Kinect Star Wars
Ruffian Games
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Level Designer
Project Overview
Following the release of Crackdown 2, Ruffian Games began taking on a number of work-for-hire projects. One of these was Kinect Star Wars, developed in collaboration with Terminal Reality for Microsoft.
Kinect Star Wars was a collection of motion-controlled games designed around the Xbox 360’s Kinect camera. I worked on the “Duels of Fate” mode, which recreated lightsaber battles against Star Wars villains including Darth Vader.
This was a short-term project with a focused remit: I was Ruffian’s sole level designer on the mode, responsible for the bulk of its environments and ambient scripting.
Level Designer
Ruffian Games (now Rockstar Dundee)
Infernal Engine
3 April 2012
Xbox 360 (Kinect)
Responsibilities
As Ruffian’s sole level designer on “Duels of Fate”, I was responsible for set-dressing and scripting all but one of the levels produced by the studio for the mode.
The environments primarily served as combat backdrops, with ambient events and scripted sequences helping recreate locations from across the Star Wars universe.
The project required me to quickly learn a new engine and toolset, including my first experience with a text-based scripting language. Working within a short production schedule, I iterated on the levels in response to internal playtesting and feedback from Terminal Reality.
- Sole in-house level designer for the “Duels of Fate” game mode
- Set-dressed and scripted all but one of Ruffian’s levels for the mode
- Scripted ambient events and set pieces within combat environments
- Iterated content in response to playtest and client feedback
- Delivered content to specification within a short production schedule
Design Work
Game Mode: Duels of Fate
My work focused on creating the environments surrounding the mode’s lightsaber battles.
Although the player’s interaction with these spaces was limited compared with a traditional level-design project, the environments needed to provide an authentic Star Wars backdrop while supporting the requirements of each encounter.
I set-dressed and scripted all but one of Ruffian’s levels for the mode, using ambient events and set pieces to bring the environments to life around the combat.
Game Trailer
Reception
Kinect Star Wars debuted at number one on the UK All Formats Chart, becoming the first Kinect-exclusive game to reach the top spot. It was also the first Star Wars game to top the UK chart since Star Wars: The Force Unleashed in 2008.
To this day, I have not played the now infamous “Galactic Dance Off” mode.