A Division-inspired third-person shooter encounter in an underground parking garage focused on cover-to-cover shooting, route choice, and a push → defend reversal with a clearly signaled side-door entry event.
I built this as a short, intense portfolio sprint to combine my recent learning into one complete TPS encounter slice.
Assets: Unreal Engine Blockout Starter Pack + IWALS / AGLS.
The encounter opens with a quick read: objective direction, cover density, and route options are visible before committing.
The push phase teaches the space. The golden path is direct but exposed; alternative routes require commitment but give tighter angles.
After clearing the initial space, the player gets a calm reset moment to reload, reposition, and read the next objective.
The upload flips threat direction. Mid-defense, a side door breach opens a new angle that creates controlled overwhelm.
Four playtests revealed key readability and fairness issues. I iterated quickly to make the encounter more readable while preserving the intended “overwhelmed” feeling.
Extra note: Players rushed into the open without reading the encounter. I added a subtle blocker and adjusted first-cover placement to create a deliberate “pause and scan” moment.
Playtested and approved by Prashant Trivedi (Senior Level Designer, Massive Entertainment). The feedback confirmed the escalation beats are readable and the mid-fight shift feels fair.
The encounter builds pressure in steps so players can stabilize, then adapt to a new problem—not just more enemies.
The space supports multiple viable approaches, so decision-making matters, not just aim.
The defend phase aims for stress without confusion, with a clear spike and reaction window.