Jack Power | Portfolio

UNIVERSITY PORTFOLIO MONTAGE

GAME DESIGN BACHELORS
2017 – 2021

GAME ART MASTERS
2021 – 2022

An eclectic selection of projects that summarize some of my abilities as a game developer. All work here is my own, and was created for Sheffield Hallam University.

Below you can find a more detailed breakdown of every project found in this montage, as well as some additional projects not shown here.

Developing a Prototype for an Indie Game

Masters Degree
Semester 3, 2022

Final Major Project
PROJECT:CHORUS

This module was my final major project for university. Please bare in mind this is a very early work in progress prototype, and has come a long way since this point.

For this prototype, I created the 3D environments, the character designs and artwork. I also designed and programmed the gameplay, and even composed the music tracks found in the demo and video.

On top of this, I did this all in the space of about 2 months. As most students only focused on a single field such as concept art, I was commended for the range of skills displayed in this prototype.

This was also complimented for being a very unique concept; combining rhythm game mechanics and rhythm game fundamentals created a unique battle system, especially when combined with open-world RPG exploration too. As this was such a unique idea, though, it was very difficult to design and program.

I’ve since developed this prototype more, with more characters, stages and deeper exploration mechanics. I still develop this in my spare time away from work, and I plan to release it some day as a full game.

Managing a Group Project’s Asset Pack

Masters Degree
Semester 2, 2022

Group Project: Asset Pack
Little Moss Port

This module was a group project, and required teams to create asset packs that shared consistent styles and quality among it’s members. For our group, we were assigned the theme “Stylised – Wholesome”.

I was tasked with managing the UE4 project itself; importing and optimising all files, creating all master materials and collaborating the majority of assets into a cohesive, consistent scene.

On top of this, I created concept art for the eight different characters found here. In terms of 3D work, I also created all of the foliage, water and VFX in the foreground and background of the scene too.

All character models were created and rigged by Ebony Reed.
All house assets + select props were modelled and textured by Sienna Folkes.
All dock assets + select props were modelled and textured by Georgia Atherton.
More specific details can be found in their portfolios respectively.

Music for the trailer was not created by myself, although everything else found here is my group’s work. The trailer was scripted, recorded and edited by myself.

Developing a 3D prop asset for a character.

Masters Degree
Semester 1, 2021

Game Asset Development
A Hero’s Helmet

This module was my first prop module, and like real time environments was somewhat out of my comfort zone to develop. Although I was experienced at 3D modelling at this point, choosing a helmet as the prop to develop was a massive undertaking, as it’s possibly the most complicated type of prop a character can wear/wield.

To make matters more complex, I decided to animate every part of the helmet itself, which was not a part of the module’s brief. Although this certainly made the project over-ambitious, feedback suggested the additional work was worth it, and the examiners were also impressed by the design of the helmet itself.

Music for the trailer was not created by myself, although everything else found here is my own work.

This project went on to score an 82/100, an extended first class grade, and one of my highest grades to date.

Creating Stylised, Low Poly Environments in UE4.

Masters Degree
Semester 1, 2021

Portfolio Development
HD Pixel Art Scenes

The first module of my master’s degree, we were tasked with creating entries for our portfolio; essentially whatever we wanted to create. As we were encouraged to create 3D submissions, I (primarily a pixel artist) decided to translate my work into a 3D space.

Inspired by games like Octopath Traveler and Pokémon Black & White, I created two scenes that fit the style of art I wish to pursue professionally. The module requirement was to only create one submission, but I managed to create two scenes in the time required.

Music for the trailer was not created by myself, although everything else found here is my group’s work. The trailer was scripted, recorded and edited by myself.

A 2D multiplayer demo in Unreal Engine 4.

Bachelors Degree
Year 3, Semester 2, 2021

Final Major Project
PROJECT:MULTI

The video above is an edited trailer created for my final major project (bachelors degree). I pursued a playable 2D prototype for my FMP both out of passion for the genre, as well as a desire to end my bachelors degree on a high note.

The prototype itself features a multiplayer lobby system that features character customisation, diegetic menu systems and interactable objects. All of this has been collaborated into a 2D space that the players can freely explore.

From blueprint programming to sprite art and animation, PROJECT: MULTI was an experimental yet successful showcase of all of my abilities as a game designer; the bachelor’s finale that explored every strength I have as a developer.

Music for the trailer was not created by myself, although everything else found here is my own work.

This project went on to score an 86/100, an extended first class grade, and my highest module grade to date.

A realistic environment in Unreal Engine 4.

Bachelors Degree
Year 2, Semester 2, 2019

Real Time Environments
An Abrupt Entrance

Rendered in Unreal Engine 4, this 3D environment was developed with the goal of pushing a photorealistic style as far as I could. Realism is not typically my strength as an artist, so although this was a difficult endeavour, I feel as though I managed to do the task at hand some justice.

Because of the photo realistic theme, this project is the best example of my high poly assets. Both Substance Painter and Designer were used to create and layer the materials here, and the assets were developed in Autodesk Maya.

Moreover, the style and layout of the apartment was also designed by myself. The theme I chose for this was a modern day, minimalist apartment at the time; or at least, that was my interpretation of this theme at the time.

Music for the video sequence was not created by myself, although everything else found here is my own work.

A 2D game art showcase in Unity 5.

Bachelors Degree
Year 2, Semester 1, 2018

2D Game Art
A Night In the Winter

This 2D game art project was developed in Unity, and was designed to emphasise my animation skills in 2D specifically. The protagonist in this level is a redesign of Momodora’s protagonist Kaho Reinol, and her running animation is evidence of that. Her idle animation has also been completely reworked to be shivering in the cold, as her attire isn’t quite suitable for a winter’s night.

The rest of the cast are entirely original. In fact, they’re all based on my closest friends from the University. Not only does this make the project feel unique, but it also feels very personal to me; it’s a time capsule to that era of my life, and for that it’ll forever be sentimental to revisit.

As for the level’s design, it’s a fairly simple pathway with parallax foregrounds and backgrounds. Characters all sport animations, and some environment assets also feature animations too.

Music for the video was not created by myself, although everything else found here is my own work.

3D animation sequences in Autodesk Maya.

Bachelors Degree
Year 2, Semester 1, 2018

3D Animation
An Abrupt Entrance

This 3D animation was developed entirely in Maya, and was my first experience animating in a 3D space. The actor in this scene is named Mery, and is a free character rig accessible to download online. The other assets in the scene also came from various asset websites such as TurboSquid and SketchFab; only the animation here is my own work.

The video itself is meant to depict a character entering a scene in an abrupt manor. Working with a sound clip provided for the module, my goal was to create an animation that looked visually exciting and professional, without clashing with the sound clip it’s overlaying.

Fun fact: The recommended scope for this project was a 5-10 second animation. My submission was 40 seconds in total, with around 2 minutes of cut footage.

As mentioned before, neither the assets or the sound clip were created by myself; just the animation and camera work.

A showcase of game mechanics in Unreal Engine 4.

Bachelors Degree
Year 1, Semester 2, 2018

Game Mechanics
An Emergency Exit

This screencast presents a selection of levels I created in Unreal Engine 4. As there was a strong focus on mechanics here, the visuals are intentionally minimalistic; the majority of the assets are Unreal’s primitive assets, with the exception of a few I created myself (such as the door, buttons, keys etc).

There are multiple sections of this showcase, split up into three ‘floors’ of the building. Each floor offers different puzzles, with floor 1 featuring locked doors, floor 2 featuring button puzzles an floor 3 featuring gun targets. There’s also a text based script that communicates to the player throughout the journey, adding an extra layer of narrative depth to it.

Fun fact: We were instructed to submit a video screencast lasting 5 minutes or less. As my level’s playtime far exceeded that, a lot of the video is sped up by 200% and even 300% at points to fit within this restriction.

Everything in this module was created by myself with no exceptions.

An video essay exploring game theory and design.

Bachelors Degree
Year 1, Semester 1, 2017

Game Theory
An Analysis of Open Worlds

This video essay presents an analysis of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. At the time of this recording, Breath of the Wild was newly released and was regarded by many as revolutionary in the open world adventure genre. I felt it was the perfect game to explore in this module because of that, and there was certainly no shortage of content to work with here.

The essay is split into three sections. Each section explores the key components that I believed made this title stand out from it’s contemporaries. Although there’s more that makes this title special to me, I condensed it to just three topics to make the essay more digestible.

Fun fact: We were recommended to submit a video essay lasting 3-5 minutes. As you can see, my submitted essay was 10 minutes in total exactly.

Footage in this essay came from various sources, although the script, audio and video edits came from myself.