The shortest month of the year doesn’t mean that we have less to share with you in our Development Blog. It only means that we can do it faster and even dive a little deeper this time.
So let’s jump right into it!
Even though we will see her from behind most of the time (which is certainly not a bad thing, thanks to the Spine, another character 😏), Redline's vibrant personality should be conveyed not only through her appearance but also through her lively facial expressions.
Therefore, we’re continuing to work on them actively, with all our inherent animation fanaticism. If there’s an option available, we're using it. Redline’s face, for instance animated with Blendshapes support and motion capture of the voice actress's face so that every Red's emotion is brighter than the muzzle flashes of her guns.
And now, for the important part of SPINE we haven't discussed yet.
Since we envisioned it as both an extremely dynamic and a story-driven game, the interface has become a separate challenge for us.
It should be easy to read and not distract from the gameplay, which leans us toward a classic HUD. But on the other hand, it should also convey the world's atmosphere and tell the story, so, in theory, a so-called diegetic HUD, like in Dead Space, would be more suitable here. And many of you already mentioned that in the comments on our posts.
In this dilemma, we found a solution — Spine Vision, a combination of diegetic and traditional interface that changes as the story progresses. To put it simply, any interface you’ll see in-game is projected by the implant for Redline, which makes it diegetic. But we’ve preserved its visual clarity and readability during gameplay.
Plot-wise, Spine was originally developed by Tensor and has its own “basic” visual interface. However, it can adapt to the person wearing it, and the interface begins to change. It's like ChatGPT trying to find the most comfortable option for the owner.
Here are a few examples
As you can see, in the first screenshots, the interface and markers look basic, dull, and somewhat military-like. But with the story and game progression, all of this is becoming more like graffiti, distorted by Spine’s perception.
During her crusade against Tensor, Redline will visit places that can safely be described as “We're Not in Kansas Anymore.”
But wherever she goes, she is always in danger, always in the line of fire.
SPINE is pushing into the final stretch, and the build keeps leveling up — fresh locations, nastier enemies, and bosses joining the lineup. Between now and next month, tell us what you want to see next and drop any questions you’ve got — we’ll use it to shape what we share. In the meantime, catch up on the previous devblogs. And if you don’t want to miss new drops, hit Follow.
Looking for more insights? Check this out