Daelyug's Tales Januar 2024
Asymmetric Coop
Fact sheet
Unreal Engine 5
5 mount
Summary : Daelyug's Tales is an asymmetrical cooperative game in which a spirit and a shaman must cooperate to advance the plot in medieval Korea.
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Objective : During this project, my aim was to create an aerial gameplay whose main ability was to possess certain level elements similar to Prop Hunt. One of the major constraints of this project was the single camera for both players.
Tasks : Lead Technical Designer, UX Designer, Game Design.
My work on this Project
Technical Design : Creation of an aerial gameplay and the 3Cs linked to possession of the Level Elements, Creation of the second Puzzle, Camera management.
Game Design : Conceptualization of the main mechanics.
UX Design : Menu.
Tech Design work
Spirit Gameplay
To begin with, the Spirit is a light, almost cloudy being, the embodiment of an icy wind. This displacement is not subject to the same laws as those of humans, and he can float above obstacles to continue his journey. He is attached to a shaman who will help him on his journey. Without the other, they are nothing, and he would not be able to advance through the various trials they will face.
He has the ability to possess various objects he encounters along the way, to take control of them and activate various abilities unique to the object. He can also project an ice breath that has the effect of slowing down and freezing enemies and objects that get in his way.
Possession
Possession is one of the two spirit's abilities. By getting inside certain objects, the spirit can: jump, activate the object's mechanism, propel itself, shoot.
There are two families of objects: the mobile ones, which are the most recurrent and are used both to solve puzzles and during combat, and the static ones, which are at the heart of various puzzles in this world. The aim of possession for moving objects was to create a fun displacement that could at any time be disrupted by the shaman's actions, such as a gust of wind (which could throw the possessed object into the void or against a wall) or wind mines. This is one of the major aspects of the gameplay during combat, as the spirit can activate the various abilities of the objects to help the other player, or simply bring the objects to the other player for use.
Here are the different items you can own in-game:
Basic Barrel
Used for different mechanisms and can stun enemies.
Explosive Barrel
Explodes at the slightest impact, burns if the enemy doesn't die.
Water Barrel
Applies the wet state to any nearby object or enemy.
Fire Works Barrel
Has 4 fireworks that can be projected in a straight line.
Poison potion
Apply the Berserk state to enemies, who kill each other.
Healing pot
Restores all players' health points.
Dam
Allows you to change the direction of water discharge.
Statue
Blocks all rotation once inside.
Ice Breath
The Ice Breath projects freezing particles onto any surface it encounters, applying ice to the ground that will cause enemies and the shaman to slip. It can also freeze liquids, and if enemies are affected by the “wet” state, they will freeze and shatter at the slightest impact.​
Elements Interaction
Frozen
Change status to wet
X
X
Change status to frozen
Flaming
Dry
Wet
Extinguishes
One of the major aspects of the gameplay during combat is the randomness that will occur depending on the player's actions: all possessions and many elements of the scenery can interact with each other.
This can result in chain reactions during combat, for example: a firework touches an explosive barrel, which ignites it and explodes after a short time, either destroying nearby elements or triggering other barrels, such as water or fireworks, which then hurl the rest of the ammunition in any direction.
There are also three recurring gameplay states that interact with each other: “wet”, “frozen” and “flaming”.
Puzzle 2
Puzzle 2 introduces a new floating mechanic: certain objects can float when in water.
The aim of this mechanic was to prevent the spirit from possessing floating objects, and to force players to find another solution. Objects in the water can, however, be propelled out of the water via the shaman's powers, allowing the spirit to take possession of them once again. In this puzzle, two dams are used to redirect the current so that the floating barrels can be taken wherever the players wish.
For the buoyancy, the aim was to create something close to reality, but also easy to operate, so we studied the principle of buoyancy and assumed that the barrel is half-full and completely sealed to guarantee buoyancy.​
Camera
The camera was one of the major constraints of this project, the aim being to abandon splitscreen altogether and focus on a common camera. We decided that the camera would always have the characters in view, and that they would not be able to leave the camera zone. This proved to be quite restrictive, but it forces the players to cooperate and communicate.
The Team
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DUARTE Nathan : Lead Technical Designer (Spirit Gameplay/3C)
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