COASTER COMBAT
RELEASE: Nov 30, 2017
PLATFORM: GearVR, Oculus Go, Oculus Quest
FUNCTION: Lead Artist
Coaster Combat is a fun action rollercoaster game for Gear VR, Oculus Go, and Oculus Quest. I joined the project in the later stages to lead the art for the Himalaya track. My objective was to create a more extreme environment that added variety to the game while making sure the ride stayed as comfortable as the original tracks.
AVERAGE TEAM SIZE: ~50 total, ~14 Artists
ENGINE: Unreal 4
MY CONTRIBUTIONS:
- Track Art Direction: Responsible for the visual style of the Himalaya track and its menu items to ensure it stayed consistent with the rest of the game.
- Planning & Asset Management: Handled the prioritization, task distribution, and the creation of the master asset list. This ensured the team stayed on schedule and had a clear roadmap for everything that needed to be built.
- Hands-on Blockout & Layout: Worked directly in the engine on track segment blockouts, providing technical direction on how to build the environment efficiently while maintaining a good flow for the ride.
- Team Communication: Acted as the main point of contact for the art team, keeping everyone aligned on the technical requirements and project goals.
INTERESTS & CHALLENGES:
- Balancing Speed and Comfort: The main goal was to make the track feel “extreme” without making people motion sick. This was achieved using art tricks like switching between narrow and wide environments and placing objects close to the track for better parallax. Visual cues like speed lines and sparks were also added in tight corners to emphasize movement.
- Tight Deadlines & Efficiency: Due to a short development time, the environment had to be built very smartly. By using a limited set of modular props combined with varied lighting and placement, the track felt diverse without exceeding the performance budget.
- Himalayan Inspiration: Personal travels to Northern India and Nepal inspired the theme. Using mountains as a backdrop was a great way to add a sense of height and scale that players were looking for in a new track.