Sanctuary: Summer Pitch II
After the first round of pitched were picked, I was moved to working on a pitch by another artist in the cohort, Jenni Homonko. The game really intrigued me and had a lot of potential for making some interesting art. The game was pitched without a HUD, so the artists, namely Jenni and I, had to come up with some ways to communicate HUD elements in the scene and on the objects that the main character was handling.
Art by Jenni Homonko
There is no getting around that the game has a lot of influence from Tomb Raider and Uncharted. Like those game, Sanctuary is a puzzle-platformer, where the player has to climb and surpass obstacles to get the a certain point. The unique aspect of the game comes from the addition of Mot, Shula's (the main character's) archeopteryx (pronounced r-key-op-ter-icks). Mot comes into the picture when there is an obstacle that Shula cannot surpass on her own. When this happens, Shula uses her horn to call Mot down to accomplish whatever goal she needs done, including knocking down objects or acting as a platform.
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| Art by Lisha Leston |
With the lack of HUD in the game, the design for the summoning horn became a key point. To be able to use the horn, Shula must collect orbs to fill it up but knowing when to use and how far it was from being full is a key aspect. This is shown on the horn itself, with the bands glowing blue to signify that an orb had been collected; one band for one orb. When the horn is ready to be activated, all the bands glow and the horn itself had a blue mist around it. The camera also pans close to the horn at certain points so the player is able to tell if its full or if he or she just collected an orb.
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| Art by Lisha Leston |
Shula starts on in a jungle village like this one, built into the trees so it is protected. Spirits surround the village, and the only thing protecting it is a relic that has been stolen and taken to a temple in the jungle. Before Shula leaves, she is given an enchanted dagger and is shown the way.
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| Art by Jenni Homonko The majority of the game takes place in the temple surrounded by jungle. Spirits protect orbs situated around the temple. so Shula must climb to where the spirits are at and defeat them in order to get the orb. Get enough orbs and Shula gets Mot to help her with just another piece of the puzzle. |
Art by Lisha Leston
Early enemy concepts and final enemy concept