It’s one of our favourite projects. As both an excellent example of the work that an expert outsourcing studio like Ringtail can create and for the opportunity to contribute towards a true gaming classic. Destroy All Humans! is an absolute gem from a few generations ago, one that many of our staff hold fondly in nostalgic memories. Working on remaking the original and now its sequel, has been a dream of many of the talented people here at Ringtail Studios.
Working on the Remake
As specialists in the creation of art and animation, particularly in 3D, we were contracted to help in delivering many remade assets for the title. A remaster was considered, but as the original game was a PlayStation 2 title, it had aged considerably. While the charm and life was there, the quality and potential for remastering was not.
Still, in the process of remaking, each asset must be considered on an individual basis. When is it more efficient to remaster an asset and when is it better to simply remake it from scratch. In the case of Destroy All Humans! the latter was far more common.
For this project, the Ringtail team worked mostly on 3D environmental assets, such as buildings and cars.
The Client and our Performance
As with any outsourcing project, the client is the last line and say in all things. After all, we’re here to help fulfil their goal. Our team worked tirelessly to meet their standards and to exceed their expectations. On remaking a title like Destroy All Humans! we gave it our all!
There was a learning curve of course, as we settled into the initial requirements and expectations. And then, as with all projects, these requirements would evolve and change as the project demanded. We, of course, evolved right alongside them. After some of our initial work was delivered and approved, we are delighted to say that the client was extremely pleased. So much so that we were given the freedom and autonomy to continue our work with only a few check-ins from the client.
They were excellent development partners and we’re very excited to continue working with them on Destroy All Humans! 2 – Reprobed. Our pipeline and methods remained the same with the second project as the client was very happy with our service and delivery.
Our Services and Pipeline
Some of our main services were put to use by the client in this project. We provided comprehensive 3D modeling and texturing services over the course of the project. Delivering completed models to the client’s specifications, sometimes fully textured for immediate use and sometimes untextured at the request of their own artists for certain pieces. We also helped in recreating the old concept art as part of the game’s collectibles allows players to view the concept art for assets and characters.
These services were provided all in reference to the original material from which we gathered from the original title. As with any remake or remaster, we had little of the original resources or data to work from. Our team had access to some of the original files but all were quite old which meant they only served as reference.
In recreating the assets, we often worked chronologically as it aided the level designers’ natural process. From the original models, we blocked out each asset for size, scale, and dimensions. And then worked on fine details, creating a high-poly version of each asset. To save on load size and polycounts, we baked the higher details onto a lower poly version, giving each asset the look and feel of a much higher quality model. But sparing the requirements of loading something so highly detailed.
It’s been a rewarding experience, working on both games. And we’re very excited to see Destroy All Humans 2! – Reprobed releasing in a few days!
If you’d like to add some AAA-quality 3D services to your project, we’d love to hear from you. Whether you need art, animation, or co-development services, we can provide stellar results at any level. As part of Magic Media we have the combined bandwidth to tackle any project, at any size, in house. Instead of using multiple studios, you can come to your one stop shop, and we can offer a range of services to ensure your project is a success.
