Creating a Pong-Inspired Video game in Unreal Engine 5: A DeveloperS diary doesn’t just illustrate an innovative voyage into game development, it also pays homage to the very foundations of the video gaming sphere.over the course of this development diary, you’ll see a step-by-step breakdown of how the traditional and iconic Pong game was reimagined using the powerful Unreal Engine 5.
Getting Into Gear: Setting the Game Framework
The birthplace of any project is a simple concept and its inception is no different for a Pong-inspired video game. After brainstorming and visualizations, the design stage starts with the drafting of a rough layout. Once this has been materialized, it’s time to open Unreal Engine 5 and begin building the project.
starting a new project in Unreal Engine 5 is pretty straightforward.By simply navigating to the ‘File’ menu, followed by ‘New Project’, the base habitat can be created. For our version of Pong,a ‘Blank’ project was chosen under the ‘Blueprint’ template. The ‘2D Side Scroller’ option could also have been chosen, but the freedom provided by the ‘Blank’ project was preferred.
Creating Basic Game Mechanics
the next stage in development involved implementing the primary mechanics of Pong: player paddles and the bouncing ball. For the paddles,static mesh assets were created and then enhanced with blueprints,scripts that specify how objects behave within the Unreal Engine.
for the clashing ball, a similar methodology was employed with a single adjustment. A ‘Physics Material’ was applied to its mesh, allowing the ball to rebound off the paddles and game boundaries. this created the fundamental back-and-forth mechanic inherent in Pong’s gameplay.
Player Interaction and Game Logic
with basic elements in place, the focus shifted towards player interaction, namely, ensuring that player input manipulated the paddle’s movement smoothly. The game logic was also created, outlining the score-keeping mechanism and determining win conditions. Notably, Unreal Engine 5’s visual scripting system, Blueprints, was instrumental in this phase.
Polishing: Adding Sounds and Textures
The significant mechanics were in place, which meant moving towards adding immersive details. This involved adding authentic Pong-style sounds and texturing meshes to bring the modernitsic pong vision to life.
Testing and Debugging
An integral stage in any game development process is testing and debugging. The project was played rigorously, often requiring back-and-forth adjustments to unearth any hidden bugs and ensure optimal gameplay experience. This iterative process of test-adjust-retest ensured all elements were working in harmony.
The Release
As the final version of the Pong-inspired game came together, it was prepared for release. Of course, no game launch is complete without a bit of hype. Teasers, trailers, and gameplay snippets were circulated on various platforms, leading up to an immensely gratifying release.
creating a Pong-Inspired Video Game in Unreal Engine 5 was a nostalgically innovative journey, bridging the gap between classic and contemporary gaming. While the game mechanics were relatively simple,implementing them in a modern game engine gave invaluable experience and insights into game development from a novel perspective.
