CreationPartway through my studies, I discovered that what I really loved about games was over-the-top, satisfying gameplay - enough to produce an audible reaction from players. When I realized this, I sought to make a game that emphasized this feeling in everything it did.
Around the same time, I discovered Adobe Mixamo's collection of 3D models and animations, and among them, the Mutant - a big, hulking monstrosity with a blade for an arm. A creature that looked like it was prepared to rampage through a city. So I decided to make one and drop it in. I believed that the game's mechanics needed to reflect my initial perspective of the main character. The Mutant is a big angry monster, reminiscent of such characters as Doomsday, the Hulk, and the Rancor. It's purpose is to break, smash, and crush, and above all, be awesome. |
Making a MonsterI had big ideas for the Mutant. I wanted it to destroy a million different objects in a million different ways, but I was limited by Mixamo's animation library. It featured a couple of animations that looked natural with the Mutant's mesh, but only so many of them were the big, sweeping attacks that I was looking for.
Because of this, I decided on just three main attacks:
This ended up being a blessing in disguise, since it gave me the much-needed time required to polish these attacks up to a state where I was satisfied. |
Breaking Down the ActionSo how did I create those "awesome" moments I was going for? A whole heap of VFX, SFX, and camera effects. Every moment of an attack requires careful attention to make the whole motion come together.
First, certain effects occur before the attack even connects. I implemented a varying FOV increase for all attacks, and a slight Dutch angle for the melee combo to make the motions seem more immersive. The Mutant also makes Even though the Mutant hasn't struck anything yet, the game still needs to provide the sense of strength behind every attack. When the attack actually connects, there should be several indicators of damage. Since cars are the primary destructible objects in the game, that's where most of my focus went. Every time they're struck, they emit sparks. Additionally, after reaching certain HP thresholds, their models change to become more beat up and misshapen. And of course, there's screen shake and controller vibration. Finally, when the car is destroyed, a big explosion is rendered, and debris gets launched in all directions. The game features a "Rage" system as well, which increases as the Mutant destroys objects. Increased rage yields an increase in damage, a red tint over the screen, and additional instruments layered onto the music track. There are a few effects outside of combat as well. Since you play as a big, hulking monstrosity, essentially all of your movements result is screen shake and controller vibration. The Mutant also makes monstrous noises with every action, to add to the immersion. |