Relic
by Synaptic Sugar
3D exploration platformer with grapple mechanics that takes place on a derelict alien ship
http://synapticsugarrelic.weebly.com/
Role: Technical Art, Lighting, Visual FX, Environment Art, Character Model
2014-2015
Relic is a third-person action adventure game in which you use a grappling-beam to traverse an ancient alien spacecraft.
Relic was a massive undertaking, with one of the largest game teams ever assembled at DigiPen. Our large team size allowed individuals to specialize, but also risked creating gaps in understanding and implementation. My specialty was to fill in those gaps and maintain cohesion and visual quality across the project.
I worked on character models, lighting, environment models, textures and shaders, and visual effects. My work as a Technical Artist made everyone else's job easier. I was the bridge between the art and design teams; if there's was an art problem, I fixed it.
Additionally, I lead a strike team of proactive members of the group to re-evaluate the project mid-way through and redirect our scope and focus to achieve a higher quality project that the team was excited to work on. We ultimately formed a collective group of leads for each department, rather than one single head, in order to better collaborate and create something we all had input on. Without my direction and ability to rally, the project would have faltered due to its massive scope and lack of a unified vision for the team to get behind.
Relic won First Place in Best Spoken Dialog, and Best Characters in the 2015 DigiPen student showcase awards, and was nominated for many more. It was also showcased at PAX West 2015. The game is still showcased at DigiPen 5 years later, inspiring more generations of students to reach for the stars.
Relic was a massive undertaking, with one of the largest game teams ever assembled at DigiPen. Our large team size allowed individuals to specialize, but also risked creating gaps in understanding and implementation. My specialty was to fill in those gaps and maintain cohesion and visual quality across the project.
I worked on character models, lighting, environment models, textures and shaders, and visual effects. My work as a Technical Artist made everyone else's job easier. I was the bridge between the art and design teams; if there's was an art problem, I fixed it.
Additionally, I lead a strike team of proactive members of the group to re-evaluate the project mid-way through and redirect our scope and focus to achieve a higher quality project that the team was excited to work on. We ultimately formed a collective group of leads for each department, rather than one single head, in order to better collaborate and create something we all had input on. Without my direction and ability to rally, the project would have faltered due to its massive scope and lack of a unified vision for the team to get behind.
Relic won First Place in Best Spoken Dialog, and Best Characters in the 2015 DigiPen student showcase awards, and was nominated for many more. It was also showcased at PAX West 2015. The game is still showcased at DigiPen 5 years later, inspiring more generations of students to reach for the stars.
In game screenshot
Assets
Sam Ward - Relic Hunter
Character model, texture bakes by Jae Nordgren
Door Frame
Door frame palette piece made to fit between square wall segments and octagonal doors
In-Game Screenshots
Lighting, shaders, VFX, and world art placements by Jae Nordgren
