As a top-down game, we had to be very conscious of designing for a recognizable silhouette from above. The team ended up in favor of a mix of the two ships on the lower left.
These are sketches for the purpose of illustrating the intended behavior of one of the enemies. They are an eel-like creature that travels in swarms and is attracted to light. The player must shut off their light in order to sneak past.
I modeled an eel-like enemy creature, then created a simple rig that allowed individual movement of the jaw, fins, head, and spine.
Eels leave the player alone while the light is off...
But attack when the light is on.
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Submerse

"Submerse" is a tense, exploratory top-down game in which the player navigates their submersible in an attempt to escape a sunken ship. It features journals to collect, an unobtrusive ship-mounted HUD, and the use of light as a means of shooing away (or sneaking past) hostile creatures.

As the senior artist on the team, I produced concept art and was responsible for modeling, texturing, rigging, and/or animating many 3D assets. In addition, I was responsible for guiding less experienced team members and introducing them to any unfamiliar concepts, such as proper UVing.

Due to the camera angle, lighting, and scope of the game, we focused on low-poly models with strong textures and colors bright enough to show past the blue-toned, low lighting.

Kristen Lambert
Game Artist/Animator Chicago, IL