DROSERA - VFX
Drosera was developed by students in the Fall 2020 Game Production Lab at UT Dallas. It is a narrative-rich rogue-lite focusing on a party of lower-class space explorers extracting resources from botanical alien colonies.
The game involves heavy use of VFX from a distant isometric perspective. Drosera's effects are designed in Unity with the Shuriken and Shader Graph editors.
Pesticide Grenade
The pesticide grenade releases a wet blast of noxious gas that damages enemies over time. For this effect, I focused on designing billowy, noisy smoke for the explosion, and a puddle of bright, bubbling toxic goo.
Incendiary Grenade
The incendiary grenade creates a concussive explosion of fiery energy that damages enemies in a single hit. This attack is accentuated by its light flares, swarming embers, and shrapnel.
Healing
When injured, players may heal by grabbing some alien fruit on the battlefield. The fruit's healing properties are whimsical and otherworldly, creating a swirling vortex that breathes life into the player before they jump back into the action.
Hyperseed Behavioral States
The Hyperseed Battery is the goal of the each level. Snatching the alien ecosystem's primary energy source allows the player to refuel their spaceship and continue their travels. When threatened, it becomes visibly distressed as the player attempts to take it.
Gunner Fire and Enemy Death
The gunner's primary fire is constantly on screen during combat, conveying information about the path of each bullet, even when battles get hectic. On death, the plant-based enemies vanish into a burst of leaves as they become one with their environment.
Release Trailer
Gameplay