WHITEGATE
Built in the Far Cry 5 Arcade Level Editor
Solo Project
My roles: Level Design
Design Intent
Whitegate is a Far Cry 5 map that takes place in a secluded town somewhere in New Hampshire. This level is an outpost mission which is inspired by the many outpost areas found in the open world area in the main game.
Outpost are a staple in the Far Cry series and I wanted to take a unique spin on the system, having a more open and large space to fight in. The map’s main feature is its body of water splitting the map in two. The level allows players of any playstyle to engage the situation how they like and what they think is the most fun.
I worked on this project alone, planning and creating both gameplay and the environment art. Some of the work included sculpting the terrain, placing supplies for players in key positions, thoughtfully placing enemies, creating buildings and detailing the scene; amongst other responsibilities.
A gameplay demo of a loud playstyle
A gameplay demo of a stealth playstyle
Scroll down for Screenshots & Process
Process
A reference photo - Governors Island, Hampstead
Before I started any work in the editor, I did some preparation work before hand. I first played through the outpost that already exist in the game, studying them to see what works and what doesn’t. I searched for reference images to help inspire a layout and theme. I eventually decided to gather many of my references from Hampstead New Hampshire. I thought how a large body of water in the middle of the area can create interesting gameplay unlike any of the other Far Cry 5 outpost offer. Afterwards, I sketched a rough drawing of an initial layout.
Overview of the layout
Although the map is open, it was important to me that there still is a focal point that most combat will happen. In original versions, enemies were spread all over the map, it made it difficult to take out all the enemies in stealth however and it lead to annoying flanks for loud players. I adjusted it so most enemies were centralized in the church area, and all other enemies travel towards the church once the player is spotted. This design allows for players to still have freedom in how they approach the situation while still maintaining a clear and organized layout. The church was a natural pick to be the landmark as all main paths lead toward it. There are many ways to engage the outpost for all types of playstyles, the most two obvious are the two roads. The left road is catered towards stealth players, there are less enemies on this path and most of them face away to allow for takedown kills. The right road is good for loud players, it is the fastest and most direct route to the church, however has more enemies there. However, there are many other ways to enter the church, players can enter the forest and skydive down into the church, dive into the water, snipe players from the tower, take a zipline or take control of the center island in the water. Each and every path and playstyle were tested and adjusted until each approach to the church felt fun for all types of players.