Here’s how Luminous Productions can make Project Athia’s world in apparently just a few seconds of work.
Gosh, it seems like a lifetime ago thanks to the time dilation of 2020, but Project Athia was introduced way back in June as an upcoming PlayStation 5 exclusive. The game comes from Luminous Productions, the same folks that made the Luminous Engine and used it to make Final Fantasy XV.
And just so there’s no confusion, they’re a subsidiary of Square Enix that got spun off reasons that defy understanding. If it helps, you can just think of them as Square Enix, but cooler because Final Fantasy XV turned out to be the biggest Final Fantasy game in years.
We don’t know much about Project Athia, including the name. It’s apparently a working title and might change by the time the game gets anywhere near ready for release. The titular “Athia” (we assume) seems to have magic powers that let her leap across gorges and perform superhero landings, along with the ability to summon grasping vines from thin air.
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There’s monsters, dragons, and a generally post-apocalyptic landscape that seems to have been reclaimed by nature. And the latest video from Luminous Productions showcases just how easy it is to make that landscape.
The Luminous Engine World Editor makes it seem like creating a verdant forest from nothing but a green background takes little more effort than just waiving your mouse a bit. A green paintbrush causes lush greenery to appear in seconds turning a barren patch of land into a bounteous field. Clicking a few points can then make a realistic river complete with rocky embankments. A similar process can create an escarpment, a hill, or even a mountain.
And at the end, a few more waves creates an ancient forest with sunlight trickling through the branches. Ray tracing is definitely involved here.
With this sort of technology, making Project Athia’s terrain will probably be the easiest part of development.
Source: Luminous Productions