Gloves Off is a local 2-player fighting game based around wagering mechanics. Both players must choose to either punch, kick, or block in a rock-paper-scissors style of combat. Then players will wager stamina in an attempt to win a tie. The first player to lose all their stamina loses the game.
Level Design:
For this project, a unique approach was taken where the level themes played a less critical role in gameplay, allowing the artists to take the lead in the conception and pitching of ideas. The team then voted on the concepts that were found to be most compelling.
Once the assets for each level were completed, they were handed off to the assigned designers. In my case, I was tasked with overseeing the Pirate Ship Level and became responsible for all aspects of its design and implementation. This included placing models into the scene and setting up the camera and lighting. Additionally, I created both the water shader and the rain effect for the level, as the artists had competing priorities and were unable to complete them before the project deadline.
Mechanic Design:
At the start of the project, the aim was to create a fighting game centered around one-hit exchanges. Initially, the plan was for free movement, similar to games like Street Fighter, allowing players to jump, crouch, and chain attacks into combos. However, due to availability limitations and the departure of the lead programmer, it was decided to create a more streamlined and realistic combat system to ensure we could complete the game to a high standard within the remaining deadline.
I redesigned the combat system to adopt a rock-paper-scissors mechanic, where players choose one of three actions—punch, kick, or block. Each action beats one and loses to another, creating a dynamic, strategic flow.
After some play testing, it was discovered that the one-hit-win mechanic made matches too short, with outcomes being determined too quickly. To address this, we introduced a stamina system, where players wager energy during clashes, and the winner steals energy from the opponent. The new objective was to deplete the opponent’s energy, which not only lengthened matches but also reduced the frequency of draws, as the player who wagered more energy would win in cases of a tie.
UI Design:
One of my primary responsibilities on this project was designing and implementing all the user interfaces throughout the game. After reviewing the concept designs, I quickly developed a clear vision for the menus and how they should function. Initially, I envisioned the menus dynamically flying through the scene rather than simply transitioning, but due to time constraints, this feature was not implemented.
Voice Acting:
One of my key contributions to this project was providing voice work for the game, voicing all elements except for the impact sound effects. I was responsible for voicing the narrator as well as the gorilla, ensuring that the character’s tone and personality were consistent with the game's overall theme and narrative. I also recorded, edited, and integrated the voice lines into the game, ensuring the audio seamlessly enhanced the gameplay experience.
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