Game Reference One Shot
Apart from my main Game IP address Sky: Children of the Light, this game has also influenced my game design and also the game world that my character is based upon. One Shot is a Puzzle, RPG adventure about a character named ‘Niko’ who is seen as a god in the world the world that this game takes place is void of any light and the only light source the audience gets is the glowing light bulb in which Niko is holding. I found this game very visually appealing due to its pixelated concept art and the way the characters look simple but are immediately recognisable by their silhouette due to their animistic features and exaggerated clothing shape. I wanted to make a game that solely focuses on the main character like it’s the ‘Messiah’ of the world just like Niko in one shot which is why I decided the context for my game character to be a game where my character Milo is uncovering his memories in this foreign world that is filled with doors.
Character analysis
what makes their characters stand out:
- Simple pattern designs
- Unique silhouettes – exaggerated clothing, animistic features.
- Pixelated concept art style
- Monochromatic colour scheme – more memorable
- Cute expressive faces
When I looked at the target audience, I discovered that this game is aimed at everyone. This makes sense given that it is a low-storage game, and the graphics and story are told in a more magical, fairytale aesthetic, which makes this game appear kid-friendly. Despite the simplistic cute characters, it does not come across as a children’s game, as the essence of it is a puzzle game, as well as the immersive experience of turning the entire laptop into a pixelated animation related to the game, is what distinguishes it. Its simplicity contrasts with the game’s complexity, and I was inspired by it while designing my character. Throughout all my earlier planning stages I’ve used the characters and the game as a whole as one of my major inspirations alongside Sky.
Game Reference Kingdom Hearts
At first, I had no idea what this game was about but when I was drawing my plans for my character designs, one of the recommendations I had was to look at Kingdom Hearts. Upon looking at this game I was surprised to see that the main characters were amidst a bunch of original Disney and Pixar characters, I was so confused about seeing such contrasting game characters being placed in one game. It got me thinking in ways that indirectly related to my own prompt and how I was using many inspirations of game characters and mixing them to come up with my original game in the same way these characters that we as the viewers recognize from vastly different shows/games has come together to make a unique game. In addition, upon closer inspection, I noticed my character Milo bears similar qualities of style to the character including the wide pants paired with a t-shirt and spiky hair. By referencing this game I have started to take inspiration from the idea of using many games for inspiration and creating a new game character based on the different styles.
Character Analysis
what makes their characters stand out:
- Stark contrast in poses : Protagonist looks friendly and poses in a confident pose on the other hand , the antagonist poses in a more ‘bigger’ and menacing way like he is towering over you
- despite more simple silhouette shapes, there is more design and textures in their article of clothing
- Contrasting colour palettes reflecting their role
- how they look at viewers, the antagonist looks scary due to his siren eyes ye the protagonist has doe eyes making him look innocent.
In comparison to One Shot, Kingdom Hearts has a more realistic artistic style, but they use other means such as colours, poses, and expressions to make their characters stand out in the story by visually conveying them through stereotypical lenses. This game made me think about how I could use these components to indirectly show the viewer what type of character Milo is. The protagonist also uses a prop, and it is a key, which is particularly relevant to my character because Milo’s main object will be a set of keys due to his role as a locksmith.
Artist References
Yulia Misyul
Yulia Misyul was one of the artists who inspired me during the planning phase. I admired her simplistic tonal thumbnail designs because she created many characters with distinct silhouettes, even though most are standing still. She exaggerated the human body by making hands bigger and more monstrous, legs skinny, or animal feet, which inspired me to consider how I can incorporate such techniques into my own character silhouettes. Furthermore, the visual tones allowed us to see how the character would appear in these silhouettes rather than everything being blacked out, which made the characters more appealing. I was inspired to use similar techniques in my own character thumbnailing process.
Hoyoverse – Genshin /impact
I was also inspired by how Hoyoverse presented their character designs, It had a whole 360 view of the character alongside the closeup of accessories of the character. This art would go on to inspire me by making me think about how my character would look in a 360 view and how I could draw accessories that would go onto my character. I found the way that they laid out the plan to be useful as it would help me when I am modelling in a 360 view. In addition, this character has a steampunk aesthetic and the way that her outfit is designed with accessories that fit the aesthetic got me thinking about what types of steampunk accessories I would use to make my character stand out and be aesthetically pleasing.
Studio Ghibli – Hayato Miyazaki
Hayato Miyazaki’s movie ‘The Cat Returns’ inspired my drawing process as the character ‘The Baron’ captivated me through the animistic design paired with the elegant outfit which helped make the character stand out and showed its personality through its pose and design. I liked how the character is portrayed in many different ways through sketches, watercolour colour study and animation it really brings the character to life and creates a whole story vision through these multiple sketches. The process of letting this character go through many drawing processes reminds me of my own project and how I’m bringing my character from 2D into 3D.
Target Audience
When considering the target audience, I considered how I could make my character connect with the viewers. This led me to consider questions such as: What colour palette would best suit my character? What age range is my design based on? What age group is my Game IP based on? Will my audience have access to the game? etc.
As I was considering having my character based on a Nintendo game, I concluded that my target audience ranged from teenagers to adults. The reason for this is that my game references, such as Sky: Children of Light and One Shot, are relatively small in comparison to many popular games. Along with the simple storyline and character design, I decided to base my character on a hypothetical game for the Switch. I looked up the target audience for the Nintendo Switch and discovered that it was mostly teens and adults, so I based my audience on that graphic.
To keep my character from appearing too childish, I added some detailed objects to balance out the simplified proportions. In addition, to avoid appearing like a character aimed at children, I use a more limited and muted colour palette. To keep my character appealing to my audience, I gave him a distinct stature and facial expression that would captivate the audience while also leaving a lasting impression on the viewer. In addition, I used a mature aesthetic (steampunk) to make the character appear more appealing to my target audience.
Bibliography
- Daugherty, K. (2022) Review: OneShot: World Machine Edition (Nintendo Switch), Pure Nintendo. Available at: https://purenintendo.com/review-oneshot-world-machine-edition-nintendo-switch/ (Accessed: 21 February 2024).
- OneShot: World Machine Edition for Nintendo Switch – Nintendo Official Site (no date) www.nintendo.com. Available at: https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/oneshot-world-machine-edition-switch/ (Accessed: 21 February 2024).
- FriendlySomeone1 (2023) How did you get to know Kingdom Hearts for the very first time ? Available at: https://www.reddit.com/r/KingdomHearts/comments/10xseue/how_did_you_get_to_know_kingdom_hearts_for_the/ (Accessed: 21 February 2024).
- Misyul, Y. (2016) Illaiia / Character Concept Art/ CGMA Home Work, Artstation. Artstation. Available at: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/xO3DY (Accessed: 22 February 2024).
- Navia Splash Art (No BG) by NeekoSG on DeviantArt (2023) www.deviantart.com. Available at: https://www.deviantart.com/neekosg/art/Navia-Splash-Art-No-BG-1003201343 (Accessed: 22 February 2024).