The Express

The Express is a real-time next-gen game environment inspired by the Venice Simpleton Orient Express. The player can explore the dining carriage and the bar while enjoying the stunning view of the Alps at nighttime. 

We wanted to fill our environment with interesting details, but at the same time, we needed to direct the attention of the player by adding strategically placed points of focus in the scene. The gramophone and the chandeliers serve this very purpose: they're highly detailed, eye-catching hero assets with intricate decorations and a shiny, metallic finish. 

This game was created by 10 university videogame art students in a span of 12 weeks. The goal was to design a contained, AAA quality environment using Unreal Engine 4. 

One of the biggest challenges we faced during the production phase of the project was to create a completely movable vista and to convey the motion of the train in a believable way. 

These concept artworks and paintovers helped us define the look and atmosphere of the environment. We ended up changing the color palette of the interior multiple times: in the end, we chose a palette that is closer to the one used in one of the dining carriages of the real-life Orient Express, with a few variations. We also decided to emphasize the contrast between the exterior of the vista and the warmth of the interior to add more visual interest to the scene.

Team NNR:

Giulia Sfogliarini (Art director/Lighting artist/Concept artist):                                 https://www.artstation.com/sfogliart

Theo Rust (Producer/Environment artist): https://www.artstation.com/theo_rust

Kyran Roe (Prop artist): https://www.artstation.com/kroeart

Jakub Ziaja (Tech/Prop artist/Set dressing): https://www.artstation.com/gruz-3d

Zara Nelson (material artist/prop artist): https://www.artstation.com/zara_nelson

Gregorio Piscitelli (Lead Artist/Prop artist):                                                   https://www.artstation.com/gregoriopiscitelli

Kei Garner (VFX artist/Prop artist): https://www.artstation.com/keigarner

Palagamsan Sivapathasundaram (PG) (Tech/ Prop artist/Foliage/VFX):   https://www.artstation.com/palagamsan

Shaun Croucher (Environment artist/Set dresser):                               https://www.artstation.com/shaun_croucher

Christopher Elliott (Prop artist): https://www.artstation.com/ripers_hotch