Level 02: The Pyramids, Ancient Egypt

Above is a block diagram for the second level and as you can see, it is one of the many Pyramids of Ancient Egypt.

• Main Area
  
• Artefact Area
  
• Cut Scene part (when complete)

I drew this just as a guide so that my teammates (or anyone else for that matter) knew how the level was structured. Players will start at the base on the left and will make their way up through the Pyramid to the peak. As with other levels, Artefact collecting happens but with a slight change that they have to be “inserted” into a shrine of sorts close to the top before they can battle the end-level boss. It’s structured this way because of the way the Egyptians built their structures and input many shafts and temples inside them for their Pharaoh.

This is the level itself that players will navigate through. The Egyptians were great pioneers of technology, and their Pyramid structures still strike mystery and awe into our minds to this day. With that in mind, I wanted this level to be full of hidden traps and mechanical devices pulling and pushing you into different areas – kind of like a rollercoaster. And as well as the hidden traps, there are also hidden treasures in the forms of regular level artefacts, and Ancient Egyptian artefacts.
As with the Jungle level, this is split into tiers where the player makes their way to the goal in a vertical direction. I put loads of hidden spikes and pitfalls (the non-fatal kind) as a challenge element but also so the player doesn’t just stroll through. To the far-right at the bottom is a chamber that locks you in with a bunch of Ink-Leeches that won’t be unlocked until you defeat them and obtain the artefact. Just above that is another area passage with spikes and “Thwomp-like” traps that give you grief toward a chamber holding another artefact. To get to the top area you have to climb a ladder on the far left of the level. At this point Ed can climb across to retrieve an artefact. The upper and final area has a swinging mace thing that also moves back and forth along the platform it’s attached to for extra distance! It’s that platform that you place your artefacts into.

• Hidden areas


• Moveable parts


• Regular Artefacts


• Egyptian Artefacts (and shrine at top)

Dominic Lopez