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HardDriverZ is a futuristic kart racing game where players must compete against each other and AI in a fictional racing league to determine the best racer. This game was created by Unreal Engine.
My Roles& Responsibility
I'm the Level Designer in the team.My responsibility is :
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Design the second desert terrain for the Desert track.
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Placing the pickup reward on track and balancing the quantity of pickup.
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Collaborated with artists to place art props that are suitable for the terrain.
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Help organize playtest the Desert track.
Design Process
Early Concept:
According to the original Game Design Document, the game designer proposed the following requirements:
Terrains
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Each track will have a defined primary racing surface that is consistent with every race.
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Secondary surfaces will be visually distinct from the primary surface and affect the kart’s gameplay based on their attributes.
I was in charge of designing the terrain. I believed that a desert environment would be a great choice, and there are existing real-world races to draw inspiration from, such as the Baja 1000 and the Dakar Rally. I proposed the idea of creating a desert terrain, and it was approved by the team.
1st Mechanic Design :
After conducting further research, I found that one of the most exciting features in real-world desert racing is the dramatic jumps over sand dunes. Building upon this idea, I aimed to design a more unique and memorable jump segment.
During my research, I came across the distinctive urban design of Chongqing, China. One particular apartment building stood out—it has a functioning metro station running directly through it, with the train passing through the middle of the structure. I found this architectural concept incredibly unique and inspiring.
As a result, I incorporated this idea into my track design: during the jump over the dunes, players will soar through a building—mimicking the metro-through-apartment effect—before landing on another sand dune.
1st Track Design :
After finalizing the mechanic of jumping through a building from a sand dune, I began working on the terrain design. I created four distinct racing lanes on this terrain.
The leftmost and rightmost lanes feature the steepest slopes and the narrowest tracks, but they offer more rewards for players who take the risk. In contrast, the two middle lanes have wider dunes and gentler slopes, providing a more stable driving experience with fewer rewards
Screenshot:
FeedBack :
After completing the design, we conducted playtesting. However, although the concept was highly creative, the actual gameplay results were not ideal. Many playtesters reported getting lost within the area and having difficulty identifying the main racing path. In some cases, they were even unable to drive out of the terrain altogether.
2nd Mechanic Design :
After the first round of testing.Base on the feedback,I proposed using a quicksand as the new mechanic. Inspired by real-life quicksand, I design that when players pass through this area, their kart will be slowed down and pulled toward the center.
2nd Track Design :
The final terrain design features a massive sand dune at the center of the terrain. On either side of the dune, there is a racetrack winds around it, slightly lower in elevation than the surrounding terrain—forming a groove-like path that encircles the central quicksand.
Before entering the track, players can already see the quicksand and the surrounding racetrack on the terrain, allowing them to anticipate and plan ahead. However, once they enter the terrain, they must quickly decide which path to take. If they hesitate or choose incorrectly, they risk driving into the quicksand, which will slow them down and force them to spend additional time getting back onto the track.
Final Screenshot:
Video Link:
HardDriverZ is a futuristic kart racing game where players must compete against each other and AI in a fictional racing league to determine the best racer. This game was created by Unreal Engine.
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