Greetings Carants,
In GreedFall 2, the VFX – also known as Visual Effects – are the particles and effects you can see in the game. They are created in response to design, scenery and illustration needs, and will often go through a reflective thought process before being produced to make them coherent in the universe.
Today, we’d like to take the time to present all the magic hidden behind this art form and show you what we’re working on.
GreedFall 2’s universe is vast, and its different biomes call for contemplation, exploration, and mystery. Behold the lush forests of Teer Fradee, Thynia's Mediterranean climate, and Olima’s Byzantian architecture – all serve as inspiration to the VFX team who use them to breathe life into the world around you.
This can translate into elements as unassuming as they are effective: leaves tumbling from trees, flames dancing atop the campfire, or rising smoke acting as a sign of misfortune...
But the environment isn’t the only element that requires VFX. You can find it in combat, where spells benefit from the team’s knowledge to make the visual experience both enjoyable and impactful.
There too, visual effects leave nothing to chance and generally respond to specific requirements for design and consistency. Before you begin working on the more creative side of VFX, you need to ask yourself the right questions.
Are the effects of alterations and spells cumulative - how are they prioritised and how can they be made visually comprehensible? Such are the questions that can arise before embarking on a VFX project.
While the latter often responds to technical constraints, it’s also often a question of giving voice to the game's immersion and narration.
One of the more evident cases to illustrate this is the magic used by characters in combat - that is, both native magic and the magic used in Thélème. The inspirations for these are directly linked to the game’s lore, making the visual effects consistent with the universe.
The natives' magic is connected to nature. This is reflected in the use of gentle oranges and greens, as well as in the physical characteristics: stone, tree roots, water, and so on, are all present within the spells used.
On the flip side, Thélème’s magic is ethereal. It plays on light and shadow, with spells that allow you to inflict damage or curse the enemy falling into a darker palette. Meanwhile, healing or support spells tend towards lighter colours, using white or gold.
Whether it's to animate the environments and scenery, make the combat feel more impactful, or simply give a cool edge to the cinematics, VFX is omnipresent in the game and, thanks to the team’s work, brings an extra touch of life to the universe around you.
That's all for this week. We have a lot to prepare and share with you, especially in this coming September - we hope you're all looking forward to it!
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