Wampole - Suguroko Enviroment Creation
This page consists of project shots from a game level I designed.
The game level is a sheltered forest with ruins and structures referencing Japanese architecture. The level is designed for gatherers, as you will have plants and weapons to collect around the map. The main visual themes include using landmarks to guide the player, emphasizing freedom to explore and collect as you wish, and to give the players peace of mind.
The reason for the name Suguroko, is due to my initial inspiration from the game Ban-Suguroko, although the initial inspiration is rarely found in the final product.
Lastly, since I did use Japanese references, I wanted to pay homage to the main cultural element within my work. The tower within my project is not a 1 to 1 recreation of the pagoda of Seigantoji, though it was heavily inspired by it. It rests within the Kumano Nachi Taisha, one of the three major Kumano Shrines, and is the first of 3 major locations for pilgrims during their pilgrimage. The pagoda is affiliated with the Tendai, and it's deity is Nyoirin Kannon. The temple was built near the Nachi Falls as a sight of nature worship by Ragyo Shonin.
If you would like to play this game level, you can find it as a downloadable Zip file on my itch.io page. It is labeled as Suguroko by AJ Wampole.
Thank you for reading.
This video is a quick walkthrough of my level, including the menu screen.
A raised shot of my level showcasing the emission on my tall lantern, and ruins incased in the background, surrounded by trees.
This bridge was inspired by Japanese red bridges.
Raised view of a ruin set I created in my level with fire from the UE5 engine.
A wider shot of a pier, small boat, ruins, and wagon I created in my level.
A lower view of my pagoda within my level. More info in my artwork description.
Upper view of my pagoda within my level. More info in my artwork description. This shot also showcases an atmospheric moon I created.
This model is a wagon referencing both traditional Japanese housing, and traditional Japanese wagons.
This model is a tall lantern referencing traditional Japanese stone lanterns.
This model is a pier, I referenced other rickety piers from around the world.
This small boat was inspired by traditional Japanese fishing boats.