
Gerald Poon
Lead / Principal Game Designer
Senua
'Senua' is the third instalment in the Hellblade series and concludes the legendary story of the titular character. Slated to be the largest and most epic entry in the franchise, it features a sprawling and highly explorable semi-open world and emphasises player agency. For the first time, Senua will be able to choose between multiple paths to accomplish her goals, and engage enemies via various methods including stealth. The world is a blend of realistic environments and fantastical landscapes and as in previous games, psychological puzzles and memorable set pieces feature throughout the experience.
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My role on this project is Principal Game Designer, specialising in levels and player experience.
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Rapid prototyping of psychologically themed game mechanics and puzzles. Conceptualised many foundational gamemplay elements.
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Built large sections of our semi-open game world in engine, from initial block-outs to leading workflow to implement full art pass.
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Pacing and flow; balancing exploration, puzzles, combat, narrative moments and downtime.
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Encounter design and placement, ensuring combat scenarios feel varied and engaging.
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Mentoring and career guidance for other designers on our team.
Level Design
Below is a video of some of the key sections I worked on. I blocked these areas out in greybox and worked with the environment artist to bring to final art.
NDA RESTRICTED: HB3 LEVEL DESIGN VIDEO
Gameplay Prototyping
I also prototyped many core gameplay mechanics. The video below shows some of these prototypes.
NDA RESTRICTED: HB3 PROTOTYPE VIDEO
Senua Announce Trailer