Art Direction and Implementation

2D vs 3D backgrounds

At the start of development, I faced a key decision: should the game world be rendered in 3D or 2D? Both had pros and cons:

• 3D: I have more experience here, and it could offer dynamic lighting and depth. However, the player controller was already built for 2D movement, meaning integrating a 3D world would introduce unnecessary complexity and potentially clash with platforming mechanics.
• 2D: Less familiar, but more visually aligned with the intimate, tactile feel I wanted for the scavenger-focused world. It allowed cleaner readability for platforming and more direct control over composition.

Experimentation and Workflow

3D Assets

I started by placing 3D assets in the scene. While it was quick to iterate with existing models, the results felt wrong—harsh lighting, clashing proportions, and a world that didn’t “feel” like my game. Ultimately, I abandoned this approach.

2D Backgrounds

Switching to 2D, I experimented with hand-drawn and painted environments. This approach immediately resonated with the game’s tone. Unfortunately, as a non-professional artist, progress was slow. Every element required careful iteration, which threatened to stall development.

Kenney Assets

To avoid blocking the project, I switched to Kenney’s 2D assets and structured the environment using Unity tilemaps. This allowed rapid iteration of playable levels, immediate visual clarity for the player and a functional base to overlay and refine art later

The goal is to continue improving the art over time. The one finished 2D background I made with Kenney assets serves as a prototype layer, ensuring the game remains playable while giving me the flexibility to refine visuals later.