Using Unreal Engine to Create Real-Time The Last of Us-Inspired Child

Introduction

Hey there! I'm Annabelle Sémaan, Senior Character Artist at Reflector Entertainment (Bandai Namco). Since my last post on 80 Level, I've achieved my dream of becoming a 3D artist in the game industry, and I’m thrilled to announce that I'm about to publish my first game, Unknown 9: Awakening! It's an incredible feeling to see everything come full circle after years of hard work. Along the way, I've also discovered a passion for teaching and creating online videos to inspire aspiring artists.

This is why I was thrilled to collaborate once more with 80 Level for another in-depth breakdown of my character – this time using Unreal Engine 5. So, without further ado, let's jump right into it!

Jojo the Scavenger

Before starting any project, I make sure to clarify my goals for both direction and originality. In this case, I had three clear objectives: to animate my character using the MetaHuman blueprint, to highlight my material creation skills in Unreal Engine, and to craft an original, eye-catching character that truly stands out.

I decided to create a kid archetype to add variety to my portfolio, which so far features only adults. It might be due to my obsession with The Last of Us, but I've always loved stories with post-apocalyptic backdrops. This project would give me a chance to explore that world again, especially when it comes to creating wear and tear for the character's clothing. On top of that, I've never really delved into hard-surface modeling with my characters, so I was excited to add that challenge to the mix.

Concept

Before sculpting anything, it's essential to develop a solid concept. I began by defining keywords to guide the design: "Cute," "Sci-Fi," "Dark World," and "Oversized," each supported by a set of reference images. From there, I used simple polygons to create multiple iterations of the character's silhouette. Starting with the basics allows your creativity to flow freely, giving you space to explore different ideas without getting bogged down by details.

After creating as many variations as possible, I selected the one that best aligned with the vision I had for my keywords. Once the silhouette felt right, the next step was straightforward: I gathered reference images to flesh out the details and built the design around them. This helped me stay true to the concept while refining the character's features.

Texturing

For texturing, it was crucial for every asset to feel crisp in detail while remaining game-ready. This was the first limitation I faced when working in Marmoset Toolbag 4; while I could apply micro normal to the model, those intricate details didn't directly influence the base color and roughness. Unreal Engine is fantastic for customizing materials to suit your needs and effectively convey the story I wanted to tell. 

Having this system in place allowed me to create the passing light effect on the character's suit by using micro details as a mask for the light, making it look like it's emanating from within. 

For the basic textures, everything was done in Substance 3D Painter. Personally, I prefer doing all the detail work in Substance 3D rather than ZBrush, as it gives me more control. I can adjust the intensity of details, like tears, on the fly without needing to rebake. It was important to strike a balance – while I wanted the clothing to appear damaged, I avoided making it too noisy, adding dirt only to the edges for a more refined look.

Materials

Several elements of my character are animated thanks to my material setup – like the embryo and the hanging cloth threads on the coat and hoodie. Achieving this would've been much more challenging without Unreal's built-in nodes. For the cloth threads, I used the grass wind node, multiplying it by the individual mesh's vertex color so each plane moves at its own pace, creating a more natural motion.

For the embryo, I aimed to create a floating-in-water effect. To achieve this, I applied a sine wave to the Z-axis for a smooth up-and-down motion in an infinite loop, combined with a subtle rotation to enhance the floating effect.

Animation

Since I planned to animate my character from the start, I decided to use MetaHuman to leverage Epic's tech and streamline the process. However, one challenge emerged: after modifying the model's proportions, I needed to adjust the skeleton to fit. This is where Metapipe came in! The tool allowed me to transfer the DNA of a MetaHuman and transform the rig to match the new proportions. From there, I could easily transfer animations from Unreal's content library and use the facial animation app to bring the character to life.

Rendering

For rendering, I aimed for a cinematic feel, so I decided to use an HDRI in Unreal Engine. I downloaded one from Poly Haven's website and set up a direct light as the main source. Then, I added rim lights using either spotlights or rectangular lights to help separate the character from the background. 

To achieve an apocalyptic look, I opted for contrasting orange and blue lights to enhance the image's appeal. I believe it's crucial to justify the colors on screen, so I downloaded some lightbulbs from Megascans to place in the scene, making it seem like they were projecting the orange light in this somber environment.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this project sparked my passion for designing my own characters in Unreal Engine. Concepting was a big challenge – completely different from my day-to-day work – but it was incredibly inspiring.

My advice for anyone looking to create characters isn't to follow my exact path but to set your own challenges with no clear answers. Finding those answers on your own will not only make your art more impressive but also set you apart from the rest of us.

Annabelle Sémaan, Senior 3D Character Artist

Interview conducted by Gloria Levine