A game’s visual identity is, for many, an essential factor in their appreciation of it. That is why, in this blog post, we would like to present our work related to the environments of Spire of Chaos: Arcana Unleashed. As you read, you will learn more about our inspirations, our concepts, as well as the challenges we faced and the solutions we found.
Inspirations
As the project evolved, there were several transitions between different artistic movements depending on our vision for the game. At first, the art direction was inspired by Gothic and Surrealist movements. However, we realized that we already had a wide variety of aesthetics, particularly with the tarot cards and the Magical Girl anime influences, which made the artistic direction feel overcrowded.
We therefore decided to replace the Gothic and Surrealist inspirations with Art Nouveau, as it encompassed both the fantastical and esoteric aspects of tarot cards and the femininity associated with Magical Girls. Moreover, very few video games feature this visual identity, making it an excellent way for us to stand out.
What Did We Take from Art Nouveau?
The curved architecture, as well as its organic and plant-inspired motifs found in our environments, mainly come from this artistic movement. In addition, materials frequently used in Art Nouveau structures include wood, plaster, and marble. These therefore became our primary materials as well.
We also added several stained-glass windows throughout the environment to create interesting lighting and atmosphere. These stained-glass elements serve as the main source of light and, like any effective video game lighting, bring together all aspects of the art direction to create a distinct color palette and ambiance for each level.
Having different atmospheres for each level helps distinguish the various floors of the tower, the space the protagonist travels through, while maintaining a consistent base of objects and materials. Ultimately, these varied environments allowed us to push ourselves artistically.
Concepts
Many iterations were necessary to find the perfect formula for all the themes we wanted to explore. We needed to be creative with our ideas while keeping level design intentions in mind. The curves characteristic of Art Nouveau could quickly interfere with gameplay intentions, so we had to be particularly mindful of that balance.
Nevertheless, it was also our responsibility to conceptualize the atmosphere of each room and achieve the intended result based solely on the character’s navigation.
Challenges and Solutions
The main challenge was finding the right balance between art and level design. Many spatial and gameplay constraints had to be considered during environmental creation, such as enemy combat and the player’s path through each level. Large combat spaces were especially difficult to decorate, as we could not intrude upon the player’s combat zones. Communication with the level design department was a major asset to ensure everything functioned properly.
Ongoing collaboration with the narrative department also allowed us to enrich spaces according to specific themes and incorporate environmental storytelling elements that would not have existed without strong team communication.
Another issue was scale. Large spaces made the protagonist and environmental objects appear very small. They also created additional lighting challenges since we wanted to favor natural lighting produced by the stained-glass windows placed throughout the rooms. As a result, environments often became too dark, and we had to introduce additional light sources to improve visibility.
Beyond spatial concerns, one of our worries was the limited number of environment artists on the team. Few of us specialize in environment modeling within Spire of Chaos: Arcana Unleashed, so tasks had to be distributed strategically.
The intricate small details typical of Art Nouveau architecture were replaced with larger curved architectural pieces that optimized production time while still conveying the desired aesthetic. A strong solution for this curved architecture, while optimizing modular pieces, was to create a reusable base and layer large curved architectural elements on top. These also helped break the regularity of modular rooms.
A similar regularity was found in the materials, caused by the large spaces. This was addressed by adding rugs on the floors, incorporating trimsheet patterns, and using texture painting. Our texture workflow was optimized to facilitate production despite the limited number of environment artists. The use of smart materials accelerated the creation process and ensured visual consistency across assets.
Q&A
If you had to choose a tarot card, which one represents you best?
Théodore: The High Priestess, representing intuition, the subconscious, and mystery. I’m a spiritual person who believes in manifestation. The meaning of this card resonates with me.
Alice: The Chariot, representing willpower, control, and success. It was the first card drawn for me at the very beginning of the project, and I immediately felt it suited me well. I believe we can all turn our weaknesses into strengths, and all feedback is a source of learning.
William: The Lovers, representing love, harmony, and choice. This card reflects the balance between two parts of my life: being authentic in my choices and pursuing my passion for video games.
Alexandre: Death, representing change, transition, and release. I’m currently in a transitional period of my life with an uncertain future. Despite that, I hope it’s a positive change, with the end of my bachelor’s degree and the beginning of my career.
What is the best aspect of Spire of Chaos: Arcana Unleashed in your opinion?
Théodore: I may be a bit biased since I came up with the idea, but I love the Art Nouveau art direction because it stands out from other games in the industry.
Alice: The art direction. Even though the tower is a corrupted environment, it feels like a space I would want to live in.
William: The animations, because it’s the first time we’ve created everything from A to Z, and seeing the progression from concept art to fully animated characters is truly fascinating.
Alexandre: The observatory environment, because it’s very well decorated. The atmosphere feels cozy and believable.