3D character design

3D character design for custom games

Three-dimensional characters are the basis of emotional contact between the player and the game world. Bright, expressive heroes play a key role in engagement, because it is with them that users often associate themselves during the passage. In the conditions of growing competition in the game development industry, it is the characters that become the point of identification of projects, which attracts and holds attention, evokes emotions and ensures recognition.

Arionis Games provides professional 3D character design to order, which will help you stand out from the competition and be remembered by players. The studio develops game character design in accordance with the artistic features of each project, genre and target platforms (from mobile games to VR solutions). Our specialists create realistic, stylized, cartoonish and other characters that organically fit into the plot, correspond to the features of the game mechanics and visual aesthetics of the concept.

What is 3D character design for games?

3D modeling of characters is one of the main stages in game development. This visualization technique makes images memorable and evokes a greater emotional response compared to 2D counterparts due to realism. Due to this, the creation of 3D character models for games from scratch is extremely popular. Modern technologies allow you to make three-dimensional characters more characteristic, more detailed and recognizable.

3D modeling is used for heroes of any game genre – from action and large-scale RPG to mobile and quests. Specialists at the Arionis Games studio will create 3D models of characters (anime, cartoon, realistic, simple and complex, female, male, fantasy) depending on the business goals and concept of your product.

What does the service of creating 3D models for custom games (game character design) include:

• concept development based on tech specifications and references (for example, it is possible to create a 3D character for an online game from a photo);
• designing a three-dimensional model (high-poly and/or low-poly);
• texturing (realistic rendering-texturing PBR, hand-painted artistic stylization, etc.);
• skeletonization and posing;
• preparing the object for animation (optional);
• export of materials in the discussed formats for the game engine (Unity, Unreal Engine, etc.).

High-quality 3D modeling of characters brings visuals to life, conveying the project's personality, atmosphere, and unique style. This type of 3D character design is widely used not only in the gaming industry, but also in cinema, marketing, and advertising.

At Arionis Games, we offer 3D character modeling for Android and iOS games, PC, consoles, browser, and any other platform. You can order 3D character designs of any level of complexity – from a single hero to complex projects.

Our company works on a project basis, offers the services of a dedicated team of IT specialists, as well as outsourcing and outstaffing. We invite you to discuss your goals and objectives in detail during a preliminary consultation.

Why 3D character modeling is an investment in the success of a game development product

3D character visualization is a strategic investment in the recognition, quality, marketing, profit and reputation of a project, which directly affects its success. In the highly competitive gaming industry, professional custom 3D character design helps not just "create a game", but make it commercially successful and memorable:

• The heroes of the game world are the "face" of the project, the first thing that attracts attention and remains in the memory. They create an emotional connection with the audience and become recognizable symbols of the brand. Images of the characters spread on social networks, inspiring fan art, memes, cosplay and even film adaptations.
• High-quality models ensure comfortable gameplay. An experienced 3D character artist knows how to create a three-dimensional model that will support all animations, and will also be optimized for a specific engine, adapted for lighting, rigging and textures. This ensures a smooth gameplay without bugs, artifacts and errors in animations.
• Increasing the commercial value of the project. Bright, memorable characters with an interesting story increase the commercial competitiveness of the product, as well as the chances of a successful release, a warm audience reception, investment, and publication on platforms.
• Marketing potential. Strong visuals provide the appeal of trailers, covers and artbooks, merch, NFTs, and other related content, and can also create a real buzz on social media. Unique 3D models are an asset that can generate revenue outside of the game, increasing its popularity.

Advantages of three-dimensional heroes over 2D counterparts

3D character design provides more technical possibilities for detailed development of distinctive, distinctive images. It also opens up space for experiments with animation and user interaction options with the game world.

• Visual expressiveness. Detailed characters with various effects, shadows, etc. allow for a cinematic and realistic result, attracting attention, evoking a greater emotional response.
• Deep immersion into the game world. 3D games create a more realistic and immersive experience compared to 2D ones. Vivid, characteristic characters are half the success of a project release, regardless of the genre and target platforms. This advantage is especially felt in the case of role-playing titles.
• Meeting the expectations of a modern audience. Users are accustomed to photorealistic graphics and interactivity, so they expect high-quality detail and dynamics that two-dimensional visualization is not designed for. 3D character models differ from non-volumetric counterparts in the presence of a third dimension - depth in addition to width and height. Thanks to the three-dimensional structure, they can be viewed from all sides: from above, from the side, from behind.
• Ease of setup and refinement. Three-dimensional modeling is technically many times more difficult than creating 2D heroes. Despite this, a ready-made 3D character model, created to order, can be easily refined and improved if necessary. Thanks to modern tools and technologies, this is done quite simply and quickly. Such heroes are easy to control when integrated into the gameplay, because they are immediately modeled in three-dimensional space.

Stages of creating a 3D character for custom games

Developing game 3D characters is not just about creating a beautiful picture and animation. It is a multi-level process that includes several stages - from thinking through the concept to its implementation, adaptation to the target engine and the tasks of a specific project. Creating 3D models at Arionis Games includes several key stages:

Concept preparation

Collection of customer's wishes and requirements, references, drawings; proposal of ideas and drawing of preliminary sketches. At this stage, the visual image, artistic and stylistic features of the model (appearance, costume, style) are developed.

Our 3D character artists will offer several versions of the hero (sketches with front, side, and back views are possible) and, after approving the final version, they will draw him in different positions, with all possible facial expressions, equipment, and clothing.

Modeling

The designer creates a detailed digital version of a three-dimensional object. Visualizes it, works on shapes, details, and textures. It is possible to model a character in 3ds Max, Blender, Maya, ZBrush, and other tools.

Retopology (model optimization)

For a stable display of the hero in the game environment, its three-dimensional model is optimized (high-polygonal is converted to low-polygonal). An animation mesh and an engine are added (creation of a 3D character model for Unity3d, etc.). Designers reduce the number of polygons so that after integration into the environment, the three-dimensional object quickly responds to user commands.

UV scan

The peculiarity of 3D modeling is that before making a 3D character model three-dimensional and realistic, as it is seen by the end user, the designer performs a scan. This is a process in which all the details of a 3D object are translated into a flat format so that the game engine can correctly interpret them and apply textures.

Sculpting a high-polygon model

At the stage of sculpting the high-poly model, a realistic, detailed version of the character is created. The 3D artist works out the facial and anatomical details of the hero (wrinkles, scales, ornaments, folds of fabric, accessories). The main task is to achieve the accuracy of the concept transfer and the expressiveness of the image, its recognizability. This version of the model is not used in the game directly, but forms the basis of all subsequent stages of the hero design.

Optionally, ZBrush, Mudbox, and other tools are used for detailing.

Baking cards

The specialist transfers data from the high-poly model to the low-poly through texture maps (Normal Map, Cavity, Ambient Occlusion, Curvature, etc.). This stage of creating 3D models for custom games allows you to preserve visually complex detail while ensuring optimal performance in the game engine.

Texturing

At this stage, Arionis Games specialists structure the object - they work on the relief, colors, shadows, reflections and other visual attributes of surfaces (metallic shine, fur, roughness, etc.). For this, Substance Painter, 3DCoat, Photoshop programs are used.

Rigging and skinning

The designer forms the character's musculoskeletal system, consisting of a set of bones (sometimes over 100, depending on the complexity of the model). A finished 3D model is superimposed on this "skeleton", after which weight is distributed across the body's vertices to achieve realistic animation.

Thus, the object prepares for movements, including facial expressions, if provided.

In addition to the above, a 3D modeling task may include:

• further animation of 3D characters (walking, running, emotions, attacks);
• import into the game engine (preparation of the model and textures for Unity, Unreal Engine formats, as well as testing in the game environment);
• optimization (reducing the number of polygons, simplifying textures).

The set of these tasks significantly increases the performance of the game.

Tools and technologies

To create high-quality 3D models for custom games, not only the qualifications of the artist and animator are important, but also the right software and technical solutions. At each stage - from creating sketches to the final render - we use a wide stack of specialized technologies and tools. This allows us to achieve a high level of detail and realism.

What technologies do we use:

• Modeling and sculpting – we create a character model for the game in Blender, ZBrush, Autodesk Maya, 3ds Max.
• Texturing – Substance 3D Painter, Substance Designer, Quixel Mixer / Quixel Megascans.
• Animation and rigging – Maya, Blender, Cascadeur.
• AI and procedural tools – Marvelous Designer, Character Creator, MetaHuman.
• Rendering engines – Unreal Engine, Unity.
• Addons: Retopoflow (Blender), XGen / Ornatrix, Marmoset Toolbag.

Custom 3D character creation at Arionis Games

Arionis Games studio employs 3D designers and character artists with many years of experience in modeling characters for games of various genres, animated videos, and marketing materials. We offer cooperation in outstaffing, outsourcing, project-based formats, as well as services of dedicated IT teams.

We take an individual approach to fulfilling the client's tasks, including stylistic and technical solutions. Our team is staffed by experienced 3D artists with deep game development expertise. We create heroes with interesting personalities and appearances. We work iteratively and quickly. We offer full-cycle character development - from an idea to a finished hero model or its integration into a game product.