A handcrafted stop-motion horror game called The Midnight Walk offers a chilling, intimate experience
================================================================================
MoonHood Studios, the brainchild of industry veterans Klaus Lyngeled and Olov Redman, has created a unique and captivating game titled "The Midnight Walk". This horror puzzle game, set to release on PS5 and PC on 8th May, showcases over 700 handmade clay models that have been scanned and assembled in Unreal Engine 5.
The game's dark yet beautiful world combines these detailed clay assets with Unreal Engine 5 to create an eerie but inviting atmosphere that evokes a cozy horror experience inspired by Tim Burton’s stop-motion aesthetic.
The process of turning these clay sculptures into 3D models was relatively straightforward for Klaus, who also makes sculptures as a hobby. The 3D scanning technology was used to convert these physical models into digital 3D models. These models were then optimized through retopology (creating cleaner, game-friendly geometry) and rigged (adding skeletal structures) before being animated, sometimes with motion capture techniques.
One of the unique features of "The Midnight Walk" is its suitability for VR, a medium that Olov Redman believes is particularly suitable for horror games. The game includes a mechanic where closing your eyes can make monsters disappear, adding an extra layer of immersion for VR users.
The game's story focuses on warmth and the strange communities encountered, according to Olov Redman. Some objects in the game are not made from clay but are rather found objects, such as a tent made from a book and an old coffee grinder turned into a house.
The old coffee grinder house serves as the player's mobile base of sorts. Building a house in "The Midnight Walk" takes about one to two days, while a character takes three days at most. Some collectibles in the game are film reels that can be used in a film projector in the mobile home.
The game's stop-motion effects have been adjusted to avoid discomfort for VR users, making it playable on PSVR2 and PC VR. The process of creating "The Midnight Walk" was not without its challenges, as Klaus and Olov left Zoink after feeling the studio had grown too large.
Despite these challenges, "The Midnight Walk" stands as a testament to the power of handcrafted art and modern technology, blending the tangible, textured look of clay models with the capabilities of Unreal Engine 5 to produce a visually striking and evocative narrative experience.
[2]: [Link to source 2] [3]: [Link to source 3] [4]: [Link to source 4] [5]: [Link to source 5]
- The color schemes of the detailed clay assets in "The Midnight Walk" profoundly contribute to the game's eerie yet inviting atmosphere reminiscent of Tim Burton's stop-motion aesthetic.
- The suitability of virtual reality (VR) in horror games, as demonstrated by MoonHood Studios' creation, "The Midnight Walk", has been firmly established by Olov Redman, one of the game's designers.
- Art and technology harmoniously merge in "The Midnight Walk", a testament to the creative potential of graphic design, 3D models, and Unreal Engine 5.
- The artist behind "The Midnight Walk", Klaus Lyngeled, uses his sculpting hobby in the production process, transforming physical clay sculptures into digital 3D models using advanced technology.
- The user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) of "The Midnight Walk" is innovative, including a mechanic where closing your eyes in VR can make monsters disappear, enhancing immersion.
- A significant part of the gaming experience in "The Midnight Walk" involves graphic design elements such as building a home from found objects like a tent made from a book.
- The unique artistic and technological aspects of "The Midnight Walk" are not just confined to the gaming realm, but also have potential applications in movies-and-tv, entertainment, and even gadgets using cutting-edge technology like VR headsets.
