FRACKED: Weapons, Vehicles & Props
As well as skiing, and taking in the sights, Fracked has its fair share of shooting. And what do you need for shooting? Guns! Lots of guns!
To develop an exciting and varied combat experience, the team worked hard to design a wide range of weapons. Each had it's own Deluxe Edition variant. Our arsenal needed to be instantly recognisable, feel great in VR, and function distinctly from one another. Clarity of purpose was important and our props shared the same visual aesthetics as the surrounding scenery, going for that Graphic Novel painterly look. The same art direction applied to the vehicles we see in-game.
Rosales is never seen as a real-life character in-game, only being heard over the radio and seen flying a helicopter. She is an instrumental character to the narrative, however, and we developed the look of the helicopter to embody her character. The design is deliberately feminine and rounded compared to the angular tech of the enemies. It also has the look of a Dragonfly, making it feel organic and closer to nature somehow - an important theme in the story.
The full gear lineup shares the very same painterly, vibrant aesthetic as the environments.
We ramped this up in the "Deluxe Edition" versions, showing the upgraded weaponry which is complete with new paint schemes, stickers, and styling.
For the Deluxe Edition, we designed this sticker set, to be used as custom decals on the weapons. We wanted to stick to the eco-focused theme of fracking and environmental dangers.
SMG Model (Deluxe Edition).
Rosales' helicopter was inspired by a dragonfly, and as we don't ever get to see her in the game, it became a visual expression of her character. It has a curved, feminine styling and a warm palette in contrast to the harsh angular enemy style.
Concept development images. The small, agile design is able to be flown by a single pilot and can swoop into dangerous situations. Its warm, bright colours and distinct silhouette make it highly visible whenever on screen.
Final concepts of the enemy skidoos. The team made a real effort to keep the brushwork expressive and the 2D team created colour paintovers of a lot of different assets, to help develop the texturing style.
The Snowmobiles were designed for a high-speed chase sequence with the player evading on skis. The snowmobile needed to be able to carry two enemies, with enough range of motion for them to shoot from that position. Note the highly angular styling.
Model of the Skidoo.
Wilson's vehicle is a modified armoured truck, designed for life on a mountain. Heavy duty tracks replace wheels, and a roof mounted, remote controlled machine gun keeps prying eyes from the Finchteq facility.
Again, developing the colour palette and texturing was key. The armoured vehicle needed to be clearly readable against the snow, as the player would be under high pressure when they encountered it.