Mario Mergola
Game Designer -- Narrative, Systems, Data
Its'a me, Mario!
- Narrative Designer (6+ Years with 7+ Projects with a shipped game)
- Lead Game Designer (11 Team Members)
- Lead Designer (15+ Years and $50M+ in Construction Projects)
- Professional Freelance Writer (1,000+ Published Articles)
- Technical Background, Engineering Degree
- Experience with Unreal Engine 5, Godot, and Python
Pandora: Chains of Chaos (Shipped) -- Narrative Designer, Game Designer, Content Designer
Feature: Designed mission structures, narrative systems, and character arcs for an open-world action-adventure game.
Benefit: Delivered a cohesive and immersive player experience through storytelling and gameplay.
Value: Enhanced player engagement and emotional connection to the story, contributing to the game's success.
Rationale: Balancing narrative pacing with gameplay allowed players to stay engaged at all times.
Implementation: Worked with Programming and Level Design to align narrative and mechanics for use in Unreal Engine.
Collaboration with Team Impact: Partnered with Creative Director to set and maintain vision, themes, and documentation.
Mass Effect 2: Mission Logic Recreation (Portolio Piece) -- Game Designer, Narrative Designer, Programmer
Feature: Recreated the logic of the iconic Mass Effect 2 final mission using Articy Draft 3 and Unreal Engine 5.
Benefit: Delivered a playable simulation that highlights how player decisions impact outcomes and character survival.
Value: Showcased problem-solving, game design, narrative integration, and scripting skills.
Rationale: Navigating multiple programs to create an emotionally engaging experience is reflective of in-engine design work.
Implementation: Scripted functions in UE 5 to overcome Articy's limitations, including randomization and dynamic conditions.
Collaboration with Team Impact: Crafted workflows to allow narrative logic and gameplay systems to function seamlessly.
Ascend (In Progress) -- Narrative Designer, Game Designer, Content Designer
Feature: Worldbuilding, mission and puzzle design, character backgrounds, and narrative progression.
Benefit: Delivered a seamless gameplay experience where puzzles reinforced the story and player immersion.
Value: Streamlined production timelines by providing concise documentation and clear design goals.
Rationale: Ensuring puzzles aligned with the narrative allowed both mechanics and story to resonate with players.
Implementation: Collaborated with Creative Director to prototype puzzles combining theme with mechanics.
Collaboration with Team Impact: Supported all departments by providing detailed asset needs.