Karan Sahu
Just Cause 4 - Los Demonios
As the Lead Destruction Designer on the Los Demonios DLC for Just Cause 4, I was responsible for all the "living" destructible objects and integral gameplay aspects that includes the intro physics puzzle sequence, infested weapon enemy type, the end objective in every location or the "Source", and the final boss.
JUST CAUSE 4 - LOS DEMONIOS
Infested Weapon
Infested Weapon is an enemy born out of "hijacking" existing Black Hand vehicles and stationary weapons, capable of shooting bullets and explosive ammo. The narrative being that the Infestation has taken control of them and will attack any one in sight, including Rico and Black Hand.
The Infested Weapon is a complex enemy that used several tech in conjunction to bring it to fruition. It is a combination of:
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Dynamic Rigidobjects
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Skeletal Animation
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State Machine controlled directions
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Behavior Tree driving the aiming and shooting of the weapons
Additionally, the object is Dynamic and responds to in-game physics. It also spawns from under the terrain but remains stable despite the complicated setup.
There were 6 Infested Weapons setup for the DLC:
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Mortar
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Armored Tank
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APC
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Longbow Cannon Truck
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AA - Tank
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AA - Gun
I prototyped the weapon using greyboxes and physics constraints with the Armored Tank on top. I led the design once everyone was on-board, and collaborated with every department to bring it to polish.
Final Boss - Huchasunqu
Huchasunqu is the amalgamation of the Infested Weapon tech and the 'Core' the player has to defeat at the end of every level.
The final boss has three phases. Originally, all of them were going to be stationary but it being the 'Final Boss' it did not catch the eye and wasn't a spectacle. Thus began my solo adventure during my free time to use the tech that we already had and create something that was more engaging and dynamic. As a result, a dynamic Huchasunqu was born in a matter of a few weeks.
Core
The Core is the source of the infestation that has spread throughout Solis. It is the source through which all the demonic entities draw their power from. At the end of every level, the player is required to destroy them in order to clear out the infestation in that area.
The Core protects itself through its impenetrable shell and seals itself shut when it is attacked. In order to destroy it, the player must peel back the shell using the Retract functionality of their grappling hook. The Shell is built in three layers that stack on top of each other for to assist the player in with a clearer line of sight when they are below the core.
Organic Destruction Objects
Organic Destruction Objects are a first in the Just Cause series. Leading the vision for these objects, my goal was to create objects that are as explosive and fun to destroy, if not more, as the Chaos Objects in the series, along with making them feel alive and giving them a distinct character. Every object went through several concept phases to ensure each one is visually distinct from each other and has interesting gameplay to go along with it.
Pustules
A glowing sac that expands when taking damage and shrinks back to its original state if left alone for a while.
Medusa Tree
A demonic tree that protects its core until all of its extensions are destroyed.
Clam
A playful and shy, yet deadly Clam that seals itself when it senses danger.
Mushroom
An overgrown docile mushroom that packs a punch when destroyed.