Halo: Silent Cartographer Remake - Cathedral
I love remastering art from past titles. Zelda, Morrowind, Skyrim, and even Halo. I like stepping into the shoes of artists that came before me, examining their intent, and reinterpreting them accurately as possible. "If that early 2000s artist was using modern tools, what would their art have looked like?"
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Sadly, I feel that Halo Studios' has failed to accurately recapture Bungie’s classic design for Forerunner architecture and lighting. Infinite was a massive step in the right direction! But “Halo: Campaign Evolved” looks like it’s going to be a massive step back again.
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So! In light of my admiration for classic games, I'll be working on my own interpretation of Bungie’s iconic art. I'll begin by remastering the original trimsheets and materials. After that, I'll start to reconstruct points of interest from The Silent Cartographer.
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CREDITS
I am using Ben Judd's incredible "Master Chief Mark V" model available for download on Sketchfab. All of his work is astounding.
https://www.artstation.com/ben_judd
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» Base Models: I am using Silent Cartographer models uploaded by jameslucino117 (Metroid Thumper) to Sketchfab as reference for my remasters.
» Lens Dirt Overlay: "Damaged dusty photo film texture" by upklyak available on Freepik.com.
» Smoke: "Smoke clouds above black water surface" by upklyak available on Freepik.com.
» Grunt: I am using irons3th's grunt available for download on Sketchfab.
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NEXT UP: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/eRnQ9G
The purpose of this project is to remaster Halo CE artwork, while remaining entirely faithful to the source material. Bungie made a classic worth revisiting.
Architecture should follow Bungie's original Brutalist design. Simple mega structures, often featuring matte finishes. Metals could be confused with concrete or vinyl. However, surface details may often look like circuitry or religious icons.
360 Panorama
Please use full screen for best viewing experience.
Work in progress: Many materials, UVs, and meshes are not final.
If you look at the Forerunner floors in the original Halo CE, you'll notice the aren't all that glossy. So, instead of only adding weathering and grime, I decided to add a semi-metallic membrane over each panel. Something alien and a little more unique.
I want to remain faithful to the lighting decisions from the original game. Bungie could have made this room blue and sinister. But many Forerunner rooms are well lit or even warm. It creates a liminal feeling — the lights are on, but no one is home.
The different alien bloods have unique qualities in Halo CE. Grunt blood appeared globular and was luminescent. Elite blood appeared like a thin mist that tinted surfaces a dark purple/blue.
My hand painted grunt blood textures maintain the globular goopy splatter from the original game. 343 era grunt blood is very busy, and loses that thick viscous quality.
Set dressing like sconces shouldn't be overly detailed. Forms must compliment the Brutalist design of the level. Paneling and edge wear should not be overstated and must not alter the silhouette in any radical way.
Work in progress: floor and ceiling light textures not finalized.