HALO SPARTAN STRIKE
RELEASE: April 16, 2015
PLATFORM: IOS, Windows, Windows Phone, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Steam
FUNCTION: Lead Artist
Halo: Spartan Strike is a twin-stick shooter set in the Halo universe and the successor to Spartan Assault. After the success of the first game, our goal was to create a worthy sequel with more mission variety and new locations. As Art Lead, I oversaw the 3D production and technical execution, ensuring the game felt like a true Halo experience while running smoothly across a wide range of devices, from consoles to low-end mobile phones.
MY CONTRIBUTIONS:
- 3D Art Lead: Led the 3D implementation for all levels, characters, and assets. I made sure the in-game art stayed consistent with the Art Director’s vision and the “Halo look.”
- Production Planning: Managed the planning and task distribution for the art team. I acted as the main link between the artists and the rest of the team to keep production on track.
- Modular Workflow Guidance: Steered the team toward a more modular way of working. I provided examples and direction on how to build assets and levels that could be reused effectively to maximize our output.
- IP Asset Assessment: Reviewed existing assets from 343 Industries to see what we could adapt or reuse to fit our specific technical requirements.
- Technical Problem Solving: Worked hands-on to find solutions for technical and creative hurdles, specifically regarding optimization for lower-end hardware.
- People Management: Conducted regular 1:1s with the art team to provide feedback and mentorship. I focused on both project goals and personal growth, ensuring everyone felt supported and heard while maintaining a healthy team culture.
INTERESTS & CHALLENGES:
- Content Production on a Timeline: While we had a head start with existing tech, the plan for new locations was very ambitious. The challenge was producing a high volume of levels within a limited timeframe. We had to be very clever with modular design to maximize variety without rebuilding everything from scratch.
- Mobile Optimization: We brought a lot of technical learnings over from Spartan Assault regarding how to handle low-end mobile hardware. Even with that experience, it still required a lot of focus to hit our high performance standards across every device while ensuring the console versions looked great.
- Smart Asset Reuse: An interesting puzzle on this project was re-using level logic and assets in a way that felt fresh to the player. By using different lighting, prop placements, and layout tweaks, we were able to change the mood of a level entirely so the reuse wasn’t obvious to the player.