Overview

Concept Statement

Midnight Bounty Hunter is a 2D maze shooter game where you take the law into your own hands. Play as Drago, an infamous bounty hunter who has but one job to do: hunt down criminals, those who have committed grave crimes and sins against humanity and it’s your time to reap their souls and bring them in: Dead or Alive.

Genre/Category:

• Shooter: Using guns to shoot enemies.
• Action: Chasing down and hunting enemies in a dungeon-maze like area.
• Logic: The maze aspect and exploration in the game meets the logic game requirements, as the player will need to think about where they move and the best possible routes to complete missions before time runs out.
• Roguelike: Mixes the maze game design from a logic game in with expanded roguelike dungeon rooms to create a unique 2D shooter.

Concept Development

The idea for the game came to me while reading up on some Star Wars lore, specifically the bounty hunters, Mandalorian race and the Star Wars: Bounty Hunter PS2 game. The idea of a bounty hunting themed game with a mixture of elements and design styles from other games would make for an interesting brew.  

Combining maze style worlds from Pac-Man, Bomberman with the roguelike dungeon-esque areas found in games like The Binding of Isaac, Helltaker and Realm of the Mad God. Taking the idea behind the long and slim Pac-Man pathways, mixed in with wider, open cavernous areas that the player can roam around in freely felt like the right direction to go. As bounty targets may hide behind a barrel or rock to escape the player line of sight

The unique point of capturing dead or alive came from the old cliché in film and TV where a character will say something along the lines of ‘we can bring you in alive, or dead’. Incorporating that into a bounty hunting game felt like a natural decision to make that would give the player more variety in the game. With multiple weapons in the game, the dead or alive scenario may change by accident by causing too much damage to the targets.

Audience and competitive analysis

The target audience of Midnight Bounty Hunter is those who enjoy simple shooting and logic games and the bounty hunting theme. The game is meant for those aged 13 to 25+, as people who enjoy the genres will be the primary demographic. Chasing down and shooting to kill or incapacitate the enemy AI will appeal to the shooter audience. Where as the maze navigation aspect will captivate and draw in the gamers who enjoy those styles of games.  

Similar games in the industry include the likes of Pac-Man, Helltaker and The Binding of Isaac, each with their own degree of similarity. The maze and logic behind Pac-Man for movement and navigation. The level design and roguelike look and feel of Helltaker and The Binding of Isaac. These are all key points of other games that are competitive and similar to Midnight Bounty Hunter, but the game will feel different and unique.

Midnight Bounty Hunter has its own unique features that set it apart from the rest. The idea that the player decides how they play the game is important, as they decide whether they capture the target dead or alive. This alone will affect the game as the players income and mission success rate will depend on the targets status. Though killing all targets in one area will still result in a successful completion. Mixing the roguelike and logic game maze design will captivate a wide number of people, creating a maze similar to Pacman with open, dungeon areas like The Binding of Isaac and Helltaker.

Game Treatment

The Story + Player Role

The law is restricted and limited in how to respond to a crisis: but you aren’t. Use an arsenal of weaponry to hunt down and capture criminals on the run before they escape to freedom. You will need to be lethal and exert deadly force when approaching these criminals. Some of them may be armed with their own guns or knives, where some may flee when they see you. Use discretion to hunt down the enemy and capture or kill them.

Level Design and Environment 

The level design and environments in Midnight Bounty Hunter will carry a dark, lonely feeling. The player will traverse bleak, desolate and empty environments by their lonesome self in-game, with only the unknown with them. Will the criminals try kill the player, or will they flee for safety? The set pieces for the 2D environments are an industrial area, freight dockyard and a series of abandoned warehouses. 

Gameplay Mechanics

• Moving in multiple directions through key presses and sprite rotation through mouse movements allows for seamless manoeuvring in game
• Using multiple weapons to track down and combat your foes elevates the gunplay in the game. Using assault rifles, pistols, stun guns and even rocket launchers.
• The enemy AI will engage in a fight or flight response, attempting to fight you on sight using guns or knives to damage and kill you, or fleeing from you to safety.
• Score will be kept track of through target status:
  • Capturing targets (alive) will result in the best score
  • Killing the targets will result in a half score
  • The targets escaping is lost score
  • The targets killing you is a game over, restarting the game or level dependant on player choice. Resetting any score and gameplay

Concept Art 

Oxygen Not Included, Industrial Design

Crysis 3, Shipping/Freight Dock

Warehouse Design.  Alexandre Delpeyrous.

References

1: Saphatthachat Sunchoote. “Illustration pixel art icon gun assault rifle”. Dreamstime. https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-illustration-illustration-pixel-art-icon-gun-assault-rifle-vector-isolate-image55361971

2: Axon. “Taser 7: De-escalate with confidence”. Axon. https://www.axon.com/products/taser-7

3: SteamAH. Helltaker Walkthrough (All Achievements & Endings & Levels). Posted May 12 2020. https://steamah.com/helltaker-walkthrough-all-achievements-endings-levels/

4: Wikipedia. “Pac-Man”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pac-Man

5: RockpaperShotgun. Graham Smith. “Best Management Games”. Updated July 22 2021. https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/best-management-games

6: Reddit. Xavon. “Rain physics here are incredible, [Crysis 3]”. 8 years ago. https://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/1ax66r/the_rain_physics_here_are_incredible_crysis_3/

7: Artstation. Alexandre Delpeyrous. “Warehouse – Level Design”. https://alexandredelpeyroux.artstation.com/projects/nYYlRK

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