Level Design by Cornrow Wallace: My Contribution to Call of Duty: Black Ops II

I've been asked a lot lately by friends what things in the game I worked on, so I decided to post some screenshots from the PC retail game (on max settings).

An important note: No single level is made by one person, it's a team effort, so I cannot claim full credit for any level I worked on.

I'll post the levels in the order of which I worked on them. Also worth mentioning, my descriptions of the levels may contain plot spoilers for the campaign.

September 5th, 2013 update:

Now that my work on Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 is complete, here is a list of levels I worked on.

"Suffer With Me" (panama 2, slums) first playable - alpha
"Fallen Angel" (pakistan 1) first playable - alpha
"Judgement Day" (haiti) first playable - alpha
"Odysseus" (command center) alpha - beta
"Front End" (campaign main menu background) beta - finish
Nuketown (zombies) first playable - alpha
Die Rise (zombies) blockout
Mob of the Dead (zombies) blockout - beta
Mob of the Dead cinematic intro (zombies) blockout - finish
Buried (zombies) alpha - beta
Origins (zombies) blockout
Origins cinematic intro (zombies) blockout - finish
Origins cinematic easter egg (zombies) blockout - finish

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"Suffer With Me", a.k.a. "panama 2"

I worked on part 2 of this level, which starts after Noriega is captured by Mason and Woods.

This is the first area I worked on. I retextured & detailed the building to the right, straight ahead, and to the left (not visible here).

Building to the left in the first screenshot. I added models, decals, and other detail to this building.

I built the house on the right from scratch from a reference photo.

I did some decal work on this building & built the "window cages" based on a reference photo.

Most of the work I did on this building was optimization; cleaning it up and moving destruction around. I also did some decal/blending and new destruction work.

Most of the work I did on the slums apartment buildings was optimizations, which consisted mostly of caulking unseen faces & deleted unneeded geo.

This sewer I created is used all over the level, as well as the Multiplayer level mp_slums.

I did a lot of optimization work on this building, as well as detailing on & around it.

Another view of the previous screenshot.

I received the library building in blockout form, I rebuilt almost all of it based on a reference photo.

This is the destroyed state of the library after it's bombed. I built the destroyed state and placed most of the scattered rubble in this area.

An example of a typical exterior wall treatment we used in the level. Very dirty, grimy, lots of graffiti and stains.

A rot iron fence I built. This was converted to a model with some extra geo added for mp_slums.

This is the view of the end of the level. The church is to the left, the mechanic shop to the extreme right, the laundromat straight ahead. The laundromat was one of my first tasks on this level, after the start area.

A closeup shot of the laundromat after the APC crashes through the front wall.

The church courtyard. I built this based on concept art provided by the art team.

Alternate view of the church courtyard.

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"Fallen Angel", a.k.a. "pakistan 1"

This was the second level I worked on. The level was already geo complete & fairly detailed by the time I started working on it. My job was to finish detailing it and work with other departments & implement animation.

I retextured this area to make it look more worn & stained by the flood.

Another view of the flooded grocery store.

More exterior wall stains.

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"Judgement Day", a.k.a. "haiti"

Of all the levels I worked on, I had the most creative freedom on Haiti. I joined production on the level just after the blockout stage and worked on the vista area (everything around the playable space), two building facades in the landing area, and the final scene in the campaign.

First view of the actual geo shoreline from above

Closer view. The majority of my time spent on this level was spent working on this shoreline.

Just before landing. I placed all the foliage, shaped & textured the terrain around this area

I made the facades for the two white buildings in the distance. Both based on concept from the art team.

Closer view of what became known as the "face building".

The facade of the main entrance. We wanted the buildings to look very clean with only a slight hint of grunge, little to no damage.

Other side of the "face building". I also designed the area underneath it.

View from the main entrance, looking back.

First view of the end scene. I designed the ground & surrounding area beyond the doors.

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"Mob of the Dead", a.k.a. "alcatraz island"

This is the first level I worked on start to finish. I helped research, design, and build this level. Part of researching Alcatraz was actually going to Alcatraz Island. It was an awesome experience, and really helped the level builders a better sense of scale, and overall atmosphere. At some point I have worked on every part of this level, except the shower room, but the majority of my time was spent on the island exterior, the messhall (cafeteria), Golden Gate bridge, and the administrative building/wardens office.

I built the island & blocked out several buildings. This screenshot is from the opening cinematic, I did all the detailing for the entire cinematic intro video.

The Mess Hall (cafeteria), I restructured & detailed this room.

Another view of the messhall.

The Wardens Office, I blocked this room out & did early detailing.

Administration room, I was one of the many people who detailed this room.

Entrance to the administration room.

Upper Citadel, I did early detailing on this area.

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"Buried", a.k.a. "Resolution 1295"

I joined this level late in development to help finish it. I did a detail pass on the Gunsmith building, the mansion, the streets, and the interior rock ceiling.

Detail in the streets area

Detail in the courtyard area

Another view of the courtyard

Yet another view of the courtyard

Gunsmith building, second floor

Detail pass on the Gunsmith interior, second floor

Gunsmith interior, first floor

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"Origins", intro cinematic

I worked on "Origins" for a brief time after finishing my work on "Mob of the Dead", but I joined the zombies team to help finish "Buried", then I went to work on the intro cinematic for "Origins". My tasks included creating & setting up all 6 maps used, setting up animations in Radiant, coordinating with the build, art, lighting, and animation teams. I also arranged & detailed the easter egg map, but I'm going to wait for some more time to pass before I post screenshots of it to avoid spoiling it for anyone.