Inner Chaos
Project Summary
Inner Chaos is a single-player, first-person shooter level for Half-Life 2, meticulously crafted in the Hammer++ Editor. This level emphasizes horror and puzzle-solving gameplay elements. The protagonist awakens in a graveyard, facing a sequence of psychological horror events spread over 7 areas. To uncover his identity and location, the player must successfully solve 3 puzzles. With a gameplay duration of approximately 10 minutes.
-
Tools: Hammer Editor
-
Game: Half-Life 2
Gampley Overview
Map Overview
Gameplay Path
Map 1
Size
The default square is 136x136 units. The unit is the same as the default one shown in the right corner of Hammer Editor. The default wall height is 128 units. Other special height is marked on the map.
Map 2
Gameplay Highlights
Puzzle 1
Puzzle 1 map
Several paintings are floating in the air. The player needs to find the right paintings and put them in the right position. The image on the left side shows the missing paintings’ position ---- colored frames close to the wall, and the right painting --- colored frames far from the wall. The dots indicate that the two connected paintings have the same content. The player will recognize the symmetry logic that the first two paintings (connected with dots in the image with a white frame) are the same. The paintings with black frames are distractors; they don’t have any content. The image on the right side reveals the correct answer. The player should move all three colorful paintings to the positions indicated by the arrow (A1, A2 and A3).
Puzzle 1 in game
Puzzle 2
Puzzle 2 map
The diamond shape in the image means there is a small trench with water in the room. The player can see a plug (Blue Triangle) and two electric wires lying on the ground. There is a plug holder on the wall. The player will put the plug into the holder to activate electricity (B1). Because water can conduct electricity, putting two electric wires into the water area nearby (B2 and B3) will start the electrical facility, burn all the zombies in the control room, and automatically open the door.
Puzzle 2 in game
Puzzle 3
Puzzle 3 map
The player can look through the glass from the second floor and notice the desk prompt on the first floor is related to the plates on the second floor. The missing squares mean the plates that can be opened. By pressing the right buttons (C1 and C2), the player can solve the puzzle and open a secret entrance at the position of the desk on the first floor. If the player presses the wrong button, the lighting on the second floor will change to red for 1 second.
Puzzle 3 in game
Final Boss Fight
Boss fight area map
For the final boss encounter, a hall with nine columns was designed to serve as soft covers, helping players shield themselves from the antlion guard's attacks. Oil drums placed along the walls offered alternative strategies for players to overcome the boss, ensuring a balanced and engaging gameplay experience.
Boss fight in game
Gallery
Post Mortem
What went well?
-
Employing multi-skills to create an immersive horror gameplay experience.
-
Seamlessly integrating puzzles into the horror theme.
-
Proficient use of modules to achieve desired functions.
What went wrong?
-
Spending excessive time on determining the focused theme.
-
Lack of a clear and consistent aesthetic theme.
-
Lighting problems cause weird shadows and make the whole level looks dark.
What I learned?
-
Identifying a potential horror gameplay pattern for future projects.
-
Expanding narrative sources within the level.
-
Transitioning between aesthetic themes more smoothly.