Lone Echo II is the award winning direct follow up to an early VR game for the Oculus Platform developed by Ready At Dawn with Meta as the publisher.

Following the events of Lone Echo, Captain Liv and Jack (the Player) find themselves stranded on an abandoned space station overburdened by the biomass that continues to haunt them. They must grapple with the realization that they are 400 years into the future and must find a way to prevent this bleak future from coming to pass.

As the Player you work with Captain Liv and other NPCs to explore the space station, solve puzzles, and gain new tools that unlock areas and gameplay mechanics to follow this compelling and high production narrative.

Launch Trailer for Lone Echo 2

Aesthetic: Narrative, Exploration
Production Completion: October 2021

Game Engine: Custom "RAD" Engine
Scripting Language: Custom Visual Scripting

Website: https://www.oculus.com/lone-echo/

Roles: General Design

When I joined Ready At Dawn, I was able to watch them craft Lone Echo 2 from afar, but as the launch date approached, it became clear that they would need all hands onboard to get the game out in time. I was brought onto the project to design and oversee the "Gesture/Reaction" system on Liv and the other NPCs in the game.

The "Gesture" system's main goal was to keep the NPCs as reactive to the Player as possible while not breaking the narrative sequences and flows. So when the Player gave Liv a thumbs up, we wanted her to acknowledge the Player in some way. Depending on what was happening, this might just be to briefly look at the Player, give a head nod, tell Jack not right now, or give a thumbs up back herself.

As the work progressed, my job quickly shifted into adding the final touches the the NPCs and cinematic moments. I became a general "polisher" for sequences and gameplay areas.

Some of my tasks:

• Implement and help debug the new head look system and work with animators to make sure it was on/off at appropriate times.
• Control the "mood" of the NPCs so they they only give appropriate gesture or vocal responses to the Player's actions. For example, in high stress situations, Liv is unlikely to give a thumbs up back to the Player.
• Implemented a facial animation state and scripted it throughout the game. So if Liv was in a happy state, she would have a happier expression on her face while idling.
• Tweak cinematic timings, fix animation bugs and implementation.
• Blockout the final cinematic sequence, and work with animators to implement it into the game

My final task on this project was to work with an animator and programmer to design and implement various "touch" moments between Liv and the Player (Jack).

These moments include:

• Handing Liv the tool underneath the Holotable
• Holding Liv's hand during the operation
• The fist bump moment before launching away
• Liv pulling the Player into the credits​

We were only expected to complete a few (if it was even possible to do any due to their complex nature), but by game ship, our strike force was able to implement each one in the game.

Jonathan Gregoire - Game Design
JonathanAGregoire@gmail.com

August 2024

Ready At Dawn was closed.

October 2021

Helped ship Lone Echo 2.

July 2020

Started at Ready At Dawn as a Senior Level Designer on an unnanounced project.

July 2020

Started at Ready at Dawn as a Senior Level Designer on an unnanounced project.

March 2020

Last days at Naughty Dog working on The Last of Us Part II.

September 2019

Shipped the Last of Us Part II press demo level "Patrol".

May 2018

Started working at Naughty Dog as a Contract Single Player Level Layout Designer on The Last of Us Part II. 

December 2017

I started doing contract work for a start-up company called MyPad3D that focuses on VR experiences for corporate products.

More interestingly, I have begun to prototype my own card game on the side and have been volunteering with Sunbreak Games on an unannounced product.

July 2017

With a heavy heart, E-Line Media has shut down the Seattle studio, laying off everyone including myself. I am currently looking for new opportunities.

November 2016

Began working at E-Line Media again as a Level Designer on an unannounced and untitled game.

October 2016

Updating my website to reflect the work I did on the Forest Song with Colabee Studios. Unfortunately due to funding issues, I am no longer with them, so I am currently looking for new opportunities.

December 2015

Lots of new stuff since I last updated. Added in a short comic I made called Old Debts. Also have put up information about my role(s) on Never Alone and Never Alone: FoxTales.

January 2015

Promoted to Lead Designer on Never Alone: FoxTales at E-Line Media.

Summer 2014

Graduated Digipen as a BAGD and with a Cum Laude. Started working at E-Line Media as a Level Designer.

March 2014

Uploaded a new Beta build of Chained. Also just put up the old builds of the game for anyone interested in our very quick process and progress.

January 2014

I recently wrote a paper that was published for the IGDA about the benefit of Paper Prototyping. You can read it at this following link: http://newsletter.igda.org/2013/11/30/student-beat-faceoff-the-influences-of-board-games-on-video-games/#!