Post Mortem

What went right:

The initial design for the level followed two simple rules: a minimum amount of space needed to be between gameplay relevant objects, and every potential piece of cover needed to be usable from at least two directions. This allowed me to design a versatile yet small level.
Because of the planning I put into the project, I was able to create a large variety of different encounters within this small space. While each encounter by itself is short, the cumulative effect is a longer level with plenty of action.
The careful addition of several cinematic sequences helps break up the combat and give the game environment a little more depth. While several cinematics are subtle (such as a crate falling into an Emergence Hole), others are key moments within the level.

What went wrong:

While the gameplay for the level is solid, creating a distinctive visual for the level was difficult. Since it is set in a warehouse, the textures and statics tend to be rather drab and uninteresting.
Initially one of the main cinematics for the game was designed to use a swinging, physics-based chain to lift a crate out of the warehouse. The behavior of the chain was erratic and unreliable. The cinematic was replaced with a manually animated winch that lifts the crate instead.
Finding a good balance between a dim interior and bright exterior was extremely difficult. The level had far fewer light sources initially, which often meant that it was too dark. I did extensive work with the visuals to correct this by placing large windows on all sides of the building, allowing the brighter exterior light into the main play space.

What I learned:

I learned many things about Unreal post-processing effects. For example, to simulate the effects of the player’s eyes adjusting to dimmer or brighter light I used two different post-processing volumes with a long transition between them. This makes the interior seem dim when viewed from outside, and the outside overly bright when viewed from in the warehouse.
Even when the pacing of the level feels good, it does not hurt to try a little variation. For example, I switched the order of the two encounters that start when the player is on the second floor, which made both encounters more interesting.
If you create an interesting and attention-grabbing visual effect, give the player a moment to appreciate it. Initially, when the rooftop doors retract I immediately spawned more enemies with an Emergence Hole. Giving the player a few seconds of respite to watch the roof helped ensure that the visual was noticed and that the player had a small break in combat.