DESCRIPTION & INSPIRATION

Wild Quest is a 3D side-scrolling adventure game that follows the story of a brave warrior on a mission to escape captivity and return home. The game is built around the theme of freedom and overcoming obstacles, with each level representing a new phase in the protagonist's journey. Inspired by classic platformers like Super Mario and Rayman Legends, the game features fast-paced movement, jumping mechanics, and timed challenges. The gameplay experience is designed to reflect persistence and resilience, where players guide the main character through forests, dungeons, and future settings such as a haunted castle and volcanic peak. Simple controls were used to allow players to focus on the emotional and action-driven aspects of the journey. The game's environments and escalating level design aim to mirror a path of personal growth and struggle.

In our search for the right game genre, we settled on the 3D side-scroller, a choice rooted in the familiarity and universal appeal of this game type. You don't need to be a pro gamer to enjoy a 3D side-scroller, and it's inclusive for people of all age groups, so it felt like the right fit. Moving in this direction provided us with a well-established framework to work within, which allowed us to leverage our collective knowledge and experience to push the boundaries of the genre. We were able to craft a captivating narrative around a brave warrior on a mission to escape captivity and return home, and then build out the different fantastical worlds they'd have to traverse.

To bring the game mechanics to life, we developed a range of C# scripts using Unity's MonoBehaviour framework. Player input and movement were managed through the PlayerController script, which utilized Rigidbody and Collider components, responding to OnCollisionEnter and OnTriggerEnter events for accurate interaction with the environment. Timed challenges, such as the 120-second level countdown and pipe animations, were implemented using coroutines and WaitForSeconds delays, allowing for smooth, frame-based event handling. Enemy behavior, particularly the cactus boss, was scripted using Animator triggers and Transform. Translate functions to create patrol and attack motions, resulting in engaging, dynamic encounters.