Custom Level: Echoes of the Deep

Level Summary

Disclacimer

This project is a non-commercial fan-made prototype inspired by Albion Online. All rights to the original IP belong to Sandbox Interactive. Most assets are from Mixamo, TurboSquid, and Sketchfab.

A mid-game dungeon in a cavern-temple hybrid, blending vertical navigation, enemy variety, and cinematic reveals across six escalating segments that balance combat intensity with narrative payoff.

Responsibilities

Fully designed a custom dungeon
Recreated Albion Online’s Archer Combat
Created Quest Systems, Modular Enemy Systems, NPC Systems, Boss Fights, …
Concepted, sketched, and entire experience in Level
Whiteboxed Level
Created fitting Assets
Implemented Sound and rough VFX’s

Details

Team Size: 1 (Solo Project)
Genre: Top-Down, Action/Adventure
Setting: Deep in an ancient Cavern
Level Duration: 9-12 minutes
Role: Lead Level Designer, Programmer
Development Time: 6 Days
Engine: Unity Engine

Trailer

Solo dungeons in Albion Online are widely seen as boring and repetitive by the community.

Players often mention the lack of variety, same enemies, and poor rewards as reasons they avoid them.

Research

Forum discussions highlight key issues

Low replayability

Weak environmental storytelling
Little player agency or meaningful choices

Based on this feedback, I created my own dungeon prototype to explore

Stronger pacing

Improved narrative structure
More dynamic level design that keeps players engaged and encourages exploration

Recreation of Albion’s System

Combat System

Archer,melee, and spell mechanics (inspired by Albion’s classless system)

Custom AI for many enemy archetypes (ranged, melee, winged units, elementals, minibosses, bosses, ..)
Movement, Dodging, and combat animations
Placeholder VFX and interaction systems
Rapid iteration and clean, modular code structure

Quest & NPC Systems

Dialogue and quest triggers

Objective tracking with dungeon progression
Patroling, Idling, Following NPC Paths
Quest Rewards, Progression and UI display

Concepts

Level Flow

Design Motivation

Introduce self-contained stories within dungeons that deepen lore and build emotional weight with cutscenes/dialogue.

Structured to guide the player through a narrative arc using worldbuilding and environmental cues.

Narrative Dungeons

Albion’s gameplay loop intrigued me, but I saw space for deeper level-based storytelling, mechanical variety, and environmental discovery.
My goal wasn’t to critique the original design, but to build upon it, demonstrating how new dungeon archetypes might improve replayability, narrative clarity, and player mastery.

Dungeon Specific Mechanics

Each dungeon features a unique mechanic or modifier.

Alters how players move, fight, or solve spatial puzzles, ensuring every experience feels distinct.

Camera and Framing

Explored dynamic camera moments, zoom-ins, wide establishing shots, and angle shifts.

Creates visual variety and emotional beats, enhancing mood and elevating key set pieces.

Beat Descriptions

NPC Intro and First Quest

Goal: Introduce the player to the environment, story, and overarching conflict
Design: Guided onboarding through dialogue, light combat for warm-up, and environment that feels spatially deep rather than flat
Highlights:
- NPC storyteller establishes stakes and tone
- Hidden temple paths guarded by guild knights
- Layered environmental composition that draws the eye beyond the immediate play space
Narrative Beat: First step into the cavern’s story

Bridge and Guild Encounter

Goal: Build anticipation by revealing future paths and the source of earlier enemies
Design: Vertical sightlines and controlled pacing lead smoothly to the guild camp
Highlights:
- Camera zoom to frame NPC activity (spectator moment)
- Overlook reveals upcoming routes
- Combat escalation through guild camp assault
Narrative Beat: The enemy reveals itself

Guild Boss and Temple

Goal: Deliver the first major combat challenge and shift the visual palette
Design: Boss with unique mechanics and increased difficulty, supported by environmental storytelling via statues and temple motifs
Highlights:
- Custom attack patterns and stronger stats
- Architecture hinting at deeper lore within the cavern
- Spatial transitions between cavern and temple spaces
Narrative Beat: Crossing the threshold into sacred ground

Temple and Shamans

Goal: Tease the final threat while introducing new enemy archetypes
Design: Maintain pacing through ongoing guild conflict while adding shaman spellcasters for variety
Highlights:
- Cinematic zoom-out to reveal demon silhouette
- Combat in an anticipated location builds narrative payoff
- Gateway to deeper temple areas unlocked
Narrative Beat: Whispers of the lurking demon

Deeper parts

Goal: Convey ancient, mysterious atmosphere while ramping tension
Design: Increased demon teases, scattered shaman encounters, and terrain variation via fallen rock traversal
Highlights:
- Multi-level camera framing for spatial variety
- Uneven, crumbling paths enhance danger and immersion
- Gradual reveal of more elaborate temple structures
Narrative Beat: Descent into the forgotten heart

Fiend Reveal and Boss

Goal: Deliver a visually striking climax and mechanically rich final battle
Design: Cinematic vista reveal with particle effects transitioning seamlessly into boss fight
Highlights:
- Demon fully visible during dramatic zoom
- Boss encounter with unique mechanics and rewarding loot
- Dynamic environment framing the final confrontation
Narrative Beat: The fiend steps into the light