My role: Effects creation, texturing
The Wisps are enemies in the fantastical VR fencing game Willowisp VR. They are real-time generative effects built in Unity, using a combination of particle systems and semi-transparent textures to create fire and magic effects.
Each Wisp is made up of simple particle systems that use partially transparent, additive textures to appear more complex. The limited number of particles keeps the effect efficient and the variety of textures makes each Wisp recognizable and visually engaging.
An example of particle system layers (left) and the texture they use:
Core layer:
Effect layer:
Edge layer:
Complete Wisp:
The edge layer’s opacity is limited to the outside rim, which gives the Wisp a clearly defined spherical edge from any angle. This matches with the object’s collider in-game and shows the player clearly where their target is.
Wisp styles:
If you want to know more about my process for particle effects, also check out this talk I did for the Portland Indie Game Squad on introductory Unity particles.