For this project, I prepared in advance and looked at my peer’s portfolios in advance. This way I was prepared to make the decision well in advance and not spend the week being indecisive.
After looking at and evaluating the blogs I chose 3 contenders that I would potentially like to work on:
The first game on the list is Violet’s Dates by my classmate Riya. Here is an excerpt of the synopsis:
“You play Violet, an impulsive, naïve romantic who believes she may meet her prince charming exactly as in the movies she loves. Violet’s determination is to find a loving partner and live happily ever after. Her best friend arranged up these dates, so she only has high hopes, but as the story goes, she discovers that these dates may not be the ideal fairy-tale she had imagined.”
What drew me to this game:
- The nostalgic 2000s art style
- The subversion of what the average dating game is like
- Highlighting the female experience with dating and stalkers
- The intriguing plot and how it can be told
The second game on the list is Kinetic Panic by my classmate Parker. Here is an excerpt of the synopsis:
“Kinetic Panic is a joyful physics-based 3D puzzle platformer where you play as a playful spirit tasked with saving all human creation. Control and manipulate every object around you using abilities granted by the Lords of Physics themselves, to reach new heights and find beacons scattered across a set of wild levels.”
What drew me to this game:
- The design aesthetics (Vectorheart, Superflat, collage)
- The gameplay and use of the laws of gravity
- The music inspiration (Katamari Damacy)
The third game on the list is Paranoia by my classmate Indiana. Here is an excerpt of the synopsis:
“The story revolves around the player, who wakes alone from a mysterious test chamber among dozens of others to a room with no power; the cameras in the building switched off. Clues hidden about the room allude to the player having to ascend the tower, destroy the “Watcher”, and most importantly of all, DO NOT BE SEEN.”
What drew me to this game:
- The use of the panopticon as the game premise
- The dark aesthetics (tv static, dingy hallways)
- The loop (become the watcher and then avoid being targeted by the new watched)
What was assigned to me?
Drum-roll please!
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🎉🎉🎉
In the end, Kinetic Panic ended up being the game that I was given to work on. I am very happy with this decision as it was my first choice, and I have a lot of ideas for how to bring it to life!
My role was originally the environment artist, but my other classmate, Carter, and I decided that we feel more confident with each others rolls so we switched.
My main objective for the 3D models is to learn how to texture paint effectively and have a clean model (unlike last semester…)
Taking inspo from character models of Katamari Damacy and Super Monkey Ball, I can get a feel of what art direction I need to go in. However, before I start creating anything, I must research the design influences that went into this game idea.