According to light theory, using complementary colors within the same composition helps create stronger contrast, visual interest, and a sense of harmony.
In this scene, a warm orange-toned light is paired with a cool blue light. The contrast between these two hues not only enhances the depth of the environment but also reinforces the mood, suggesting both comfort and tension within the same space. The player wants to look deeper and proceed downstairs, but the cold darkness makes him hesitate. The walls are worn out, with cracks and peeling plaster, which helps to tell the story of decay. Spider webs hanging in the corners increase the overall tension as well.
Conclusion
The entire project took approximately six to eight months to complete, working on it in between client commissions, and including game design, concept development, asset preparation, composition, and the final lighting and mood setup.
One of the main challenges was creating believable decay and visual details on the walls, such as cracks, peeling plaster, which required careful attention to texture work and placement to avoid distracting the player while still enriching the environment.
Another challenge I’m still working on is optimizing the lighting using Unreal Engine 5’s Lumen system to maintain good performance while achieving high visual fidelity. When developing a game, there are many things to consider, but ensuring a stable frame rate across a wide range of hardware is definitely one of the top priorities.
From the very beginning, I also started working on the story and described the game mechanics through user interactions, UI, inventory system, and everything that should be planned in advance. During the game development, I’ve continued refining different sections of my Game Design Document, constantly adapting it to new ideas and evolving needs as the project progresses.
At the moment, I’m implementing the coding and programming part by testing gameplay interactions, setting up triggers, and refining the logic behind key mechanics. This includes things like opening doors, managing the inventory system, and controlling player interactions with the environment. I’m also prototyping puzzle elements and making sure each action feels intuitive and well-integrated with the overall atmosphere of the game.
I strongly invite you to follow me on ArtStation and LinkedIn for more news about the game development to come.
For Environment Artists who want to learn or improve their lighting skills in UE5, I recommend starting with Unreal Engine’s official tutorials on Lumen and global illumination, as they provide a solid technical foundation. Another interesting resource, like William Faucher’s Lighting in Unreal Engine 5 for Beginners, explains the lighting fundamentals applied to examples.
Finally, if you want to dive deeper and master environmental lighting in UE5, Creating Natural Lighting in Unreal Engine: A Step-by-Step Guide by Karim Abou Shousha is an excellent next step.
I’d like to thank 80 Level for giving me the opportunity to share this project with you!
