Overview
I have developed a third-person shooter system that draws its inspiration mainly from Fortnite, due to its accessibility and visual feedback (hit markers, bullet trajectories and impact effects). It also incorporates several elements from Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, notably bullet spread, which increases significantly during long bursts of fire or while the playable character is moving.
The main aim of this system was to create a satisfying shooting experience, allowing us to work on the different layers of gamefeel to provide the player with additional information.
Used tools
I used Unreal Engine 5.6 in blueprint to create the mechanics.
How It Works
The basic system allows you to:
- Fire a weapon
- Change weapons by hovering over one
- Replenish your ammunition supply by hovering over a box
- See the damage inflicted on enemies (white for the body and orange for the head)
- See the number of rounds remaining in the magazine and those in reserve
Gamefeel Layers
Players can enable and disable the gamefeel options from a specific menu.
Gun Sound
Gives an audio indication of when a shot was fired or while the weapon is being reloaded.
Bullet Trace
Shows the visual trajectory of the shot at the moment it was fired.
Muzzle Flash
Reinforces the impression that a shot was fired
Bloom
Adds a sense of realism. The dispersion is visually represented by the deviation of the crosshair but also by randomly generated trajectories that correspond to this deviation.
Recoil
Adds another sense of realism. The recoil is randomly calculated by adding values to horizontal and vertical look action.
Impacts
Adds visual feedback for the hits from the shots fired.
Impact Particles
Complements the previous option by adding particles representing the impacts of the shots relative to the surface struck.
Bullet Casings
Adds visual feedback when a shot is fired. Add an additional sound when the casing hit the ground, if the gun sound parameter is activated.
Reduce Damage Based On Distance
Adds a new layer of realism where weapons have less impact the further away the target is.
Visual Hit Markers
Add a visual feedback showing where the player's eyes are fixed, which varies depending on the status of the hit.
Audio Hit Markers
Add an audio feedback to provide a distinctive sound cue so that the player can better understand the consequences of hits.
Dead Animation
Add another visual cue so that the player can easily tell when an enemy has been defeated and so that this defeat feels more natural.
Links
Project repository: https://drive.google.com/file/d/171lwBSpPi2a9iR7YRjEV6ypFhiCRENLy/view?usp=sharing
Inspirations
Capcom. (2005). Resident Evil 4 [Video Game]. Capcom. Valve
Corporation & Hidden Path Entertainment. (2012). Counter-Strike: Global Offensive [Video Game]. Valve Corporation
Credits & Resources
Resources Used
Gorka Games. (2022). How to Make a Simple Aim Offset in Unreal Engine 5. YouTube. Accessed 30 June at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHM7JzsNyvQ&t=7s
H2 Unreal. (2025). How to Add Muzzle Flash & Dynamic Impact - Unreal Engine 5 Weapon System Tutorial. YouTube. Accessed 30 June at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaC3rIW_mFc&t=576s
Assets
FX Cat UA. (2020). Realistic Starter VFX Pack Vol 2. Fab. Accessed 30 June at https://fab.com/s/b7603e0a549d
Deadghost Interactive. (2018). FPS Weapon Bundle. Fab. Accessed 30 June at https://fab.com/s/4e9d5df313a2
Epic Games. (2014). Animation Starter Pack. Fab. Accessed 30 June at https://fab.com/s/5b8a9c9d3c77
cstys1994. (2025). Old Military Ammo Box, Crate, Scan. Sketchfab. Accessed 30 June at https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/old-military-ammo-box-crate-scan6e42c388bb1a4f299ea00c509b1b69dd