Eclipse Ascendant - Game Prototype Critique
Hello everyone, here I am going to post an update regarding the project I've been working on called Eclipse Ascendant. I am a character artist, however with this project I wanted to go a step further and small prototype in which I implement the characters and all the basic functions they would have such as combat, health, etc. As a big fan of Diablo series, I took inspiration from their dark fantasy theme and combined it with my own style and vision. Previously, I have posted a thread asking for feedback regarding one of the characters, but now I have a lot more to show. I am really looking forward for your feedback and thoughts, and I will use all the critiques and advice in my next projects.
My project has two characters, one who is the necromancer (the playable character) and Ascian (the N.P.C) whose temple the player is going to discover.
To showcase the level progression of the playable character, I created three different garments corresponding to low-level, mid-level and high-level possible types of armours.
Low-Level Necromancer:
Mid-Level Necromancer, who is also the playable character of the prototype:
For the playable necromancer, I have also designed a scythe that would be his weapon. The scythe has an organic texture, just like the sacrificial dagger he is wearing. I designed these weapons to be made out of bones and flesh. The scythe has a demon trapped inside, which gives power to the necromancer and is represented by the eye of the weapon.
High-Level Necromancer Armour:
Once I was done with all the garments of the necromancer, I moved on and started modeling Ascian, the Primordial of Death. In the story of the game, each Empire has its own Primordial who keeps the connection between their deity and the mortal realm. In my prototype, I illustrated the moment in which the player as a necromancer, would need to meet their class Primordial, who in the case of necromancers is Ascian, in order to get their ascending quest and unlock their class specialization.
As I previously mentioned, with this project I went a step further and build a small environment to showcase the scene. For the environment I have modeled everything from columns, stairs, the fire stones, sacrificial table and the props, the centre pedestal and the throne. All the rocks, boulders and cliffs, as well as the books and the cups from the altars, are megascans taken from Quixel Bridge. I took the mobs and their animations from Mixamo. As for the animations of the playable necromancer, I took the animations from Accurig, and imported them in Cascadeur to adjust them and make them fit for a character who uses a scythe.
Environment:
Combat, spells and interaction:
Mele Combat:
Dark Magic Projectile Spell:
Healing Spell:
Door Interaction:
Here is a video with the gameplay:
Software I used: Maya, ZBrush, Marvelous Designer, Substance Painter, Cascadeur, Unreal Engine 5.
I am really looking forward for your opinions, feedback and critique! Let me know what things I should improve upon. If you would like to see more of the planning that I have for this game idea, or if you have any questions regarding this prototype, please don't hesitate to reach out.
Replies
in the environment maybe more consistent roughness. for example there is some stairs that are shiny enough they appear like polished marble and then it butts up directly against dirt that has no glossiness at all. i think that sort of thing may subconsciously register as a lack of polish. And it creates visual noise that I think makes it hard to focus because it introduces contrast to the scene. And there isn't a good reason to draw the eye to some random spot on the ground, would be better if it stays on the characters without distraction.
another thing is that we see a lot of straight borders where ground meets buildings / props. if these are broken up more using additional props I think it gives a more polished look as well
not a critique, but just a thought, i wonder if mixing in a little bit of accent colors which are antagonistic to the predominant colors might feel nice. maybe some foliage or something