The Animation in Worldless has been a combination of hand-drawn sprites and interpolation animation, which we did in Unity. We believe to have created a unique visual style that stands out and catches the eye of anyone who sees it, while still allowing us to iterate frequently and allow for a fast production process.
We put a lot of focus on ensuring that the animation of the character matches the movements and the right visual state. Ensuring that the animations are clear and smooth is very important as they relay information to the player and will make the game more readable and improve the responsive control the player has.
It’s been a tough challenge, but we think we’ve found the right balance after a lot of testing. We wanted the game cues to be readable, but also fit within the minimalistic style that Worldless breathes throughout.
A key to making this a success has been the use of well-timed particles & visual effects, as they allowed us to reinforce the important game cues while maintaining the overall minimalistic style that we wanted for Worldless.
There is a strong cohesion between the animation, visual effects, and game design in Worldless and they really help you read and understand the game and immerse yourself in the game’s world.
It’s all about the balance between making things look incredible, and also ensuring the game reads well and visual design rules are followed. E.g. we want to telegraph to you that an attack is coming, or to feel the excitement and impact when you land a big hit.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this deep dive into the animation of Worldless and we can’t wait for you to experience the full game when it releases on November 21th!
~ Joel & the Worldless Team
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1898500/Worldless/
