Dead Island 2’s new SoLA expansion introduces gamers – sorry, Slayers – to a complete new facet of Hell-A: an all-American competition the place the stage is about for a number of the recreation’s most grotesque zombie slaughter but. The crowds of rotting, shambling festivalgoers will present limitless zombie-slaying hits, however the place would any competition be with out its headline acts?
Enter the Whipper and the Clotter, two model new, highly effective Apex Variants designed to offer even essentially the most skilled Slayers some critical frights and fights.
On the one hand, you may have the Whipper, an undead bohemian that’s swapped competition glam for guts. In actual fact, she’ll flail you together with her intestines or attempt to blind you with a handful of thrown entrails.
On the opposite you may have the Clotter, a brutal zombie that may decompose and recompose at will. This large man can successfully teleport in and out of the participant’s area, making it laborious to keep up visibility and management.
“The place to begin was at all times the mechanics of the 2 new archetypes,” says Dambuster Studio’s Affiliate Character Artwork Director, Richard Smith. “They each supply fully new behaviors by no means seen earlier than in the Dead Island enemy roster.”
Whippers are fast-moving, mid-ranged enemies with highly effective assaults and particular skills that may cease Slayers utilizing their very own Fury powers. Clotters hound the Slayer, holding them beneath fixed stress and unable to dominate one place.
Placing flesh on the bones
To create the new enemies for the expansion, the group began out with a variety of zombie ideas, then whittled them all the way down to the ultimate two. The fundamental ideas have been fleshed out into idea artwork, at all times ensuring that the new zombies would match into the Dead Island universe and really feel believable inside its blood-splattered, physique horror aesthetic.
“Within the case of the Whipper,” says Smith, “we had the decision out that they might be self-mutilating gut wielders. Full of frustration on the zombie an infection inside, they’ve tried to take away it, gouging out their very own innards and turning into entangled in their very own intestines, that are used to increase their attacking attain like an natural net.”
To tie the Whipper in with the expansion’s competition fashion, the group regarded to the social media imagery related to large American festivals, and the boho stylish style kinds you’d discover on the competition floor. “We’re specializing in the visible storytelling and signposting the enemy,” Smith explains, “and we need to floor the participant in the situation and ensure it suits in with the vibe.”
Because the artwork growth progressed, new concepts emerged, which additionally fed again into the design. “For instance, we wished the Whipper to thrash round violently and indiscriminately,” Smith adds. “So as to add to the torment, we gave the character arms which can be frozen in a rigor mortis, in order that they’re virtually compelled to thresh round.”
Slayers get a new nightmare
In the meantime, the Clotter let the studio push what may very well be completed with Dead Island 2’s F.L.E.S.H. system – the super-gory know-how that permits Slayers to interrupt zombies down into bloody chunks of flesh and bone. The group knew they wished a teleporting zombie, however wished to keep away from any sci-fi stuff that wouldn’t match in with the sport’s extra grounded fashion.
F.L.E.S.H. supplied the reply. “We actually wished to discover a manner to make use of these options, to make the Clotter fully disintegrate in entrance of the participant’s eyes after which reassemble from a puddle of meaty goo,” Smith explains.
As this enemy wanted to maneuver quick, the group steered away from over-elaborate results. “We have been capable of squeeze in a glimpse of the skeleton falling to items and the gloopy flesh turning into liquid across the bones, however it takes a number of work backwards and forwards to stability it – to verify all of it occurs on the proper place for the gameplay.”
The Clotterleans into the storyline on the coronary heart of the new expansion. “And the competition background is a perfect location for it,” adds Smith, “in phrases of the portions of gore and physique elements which can be mendacity round, ready to be reanimated.”
There are at all times some concepts that don’t match in with Dead Island 2’s zombie-first focus, or with the character of its slapstick splatter. “It’s robust, however we love the problem,” says Smith. “We like creating issues for the sport that you just gained’t have ever seen earlier than.”