MythForce devs discuss how they achieved the game's classic cartoon look
Now all I need is some super-sugary cereal
Anyone who was a kid in the 80s will instantly get the visual style of MythForce. All it takes is one glimpse to know that the game’s graphics are heavily inspired by the many Saturday morning cartoons from back in that decade. For those who grew up in that era, the visuals in MythForce will result in a huge rush of nostalgia.
In an interview with Xbox, MythForce dev Trent Oster talked about how the team was not only inspired by the classic cartoons of that era, but how they managed to replicate the style so closely.
The art style of MythForce is a High Octane ‘80s Cartoon Homage that aims to feel as authentic as possible while still being an enjoyable 3D first-person experience. Both Luke, MythForce’s project director, and Eric, our art director, are huge fans of the classic cartoons of the era.
We did extensive research, watching and analyzing hours of classic cartoons and even looking first-hand at original animation cels and backgrounds, absorbing both the techniques and the limitations that the genre had. We were lucky enough that Eric was able to call in the support of a mentor with experience from that era, who impressed upon us the techniques, approaches, and shortcuts that were common to cartoons of that time, from flat-shaded colors on all animated elements, down to the visual separation of the characters from the environments, and the critical importance of detail management, subtle line work, and where you would and wouldn’t use shading.
We dug into what gives an 80’s cartoon the recognizable visual style and we developed interactive shader techniques to pull it off in real time. We spent a good chunk of time and effort on this and we’re happy with the outcome.
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