Rifts: Shadow's Ascent
Platform: PC
Genre: Action-Adventure, RPG, Stealth, Third-person, Single-player
Tools: UE5, Perforce, Maya, Houdini, Procreate, Substance Painter
Target Audience: Teenagers to adults (16–45) who enjoy narrative-driven action-adventure games with stealth mechanics.
Context: Unleash your vampire-hunter instincts as a Dhampir, using shadow powers to infiltrate an Aztec temple, confront the Vampire Intelligence, and avenge humanity..
Based on TRPG, Rift World: Vampire Kingdoms, was made for educational purposes and as fan art.
Role: Game Designer, Level Designer, Narrative Designer, 2D Artist
Website: https://projects.etc.cmu.edu/questline/
itch.io: https://questlinegames.itch.io/rifts-shadows-ascent
Showcase Video: https://youtu.be/uHnDWXVwp80
Game Design
Theme and Setting
Immerse yourself in the post-apocalyptic world of Rifts, where Earth has been torn apart by the Great Cataclysm, creating dimensional rifts that unleash ancient beings, aliens, and vampires. The game combines gothic horror with futuristic technology, blending Aztec-inspired vampire temples, cyber-enhanced vampire hunters, and a world rife with mystery and danger. The tone is dark and intense, with a cinematic aesthetic featuring shadowy environments, pulsating ley lines, and blood-red skies.
Story Summary
You are a skilled vampire hunter, one of the elite Reid Rangers and survivor of a fateful encounter with the Vampire Intelligence—the insidious leader of the Vampire Kingdom. Inflicted with vampiric DNA, You fight as a Dhampir, battling to suppress his newfound darkness while using its power to infiltrate the Vampire Kingdom.
Your Mission:
disrupt a deadly ritual, rescue human captives, and steal a teleportation device to escape. Every step brings you closer to vengeance against the creatures that destroyed humanity.
Core Gameplay LoopExplore:
Navigate the vampire temple, avoiding traps and uncovering secrets.
Solve:
Engage in environmental puzzles tied to ancient Aztec lore
Stealth and Combat:
Use Dhampir abilities like Shadow Step and Sixth Sense to bypass enemies, or engage in combat with precision shooting
Gather and Reward:
Collect blood, magic bullets, gold credits, and lore pieces to enhance abilities and uncover the world’s mysteries.
Key Features
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Authentic Rifts Adaptation: Experience the rich, chaotic universe of Rifts brought to life for the first time in an interactive video game format.
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Dhampir Abilities: Utilize unique powers like Shadow Step and Sixth Sense to solve puzzles and overcome enemies.
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Dynamic Stealth: Unique stealth gameplay with Shadow Step abilities, allowing players to blend into and navigate through darkness in innovative ways. silent infiltration with fast-paced movement
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Aztec Vampire Kingdom Setting: A rare fusion of Aztec mythology and vampire lore, offering a distinct and immersive environment.
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Dual Narrative Layers: Explore human and vampiric perspectives in a morally complex storyline that challenges conventional hero narratives.
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Immersive Atmosphere: Stunning visuals and atmospheric audio immerse players in a world of gothic horror and relentless suspense.
Level Design
First Level
Final Layout
Chambers
This level consists of seven chambers, each designed as a tutorial space to introduce players to essential mechanics. Players will learn to effectively utilize crouching, the "Shadow-Step" ability, and the "Six Sense" skill to navigate and avoid hazardous areas. To create a balanced gameplay experience, Safe Zones are strategically placed between dangerous areas, giving players the opportunity to regroup and mentally prepare for upcoming challenges. Throughout the level, an "Outside Operator" provides voiceover guidance in the background, assisting players in practicing and mastering the mechanics.
Player's Route
Players begin this map in a safe zone, the Gallery Room, where they can explore, collect rewards, and prepare for upcoming challenges. The journey then transitions to the Poison Trap Room, where a dying NPC provides critical guidance and introduces the use of the "Six Sense" skill to detect hidden traps.
Next, players navigate a Stealth Zone by crouching to avoid enemy detection, followed by the Shadow Step Tutorial Room, where they learn to traverse gaps using the "Shadow Step" skill.
The Practice Areas that follow require players to combine all previously learned skills—crouching, Shadow Step, and Six Sense—to overcome obstacles and evade enemies.
To add depth to the linear progression, a branching path offers players the choice between upper and lower routes, both leading to the Boss Room. In this final area, players must secure a key to unlock the path to the lower level, advancing to the next stage.
Level Design Revisions
1st Paper Prototype
Fianl Paper Prototype - Lower Platform
Fianl Paper Prototype - Upper
Second Level
Final Layout
Chambers
The second level comprises seven distinct chambers, each designed with a specific purpose: stealth zones, trap zones, narrative-driven environment showcase areas, a boss room, and a prison that serves as the final objective. Players must demonstrate proficiency in the mechanics introduced during the tutorial, using them to overcome obstacles, evade enemies, retrieve key items, and rescue the prisoners trapped within the temple.
As part of the game design, voiceover guidance from the "Outside Operator" becomes unavailable in Level 2 due to a deliberate signal loss. This absence of guidance challenges players to rely solely on their own exploration, problem-solving abilities, and mastery of learned skills to navigate and complete the level.
Player's Route
This level integrates weapon mechanics, featuring two strategically placed weapon charge points. As the game emphasizes stealth, weapons are primarily designed to apply debuffs rather than for direct combat. Players can reload their weapons at the initial charge point located at the beginning of the level.
The level then branches into upper and lower stealth routes, offering players a choice of paths, each with distinct challenges that test their stealth abilities.
After various encounters, players encounter a prisoner NPC at the final checkpoint. The NPC reveals that escaping the temple requires obtaining two critical items: a key and a teleportation device. To acquire these items, players must navigate through an additional chamber and face the boss room.
Progression
1st Paper Prototype
Stealth Room -Lower Platform
