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My initial research was informed by the brief's requirements of creating a product that must appeal to a broad audience, the artwork must communicate the game setting and style, and 2D assets that must be created are Player Sprite, Enemy Sprite, Background Graphic, Props, and other objects, Weapon, Logo/Title of the game, User Interface (UI), and Head Up Display (HUD). I first investigated artistic styles used in computer games and gathered images of different games for different styles for reference. I discovered pixel art and this led me to investigate the art style and games that use this art style further. My initial designs/plans/ideas were to create a game about assassins thought had to fight aliens to protect their city and each other from danger, and I wanted to use two art styles which were pixel art and illustrated art. I gathered some data about using two different art styles and when reviewing it found that it would be difficult to create an appealing game that didn’t look rushed or a mess by using two different art styles. This helped me to decide on only using one art style, and that art style I chose was pixel art. When I was developing the ideas I discovered a variety of different weapons that assassins could use so I researched popular assassin weapons in-game and film and used image referencing to help me create and design a variety of weapons for my characters. The result is suitable for the brief and could be used for a PEGI 12 game because it meets the requirements that were provided, and doesn’t have any graphic violence or sexual content which is prohibited in PEGI 12 content.

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The brief was asking for a 2D game that should have a general market appeal and meet the moral and legal requirements of a PEGI 12 game. It also asked that as it is a prototype/testing phase, I should concentrate on the ‘game feel’, mechanics and playability first. Polished graphics can come later. My initial ideas were informed by Limbo, Inside and the Fallout series. I designed my first iterations based on the art style and game contents that Limbo presents. After reviewing this I decided to change the background story, as I was inspired by the Fallout series to create a game about an orphan in an apocalyptic world. Referring back to my investigation into different games I then created and sketched ideas that I wanted within my game. I found that I needed to learn how to export my sprites from Illustrator and looked at the different tools that both Illustrator and Unreal Engine 4 had so I knew how to export and what I had to export as. This was difficult because there wasn’t much online support for what I specifically wanted help with. It became easier to export files after I found out how and what the best way to export was. The final iteration/s meet the requirements of the brief because I created a playable prototype that has a functioning main menu and playable character with a level, and looks visually and graphically pleasing. It is also appropriate for the age rating as there is no graphic violence or sexual content. This was arrived at by solving the problem of the main menu start button not functioning properly. The biggest challenge was solving the issue with the main menu start button not functioning properly as there was little to no support and help online, and I had to solve the solution with basic knowledge and understanding of Unreal Engine 4 and coding. The easy part was creating and designing assets but then I discovered that it was more difficult than I thought to export frames of animation through Illustrator.

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The process of creating the stages of this project used my illustration skills and skills to create silhouettes that still make characters and assets recognizable. I already knew about the art style used, which is hand-drawn. I had no experience with the software Adobe Illustrator. I found that referencing was most effective when creating assets such as the cockroach and dragonfly, this is because it provided me with many details of what these insects looked like so I could provide a creation that people could recognize as those insects. As a result of reviewing the brief and my first ideas I then had to use Unreal Engine 4. The process involved exporting and importing sprites to create the prototype. This was achieved using sprites and flipbooks to create the animations and to put the level design together and working. After reviewing the result I then had to fix and solve issues where the scaling of the main menu wasn’t correct, so that the text could be visible and read clearly. The outcome meets the requirements because I created a working prototype that contains hand-drawn pieces that are appropriate to the art style chosen.

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The brief needed to be managed in these stages is identifying and using the best practice within the games industry, and project management. I spent one week working out the design/sketch/layout/model after investigating different art styles in the games industry. This allowed enough time each week to work on select tasks. I didn't realize that creating background graphics would be as time-consuming as they were, and as difficult to create.
I did manage to get the project done in just over 3 weeks of sessions, not including personal time spent at home trying to perfect the art. The longest stage was creating a background graphic and I had to revisit creating weapons and props a few times to refine details on each object. Whilst working with screens I was taking regular breaks, making sure the workspace was clear of liquids and unnecessary materials. Throughout the project I communicate professionally with peers, offering feedback and seeking advice. Effective time management meant I was able to achieve the outcome in time for the deadline. For the next project I'll look at allowing more time for creating and designing background graphics, instead of only providing one week, I will use one and a half weeks.

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The purpose of the final piece/s was to create a 2D game prototype to appeal to a target audience of players aged 12 upwards, that should concentrate on ‘game feel’, mechanics and playability. The players would expect to play a game that is enticing and allows themselves to feel connected to the character and world that they are in and the designs attempt to communicate this due to the emphasis and the scarcity of the environment that the character goes through. The purpose of the colour scheme was to provide the user with a unique game that emphasises emotion through a monochromatic colour scheme. The feedback from classmates led me to narrow down the design for the main character from 12 designs to one design. The overall feel is supposed to be eerie and scary and this was achieved by the art style and colour scheme. I feel I need to make sure I spend more time on perfecting coding next time. Throughout the project, there were stages when written communication could've been clearer, such as I didn’t write notes alongside sketches to let me know exactly what I wanted to do with what I was drawing.