Our team is a collaboration between students from the Game Design program and myself from the 3D Computer Animation. The project is broadly divided into the main gameplay and cutscenes. My primary responsibility is to complete the standalone cutscenes as well as all in-game animations for the project.

We describe this game as an open-world cooperative experience. By “open-world,” we mean that the game map minimizes the use of obstacles like mountains to restrict player movement. However, our ultimate goal is to create a small, playground-like world where players can freely explore and find enjoyment wherever they go. Therefore, I believe a more accurate term than “open-world” would be a “sandbox world” that allows for free exploration.

The first cutscene (Introduction) ：will feature two characters arriving on an island by plane, landing on the beach. The characters should exude confidence and ambition, clearly determined to achieve their goal. The cutscene must include an overhead shot that reveals the full view of the island, allowing players to see the entire landscape before gameplay begins. This means we’ll need to finalize or complete the island’s layout before we can produce this sequence.

The second cutscene (Conclusion)： involves a scene with a grave. The two characters approach their objective. As Character A reaches to touch it, a mechanism deep within is triggered with a click. The coffin lid opens on its own, and something terrifying (zombies, ghosts, a swarm of black insects, spiders, rats, or some other horrific entity) emerges from the coffin and starts chasing the protagonists. The duo escapes through a thrilling chase and, at the last moment, manages to board the plane and flee the island. They cheer and high-five in the air, marking the end of the game.

Overall, these two cutscenes offer a lot of creative freedom. Apart from the overhead shot in the introduction, as long as the story makes sense, the scenes can be adapted to fit the game environment. This makes it challenging to complete the animation parts early, as they need to be integrated with the game’s settings.

Additionally, the feasibility of the animations must be considered in relation to the game design.