability Selection System
The Ability Selection System, is what handles the special moves of the game. It was originally based on Final Fantasy's VII ATB system. However, during development, the game ended up becoming faster. So we decided to change it to a quick cast, closer to the ability system of Final Fantasy XVI.
Old System
Current System
On the beginning, The abilities required a meter to be charged at least halfway in order to be activated. That meter could be charged by damaging enemies. However, in order to keep the combat speedy, that was changed to a cooldown based system, where abilities are available until you use them. And when used, they will become unavailable for a period of time. But, I still wanted to encourage players to hit enemies in order to throw out more abilities. This way, a cooldown reduction mechanic was implemented, where hitting an enemy slightly reduces the cooldowns of abilities. This also helped to keep previously existing combos working, since by executing them, you cooldowns would be shortened, allowing the player to further extend their attack strings.
Ability Explanation
Teleport Slash
This ability allows the player to quickly move towards an enemy, when that enemy is reached, the player executes two high damaging slashes. This ability makes the player invulnerable during it's duration, and greatly increases the stagger meter of the enemies hit by it.
Grapple
In Combat: This ability allows the player to throw their grapple hook on an enemy, and pull it towards the player character. This ability deals a small amount of damage, but it resets the player aerial state. This way, if used in the air, it can extend the player's air time, so it works very well as a combo extender.
Outside of Combat: This ability allows the player to grapple towards grapple points. Allowing the player to reach points that were normally unreachable.
Solar Abilities
In Combat: This ability allows the player to charge and throw a fireball towards an enemy. This projectile deals a lot of damage, and it follows the targeted enemy during its first second. This ability also works to remove shields from enemies, that normally would greatly reduce the damage they take from the player. In case the player does this ability in the air, the player character will start spinning, damaging all the enemies in range. At the end of the attack, the player will do a final slash, all enemies hit by it will be thrown into the ground and will explode on impact, dealing AOE damage to all enemies in range.
Outside of Combat: This ability allows the player to destroy structures opening new paths. Other than that, it also allows the player to charge stations, that enable the player to interact with more portions of the level
Gravity Push
This ability gives the player super armor, making it uninterruptable. Then a particle effect is spawned at the player location, together with a sphere trace. All enemies hit within the area will take moderate damage and will be pushed back a considerable amount. Giving the player space to breathe
Blocking System
The player is able to block incoming attacks drastically reducing incoming damage. In order to balance this mechanic, there is a block bar that is reduced by active time and damage taken. Whenever the block state is active the player unlocks extra abilities like an uppercut that leads into aerial combos and a collection of special moves that are called Overdrive Abilities.
Parries
If the player is attacked within 10 frames of releasing block. The character will execute a parry, all the damage that would be received is negated and an invincible attack will be executed automatically. However, this attack can be canceled by a roll, or another different attack.
Overdrive Abilities
When holding the block button, the ability diamond switches to an Overdrive state, displaying different abilities that are charged by using the ability selection system. These abilities are similar to the Limit Break mechanic from the Final Fantasy Franchise. Overdrive abilities have a cinematic effect and are significantly stronger than the average move. There are two types of Overdrive Abilities.
Overdrive abilities have a cinematic effect and are significantly stronger than the average move. There are two types of Overdrive Abilities.
Overdrive Burst
Overdrive Burst, consumes half of the overdrive meter. The game then goes into a cinematic camera view, and then the character executes a powerful attack that deals the most amount of damage of any singular attack in the game.
Overdrive
Regular Overdrive can be activated with half of the overdrive meter. However, unlike Overdrive Burst, it slowly consumes the meter up until it's empty. This ability makes the player faster and increases their damage and stagger multiplier. After it's activation, the ability duration can be extended by utilizing regular abilities.
The Final Boss [Icarus]
Icarus is the Final Boss of the game. This enemy has more complex behaviors and a wide range of attacks that change depending on which phase it is at.
Complete Fight Against The Icarus
Fight Breakdown
Phase 1:
In this phase, the boss has a wide range of attacks and a blocking stance. The player has to weave in and out of the Boss's threat range in order to avoid damage and win the fight. During the defensive stance. if attacked, the Boss will get a fire shield, forcing the player to use a fire ability to break it.
Phase 2:
In this phase, you fight against the same boss from the first monolith (Core Boss), it is a stationary boss that you have to attack its cores that fall at certain periods of time.
Phase 3:
This phase the boss starts charging a special attack at 50% heath if not staggered, the attack requires the player to damage it enough before it is fully charged. If the player fails to deal enough damage to the Boss, they will take large amounts of damage. In this phase the Boss has higher chances of triggering special skills, and also has increased stats.
