Bloomhell

The Challenge

Our aim with Bloomhell was to showcase Dardo’s VFX capabilities through a gameplay lens. We wanted to highlight how we solve game development problems based on our extensive experience working in games; problems like ensuring the visual clarity of the VFX truly enhances gameplay while not impacting performance.

With this project, we didn’t want to simply just create a typical sizzle reel or spotlight effects that are ungrounded in a gridded environment. Instead, we challenged ourselves to create a VFX reel that highlighted the work in context, making sure that the effects we created were performant and solved real world game development problems.

So, what’s the best way to do that? In a real game environment, of course! We created five playable video game vignettes using assets from the Epic Marketplace, Fab. This allowed us to have a wide range of environments that we could create different VFX tailored to each challenge, and show how our effects can elevate different gaming scenarios. The shots in Bloomhell aren’t faked; they’re actual captured gameplay showcasing our real-time VFX.

How we did it

Rather than cut together standard shots from a controlled environment, we set about creating a truly performant VFX demonstration.

Bloomhell was ambitious to say the least, but one key difference that speeds up the process and streamlines the VFX workflow at Dardo is that we have dedicated VFX concept artists on board to design the effects. This helps our VFX team understand what we’re aiming for and proves our visuals and flow before moving into 3d. VFX concept art is a part of our pipeline that we’re thrilled to offer clients who work with us as their VFX partner studio.

Bloomhell was ambitious to say the least. One key difference that helped speed the process up and streamline the VFX workflow at Dardo, is that we have dedicated VFX concept artists on board to help design the effects. This helps our VFX team understand what we’re aiming for and proves out visuals and flow before moving into 3d. VFX concept art is a part of our pipeline that we’re thrilled to offer clients who work with us as their VFX partner studio.

Using our experience as game developers, we set up a game dev pipeline to work within. We set up a Perforce server and an unreal 5.4 build using the Lyra project as a base. Niagara, Unreal's advanced particle editor, and other DCC tools were used, like Houdini and Blender.

We purposely chose to keep environments and characters neutral so the attention remained on the VFX. Using pre-made assets allowed us to focus our time purely on creating eye-catching real-time effects. Some of the effects brought with them interesting challenges for the team to overcome. Stylized materials, realistic simulations, and complex Niagara systems were developed. For example, the “Burning Shot” and the “Bone Wave” effects. For the Burning Shot, the team needed to keep the interesting 2D-like shapes of the concepts within a sphere mesh so that it properly worked within the 3D space. They had to do this while somehow breaking the silhouette of the sphere in a way that looked seamless, as if it was all a single element. 

To create the Bone Wave, the team started with a burst of mesh sphere particles with collisions and roll control activated. The spheres were then replaced with skeleton parts, and the meshes exported to be used as particles in Niagara. The overall setup was created with lead particles emitted in an arch shape that acted as lead particles for other elements in the effect. Instead of location events, the team used particle attribute readers in order to have this effect working as a GPU simulation. Rather than bespoke geometry for the wave shape itself, they chose to use tube ribbons with a very simple panning material. Additional ribbons with light renderer particles were added for the “soul” effects.

If you’d like to read more about the technicalities of these effects, jump over to our deep dives: How we made the Bone Wave and the process' Burning Shot.

The Results

What emerged from our work was a five game vignettes that delivered a playable, game-ready VFX showcase. Using gameplay capture as the environment for our real-time effects, we were able to create a reel of truly performant VFX that showcased the depth of our artists’ talents to our studio partners.

Want to work with us?

We will create VFX work that brings your game to life, too. As your outsource partner, Dardo can help you with:

• Real-time VFX work (Unreal, Unity, and Proprietary Engines)

• 2D VFX concept and animation

• Technical Art (Shader, Lighting, Pipeline, Performance, etc.)

• VFX Artist recruiting and team building

• And more. Just ask!