COOLING INTERACTIVE
My name is Harry Vanbreda Cooling, an aspiring game and technical designer driven by the rule of cool for crafting mechanics that will captivate all types of players and allow avenues for near-boundless self expression. Proficient in Unreal Engine and blueprints, I have developed and specialised my skills to systems and technical design, while also dabbling in general game, level and UI design. I thrive on crafting engaging mechanics and environments, experiences which have made me adept at problem-solving to streamline features for intuitive gameplay. Almost being somewhat of a perfectionist, I'm always looking for feedback to further iterate and improve my work.
MY PROJECTS
Critical Combatants - Character Action Game - UE5 - 21/05/23
Solo Project
Game Design
Systems Design
Level Design
Playtesting
My final year project centres around its free-flowing combat system, inspired by popular character action games such as 'Devil May Cry' and 'Metal Gear Rising'. The game encourages the player to mix and match their moves to achieve both flashier and longer combos, keeping them on the offensive and constantly styling on their look-alike opponents.
3rd Place winner for Games Design at GradEX 2023!
Project Goals
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Free style combat system
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Combat Design & Aggressive gameplay loop
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Learn and implement AI Behaviour & Trees
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Learn UE5 animation & notifies
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UI/UX Design
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General blueprint skills and optimisation
Underworld Upheaval - DOOM II WAD - UBD - 20/04/23
Solo Project
Game Design
Encounter Design
Level Design
Playtesting
UU is a currently 2 map campaign of classic DOOM II, in all its first person shooter glory. The classic DOOM games are legendary for their combat and level design, and I wanted to try my own spin on the formula following guidelines from the original level designers, Sandy Peterson and John Romero.
Download the developer WAD - Includes the third W.I.P Map
Project Goals
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Complete a short 2-3 level campaign
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Optimise and create fun enemy encounters
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Keep the experience close to vanilla
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Be creative with the limited DOOM engine tools
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Experiment with Zscripting
Clear 'Em Up - Unreal Arcade Game - UE5 - 14/05/23
Solo Project
Technical Design
UI/UX Design
System Design
Narrative
A shoot em up disguised as an environmental awareness game, inspired by old flash games. The environment message centres around the potential future dangers of space debris in our atmosphere. The player must fly through Earth's upper-atmosphere and clear enough debris to allow other ships a relatively safe passage through.
Project Goals
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Complete a short 2-3 level campaign
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Optimise and create fun enemy encounters
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Keep the experience close to vanilla
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Be creative with the limited DOOM engine tools
Escape the Lab - Co-op Asymmetric Puzzle Shooter - UE5 - 02/02/23
Team Project
Level Design
Game Design
Playtesting
Narrative
I was one of 18 designers of this project, and was responsible for developing layouts and puzzle for the first lab room. I also aided in the asymmetric design of the game, one player plays a FPS protagonist that survives against an undead horde, while another ghost player solves puzzles and allows the party to progress.
Project Goals
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Design puzzles to emphasise the different roles of the playable characters.
- Write the narrative and characters.
- Finish at least one puzzle for the game and have it implemented.
Malevolent Vampire - 2D Metroidvania - UE4 - 15/05/2022
Solo Project
Level Design
Game Design
Playtesting
Narrative
A metroidvania project, made during the second semester of university after the Orc game. Prior to laying out the level, I did playthroughs of Super Metroid and Axiom Verge to grasp the basic gameplay loop, then drafted an early level based on that. My overall goal for the project was to accurately recreate the experience, by constantly introducing road blocks to the player that required them to explore the level.
Project Goals
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Remain faithful to the Metroidvania formula.
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Create an addictive feedback loop of progression from players finding upgrades.
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Take cues from other sidescroller platformer games.
Top Down Orc - Top Down Shooter - UE4 - 12/12/2021
Solo Project
Level Design
Game Design
Playtesting
Technical Design
My first project of the second year, we were given a project in the gameplay style of a top-down shooter and were allowed to tweak it. I altered the project a bit to give the action a more fast paced feel, enemy actors were made faster, everything did more damage and the player could turn and strafe more easily. Then I designed the level around that, I didn't make a draft, instead I built a low detail path in the shape of a horseshoe and continued adding from there.
Project Goals
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Create a well-balanced and fast-paced action environment.
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Reward new items and weapon upgrades for finding secrets.
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