The Last of Us Level Design Study

Hello. My name is Kaleb Nekumanesh. I am a passionate game designer with a focus on level design.

When The Last of Us Part II released its gameplay trailer, I thought it would be an interesting time to study, learn, and put into practice the great level design techniques that Naughty Dog has created. I decided to take 10 days (aside from my day job, of course) to study a level of The Last of Us Part I, consider the new vertical type gameplay of Part II, and design a level that could exist in The Last of Us’ universe. This was just an experiment to see where my study would lead, and here is a breakdown of what I did.

Research:

Objective:

Create a level design in 10 days within Unreal Engine 4 that has the objective of being a theoretical exploration level for The Last of Us Part II.

Responsibilities:

1. Conduct an analysis of the level design of Bill’s Town.
2. Develop a level located in post-apocalyptic Seattle, WA with a focus on environmental exploration, narrative, and pacing.
3. Conduct on-site research of the area around the Space Needle…