Knockout
Academic Solo Project - Designer and Creator
Description
Knockout is a first-person kinesthetic experience focusing on the sensation of losing a boxing match. The player feels as if they are a boxer in a very tough match barely able to defend themselves and ready to go down hard. This game is completely focused on the experience—emulating every minute detail of getting pounded to the ground and losing the match.
Key Achievements
Feeling the Hit
The most important point of this the whole experience is getting hit. I used the quick jarring camera movements to simulate a head snapping from the hit. I then added sound to increase the sensation of being hit by the glove. And slowing things down with the "slowdown" creates a dramatic effect for the player. As a punch is coming right at the player, the whole game slows creating anticipation and tension. These effects, along with many others, create the experience of being in the ring.
Creating Fear
Another important part of this experience is creating the fear. The fear of the crowd, the fear for yourself. These elements are integral to the experience. To achieve this, I created a through-line to move from one fear to the next. The start of the match focuses on the crowd and their eyes. However, as the player starts to take damage, the crowd fades out. Suddenly the character breathes heavily, and their heart starts beating along with some sound effects. This transitions the experience of one fear into another one throughout the game.