Overview
Planet Glasidea is an FPS level design study built in Unity, inspired by the environmental storytelling and encounter design of Destiny. The project explores how sci-fi environments can guide players through combat spaces while maintaining a sense of wonder and discovery on an alien world.
Level Design
The level is designed around a Destiny-style patrol zone — an open area with distinct landmarks that funnel players toward combat encounters and points of interest. Sight lines, elevation changes, and environmental cues direct flow without hard barriers, encouraging exploration while keeping players on a readable critical path.
Cover placement and engagement distances are calibrated for FPS combat — each arena offers multiple approach angles and fallback positions, giving players tactical options within the space.
Design Process
The level began as a top-down sketch focused on flow and pacing, then moved into Unity for blockout. Iteration focused on the relationship between traversal spaces (low intensity, scenic) and combat arenas (high intensity, tactical), ensuring smooth transitions between the two so the level never felt like a series of disconnected rooms.
Results & Takeaways
Planet Glasidea was a valuable exercise in designing for a specific genre's spatial language. Destiny's levels work because they balance spectacle with function — every vista doubles as a waypoint, every canyon doubles as a funnel. Recreating that philosophy from scratch deepened my understanding of how FPS spaces are composed at a fundamental level.