The First Berserker Khazan
2022 - 2025Level Designer
Development Process
When I joined the Khazan team, it was in its early stages with only one map completed.
After demonstrating strong performance during initial testing, I was given the opportunity to create 6 main levels and 1 sub-level.
Each level went through a planning phase based on the world setting, including overall concept, flow, and intended player experience, followed by block-level work. During this process, I also created level objects needed for each level.
After level creation, multiple iterations of testing and refinement were conducted. I then held kickoff meetings with partner departments to share the completed levels and objects, synchronizing on design intentions, goals, and direction. Through close collaboration with related departments, I helped in every way possible to achieve polished results. Even after completion, we dedicated time to repeated testing and quality improvement before finally launching.
The journey from early development to launch at Khazan was challenging yet provided valuable growth experiences. It was particularly meaningful because of the great colleagues I met on this project.
Levels I Worked On
Heinmach
This is the first map I created at Khazan and the first stage that opens the game.
The main goal was to deliver the experience of protagonist Khazan escaping from a blizzard-swept snowy mountain.
I adopted a descending path structure from top to bottom. Through environmental transitions from the dark, blizzard-swept upper mountain, through quiet but dark caves, to bright skies upon exit, I aimed to provide a sense of liberation from gradually escaping the snowy mountain.
To alleviate the monotony of a single snowy theme, I introduced spatial variations such as blizzard zones, quiet dark caves, and ice waterfalls.
Although the tutorial addition was not confirmed at the time, I designed linear paths and elevation sections at the starting point anticipating future tutorial integration. As the first map, I designed a linear path structure with minimized structural complexity.
Being my first level, I was ambitious and enjoyed working on this map. While the map itself is simple, due to its nature as the first level, it required the longest period of work on various core system elements and monster placement balancing.
StormPass
This is the second stage in the game and the third map I created at Khazan. I worked hard to maximize the "trial" narrative that Khazan must endure, which also appears in the original work.
I shifted the design direction by reinterpreting the existing trial structure as "trials to overcome Khazan's inner self". I aimed to build narrative connectivity where Khazan overcomes his inner demons, gradually regains his power and grows, and ultimately faces his strongest inner enemy.
The level starts with a leisurely movement experience in a wide snowy mountain, then gradually reduces space and increases difficulty through vertical terrain and monster placement. This delivers progressive difficulty by making players feel the increasing challenge during the journey to the trials.
Each time a trial is overcome, Khazan acquires new weapons and skills. Since there was no separate weapon learning section in the game, I restructured these trials as weapon learning sections. This delivered a clear sense of reward for overcoming trials.
El Ravaca
I designed three-dimensional spatial structures to match the setting of an "abandoned chaos laboratory," aiming to provide visual interest and exploration fun. By adding the "biological experiment" concept, I aimed to create a more horrifying and darker atmosphere than previous levels to deliver heightened tension to players.
For overall environmental storytelling, I structured 4 themes and play experiences in stages: "Abandoned Village → Sewer → Underground Prison → Laboratory."
Each theme was designed with narrative connectivity: the zombie-infested "Abandoned Village" evokes curiosity; the "Sewer" creates claustrophobic pressure from numerous corpses and narrow passages; the massive "Underground Prison" presents mystery about the huge facility; and the final "Laboratory" reveals that all secrets are due to "biological experiments," with tense combat through monsters emerging from broken experiment tubes.
The scenario's process of finding kidnapped companions was designed as the play flow. Particularly, by having players directly witness restrained companions mid-level, I aimed to provide dramatic emotional changes and clear progression motivation.
Gimmick elements like hidden walls and moving bookshelves enhanced exploration fun, while laser traps and monster ambush sequences created enhanced tension and spatial pressure compared to previous levels.
El Ravaca Sector 4
Designed as a medium-scale level with its own spatial structure and flow, smaller than main levels. The goal was to condense the core play experience of El Ravaca at high density and provide combat with increased difficulty.
To effectively convey high difficulty, individual combat difficulty was set high for tension, while reducing the number of battles to lower fatigue and control pacing.
Each space was designed with diverse combat experiences:
- Elite monster combat in dangerous environments with experiment tubes containing suicide spiders
- Two consecutive battles with elite monsters appearing as experiment tubes break
- Strategic combat spaces where environmental elements like laser traps and explosive traps can eliminate multiple monsters
Imperial Palace
This map is the fourth created at Khazan and the final destination that crowns the journey, boasting the most majestic and massive scale of all maps.
Considering it's the final map, I intended somewhat simple and linear paths rather than complex exploration. Through this, my top priority was to create grandeur befitting a finale location and convey the anticipation and tension of advancing toward the final boss.
To implement the "Imperial Palace" spatial setting where royalty resides, I researched real medieval castle structures and fictional castles as references. I also referenced Dungeon & Fighter's Ozma Raid (Tower of Revelation Elenos, Tragic City Elerinon) to create connections between Khazan and the original DNF's IF worldview, aiming to deliver familiarity to existing fans.
While it's the final gate, I aimed to provide the experience that reaching the final boss isn't easy either. In this process, personal ambition led to some regrets.
As a massive map crowning the game's ending, close collaboration with art, programming, and related departments was essential. Through this, I deeply learned the weighty responsibility and importance of communication as a planner more than any other level.
The Crevice
This level is a hub integrating core town functions such as equipment crafting, reorganization, and travel to other regions. Lore-wise, it's divided into the "Mortal Realm" where mortals exist and the "Netherworld" where the dead or netherworld beings reside.
NPCs directly helping Khazan's spec improvement were placed in the Mortal Realm, while the monument "Ghost Gate" serving narrative elements and transportation to other regions was placed in the Netherworld, clearly distinguishing the roles of both worlds. This was inspired by Demon's Souls' "Nexus".
I also provided small exploration paths within the town and the fun of discovering hidden items. NPC and function placement prioritized efficient and convenient player movement and use.
Final Conquest
I created several sub-levels, but this is the only one that survived after others were discarded due to content volume issues.
To maximize departure from the feeling of map recycling, I devised the "submerged fortress" concept idea for this sub-level.
While it's clearly a map cleared in the previous main stage, the flooding feature with fall zones and visual atmosphere of water-filled areas enabled me to complete a sub-level delivering a fresh experience.