The Finals

In this game, players take control of Star Wars-inspired hovercrafts, referred to as "speeders," which are driven by Stormtrooper pilots. Players have the ability to engage in adrenaline-pumping races filled with strategic elements and combat opportunities.

Race track overview

Environment

The environment is brought from an older Unreal Engine 4 template showcasing Chaos Physics driving and was ported into Unreal Engine 5.3 to act as the basis for the game. It had reminded me of the environments from the source material (StarWars Tatooine) and other sandy areas and as such I had picked it out of convenience.

Desert environment

Race Manager

The race manager is responsible for various gameplay elements, including:

Checkpoints

The checkpoint system automatically lays out positions alongside a spline stretching through the map.

Resolution: The system places down the points according to a preset resolution for optimal progress tracking
Laps: The system supports an optional lap system: a configurable amount of laps for circuit like races
Reverse Mode: The ability to instantly reverse the track direction with one tick of a checkbox
Player Progress Tracking: Tracking every player's progress such as their position, lap, and overall performance
Wrong Way Detection: Detects if the player strays from the route, warns and teleports them after a short time

Checkpoint system

Upgrades

There are various collectable upgrades placed around the map, collecting them gives the player the ability to activate or use various abilities.

Speed Boost: Temporarily increases the player's speed significantly
Ammo: Gives the player 32 laser rounds to fire at other racers
Shield: Protects the player from dangers such as projectiles
Health: Restores the player's health

Upgrade Types

There are primarily two types of upgrades which are collected:

Manual: These include the ammo and the shield both of which are activated via the user's mouse input
Automatic: Upon colliding with the upgrade it is instantly activated ex: Health, Speed

Dynamic Sound Effects

Sound design is an integral part of the experience. Hovercraft audio is tied to the player's speed, with variable smoothed pitch and volume adjustments that react in real-time to provide an immersive auditory experience.

Dynamic Visual Effects

The game features various reactive and dynamic visual effects such as:

Shield: The shield flashes brightly when it blocks a projectile and deflects the projectile with a spark effect
Speeder/Hovercraft Thrusters: Similarly to the Sound design, the hovercraft thrusters are tied to the player's speed, with the thrusters effect becoming more intense and brighter as the player accelerates and decelerates

Weather/Time Variations

The game features a day/night and weather cycle which includes various states, dust, rain, fog, clear and cloudy weather, which is powered by the industry leading UltraDynamicSky system.

Physics-Based Hovercraft Simulation

Each hovercraft is physically simulated with server-authoritative principles to ensure smooth and consistent movement. The physics-based movement system ensures:

Accurate collision detection between players
Framerate-independent physics calculations for consistent gameplay
Fair and balanced replication of movements across all clients

Additional Features

Leaderboard: During the entire race, you can see your place on the leaderboard
Spectate Mode: Upon completing the race, players are put into spectate mode to watch their competition

By combining these features, The Finals delivers a thrilling and competitive multiplayer racing experience that stands out in its genre.