FRACKED: Going Underground

Descending into the depths, from the copper mine to the cave system below. The same art direction principles apply with regard to how we lit and textured these areas, but the spaces themselves become deliberately labyrinthine and disorienting as the Player approaches "The Nest." Despite the confusing nature of the tunnels' low ceilings and narrow spaces, we still had to make sure the player's route is obvious and well telegraphed, so that it doesn't become frustrating to navigate, particularly when under fire. We also made good use of verticality in these spaces. That always feels great in VR, as you tiptoe over creaking wooden bridges, spanning deep ravines.

The confrontation in the Nest forms an arena for a pivotal set piece where we reveal the Finchteq operation of harvesting the crystal and a firefight around an enormous fracking drill. Monolithic crystals have been revealed by the fracking operation, inspired visually by expressionist forms, jutting out at impossible angles. The Player starts to link up what's going on in this space with the strange crystal infected enemies they have been encountering up to this point - not aliens at all, but unfortunate infected humans.

The narrow halls and large chambers provide a great experience in VR as it makes the most out of these unorthodox spaces. Angled surfaces and the verticality of the underground chasms create interesting and unfamiliar environments, perfect for 1:1 VR traversal. The visuals and imagery of this subterranean location, aided by the enormous crystals, increase the danger and "alien" feeling of this area.