Voiders - visual development

"This is the end, my only friend."

Voiders is a gritty sci-fi video game story that draws inspiration from classics like Event Horizon and Star Trek. In 25th century, humanity has successfully colonized space and now embarks on a relentless mission to conquer the entire galaxy, no matter the cost. However, that is none of your business. As a player, you become a part of a skilled team hired to locate a group of scientists gone AWOL across various non-terraformed planets. The fate of your crew lies solely in your hands as you make critical decisions on who will join your mission and who won’t make it through.

The characters are the heart of the story. Depending on the player's relationship with each character, the story may unravel in mysterious and unexpected ways. The goal was to create a team of characters with strong personalities and compelling traits, both negative and positive. Each character is shaped by their unique bonds, weaknesses, and passions. Through dialogue and immersive storytelling, players will dive into the depths of the characters' personalities and forge meaningful relationships that shape the story experience.

When designing characters, I consciously avoid the standard silhouette approach. Instead, I strive to convey the personality and mood through portrait sketches. To delve into the core of characters I write short stories, and sometimes I even draw inspiration from movies and reference their cast to create appealing archetypes. Researching actors and their performances, such as Lenny von Dohlen or Frances McDormand, helps me bring an extra layer of depth to the characters, making them feel more authentic and real.

Designing the space uniform for Voiders was an absolute joy. I have a deep passion for clothing design, and in this story, I focused on creating a balance between strong shape language and basic comfort, without sacrificing functionality or veering into borderline fantasy design. The ultimate aim was to capture the essence of a semi-legal DHL crew within the world of the Fifth Element.

In Voiders, the focus extends beyond the crew to concentrate on the exploration of bizarre alien worlds. It has always been a personal dream of mine to create a story that showcases these extraordinary realms, with their peculiar geography, physics, and unimaginable traits. For example, think of a highly-fertile lands where every plant transforms into an apex predator or discover the remnants of a long-lost alien civilization that met its mysterious demise before even advancing into the Paleolithic age. There are no limits to the possibilities within these realms, and I am striving to provide the characters with unique and challenging experiences on each planet they encounter.

Choices influence the ever-changing events based on the player's selection of the landing party. Some characters may be the sole individuals to approach alien lifeforms, while others may become too preoccupied with personal troubles and arguments. These choices shape the story's outcomes, offering a dynamic and personal experience.

There have been various ideas for a core Voiders illustration, like giant space ships, industrial overpopulation and even the creepiest of alien mysteries, however I made the deliberate choice to focus on a more neutral alien environment. This illustration captures the essence of key game elements such as alien planet exploration and characters' behavior within these unique conditions. Additionally, I've incorporated numerous hidden details throughout the illustration to add an extra layer of intrigue and discovery. 

Thank you for your interest in my project! I hope that in the near future there will be even more for me to show to you!