Weekly Digest #64 (Patreon)

Hi everyone!

I've been reading and testing with Daz, Blender, and Metahuman this week. I'm making progress with this part of the project, which involves bringing 3D models to the game with fluid and realistic animations, body and hair physics, as well as realistic facial reactions. While focusing on this aspect, I'm also exploring game mode concepts.

I envision the Unreal version of The Island having two, maybe three, different game modes. The first, focusing on exploration and survival, should allow players to get a better overview of the environment to spot resource nodes, food, and other elements like cave entrances or abandoned camps. To achieve this, I'm testing a top-down view, similar to games like Baldur’s Gate 3 or Diablo 4, and it looks amazing.

The second game mode will cover story-focused elements such as dialogues, cinematics, puzzles, and detailed exploration. This mode will feature a third-person view with an over-the-shoulder camera, akin to games like Gears of War. Here, you'll have a more focused yet zoomed-in view of the environment to find clues, items, and more. During the cinematics, the camera will move around the scene to provide better angles.

Finally, for the combat/stealth part of the game, I'm still exploring options like turn-based, action-based, or an ARPG style similar to Elden Ring or the Diablo franchise. I can't wait to master importing 3D characters into the game to start rolling out downloadable playable versions of the game.