game designer

ringo blast

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overview

A fast-paced first-person platformer inspired by titles like Neon White and Overwatch. While designed to hone quick aim and movement skills, Ringo Blast also weaves a simple yet heartwarming story of Ringo, who navigates grief by rebuilding his life and revitalizing a town.

approach

The core gameplay mechanic revolves around a shotgun that propels you backward over great distances. Combined with grappling hooks, various items, and your trusty legs, it allows for creative and speedy traversal from point A to point B.

story

Taking place in 1972, Ringo Blast follows a lost chapter of Ringo’s life. While the plot is purposefully simple, the narrative dives deeper into Ringo’s seemingly one-dimensional and overly masculine character. We catch Ringo in the aftermath of his wife’s untimely death due to illness. Ringo, in an attempt to distract himself and run away from everything that reminds him of her, is on a journey to rediscover himself equipped only with his motorcycle, Beth, and his facade of a hardened emotionless unfazed badass man.

As Ringo comes across challenges and is forced to help others, he overcomes his fear of forming new relationships and learns to be happy in the community he builds.

characters

Ringo Blast

We play as Ringo Blast, a 35 year old gruffy tough man, a floater on a journey to find purpose in life. He is a man of few words and only speaks in cheesy masculine one liners.

His only best friend is his motorcycle that his late wife gifted him. (Think John Wick + John Marston)

His over the top badassery serves as a facade to his heartbreak, and he has a soft spot for romantic things.

Character Model design should resemble Eddie Riggs.

Reference Characters (from top to bottom): Eddie Riggs from Brutal Legends, Roddy Piper from They Live, Duke Nukem from Duke Nukem, Mad Max from Mad Max

Old Man

An unnamed old man who helps us along our journey. He complains a lot and always finds a way to put Ringo to work, but you can’t really hate the guy because he’s just lonely and wants to build a community. He is very easy to read, in an endearing way. Personality and dialogue similar to Francis in Left 4 Dead.

Character model resembles Stinky Pete.

Reference Characters (from top to bottom): Stinky Pete from Toy Story, Uncle from Red Dead Redemption.

Beth (motorcycle)

Named after Ringo's late wife, Beth, this motorcylce is the final gift she left before she died of illness. Ringo has an unbreakable attachment to this motorcycle, which he named after his wife. To Ringo, this motorcycle is what the dog is to John Wick or Lucille is to Negan from The Walking Dead.

gameplay

“Blast” (left mouse click)

Shooting the shotgun blasts the player back 20 meters at 10m/sec, and can be used to gain distance or height depending on where it is aimed (aim down to gain elevation). This mechanic is explored in Overwatch as Ashe’s “Coach Gun” skill.

“Blast” deals zero damage, as it’s only used for movement. It can be shot every 1 second for a total of 3-5 shots (depending on the difficulty of the game: Easy, Normal, Hard) and cannot be reloaded in the air. However, when Ringo is standing on ground, he automatically reloads at a speed of 0.7 seconds per round, and has infinite ammo.

“Grapple” (left mouse click)

The grapple is a mid-game upgrade to Ringo’s shotgun, and can only be used when the player aims at specific Yellow spots in the map. When players aim at Yellow spots and click their mouse, instead of Blasting Backwards, a grapple tether to the Yellow spot and will drag Ringo towards it, letting go preserves Ringo’s momentum in the same direction. This mechanic is very similar to Pathfinder’s Grapple in Apex Legends.

Ringo can grapple infinite times in the air without having to reload. The grapple launches 30m/second until it hits the target, then starts pulling the player at an acceleration of 10m/sec^2. However, missing the first grapple might lead to poor routing trajectory and lead to scrambling to save the level.

“Bullet Time” (Shift)

Triggering Bullet Time temporarily puts the game in slow-motion, allowing players to take their time inputting accurate controls. Bullet Time can only be used for a total of 3 seconds per level, but can be toggled on and off as many times as needed. The Bullet Time meter also replenishes throughout the level at a rate of a full meter/minute, and also replenishes fully upon entering a new level.

This mechanic is very similar to Special Abilities in GTA 5 or Bullet Time in Max Payne.