For 3D art production we are using Maya to create 3D objects and environments to eventually use in our game worlds (and even animate). Our first project is to build a battle arena, or some sort of enclosed game environment. So, the first objective is for me to think about what sort of environment I'd like to create. I've put together a moodboard of games that inspire me:

This moodboard include the games: Beyond Good and Evil, Bioshock, Machinarium, Portal and Botanicula. I have particularly focused on water-based environments as I've always been fascinated with underwater worlds and think it would be really fun to create one. I am also a huge fan of anything dark and sinister as I love the suspense that thrillers create through their detailed environments and atmospheres. Both Bioshock and Portal build up this tension well in my opinion as, even though Portal isn't meant to be a scary game, the scenes where you find rat mans dens are always slightly unnerving, they show a part of the narrative that hasn't been explained fully and leaves the player guessing what happened to the poor lunatic who leaves nonsensical scribbles along the walls. I've always loved little details like this within games because they do not need to be found but feel like small achievements when they are finally uncovered by the curious player. Other elements that help to keep tension within these games are the gritty, contrasted colours that are used throughout them which emphasise things like shadows which are tactfully positioned in the game to make players aware of another person (or creatures) presence and fear what could be waiting for them around the corner. However, I also adore the art style of point and click games such as Machinarium and Botanicula, I think it would be fun and unnerving to mix the tense and scary atmosphere of games like Bioshock with the sweet and innocent art style of these games to create a morbid kind of irony about the game environment.