Visual improvements – Light and Shadows

Ayase | Friday, 17 October 2008

When we showed Aion to the world at the Games Convention 2008 the feedback for Aion's graphics was fantastic. What you may not have been aware of is that we were still working on improving the lighting effects to add an extra layer of realism so objects like buildings, rocks etc blend more naturally into the environment. But don’t just take our word for it, take a look at the screenshots where we compare the old with the new and we’re sure you’ll agree that this is a great improvement on the already stunning world of Atreia. Let's begin our virtual tour on the upper side of Atreia, in Asmodae. After the epic cataclysm when the world was torn apart, most of the light here is reflected from the land of Elysea below. As there is no direct sunlight you could imagine that lighting effects won't make much of a difference here, but you’ll be surprised as quite the opposite is true.

Click through the images and you will see how Asmodae's new diffused light effects produce atmospheric and moody shadows. Suddenly the environment comes to life looking much more three dimensional and realistic. Objects block the light to other objects behind them and ceilings shade the floor and walls beneath them. The architecture of buildings is more clearly defined which gives a new appreciation for the structural components that make up the buildings.

Environmental lights also play a very important role. See how the light from inside an inhabited house now shines through the windows or how a stream of lava puts a warm red glow on a rock formation above it.

Let’s continue our journey to Elysea, the lower half of Atreia. In the land almost perpetually bathed in sunlight you will now see buildings naturally reflecting the light while their shadows invite you to rest if it gets too warm.

Check out the dramatic lighting changes in the Verteron outpost from these ground and aerial shots. In one, a broken wagon appears more lifelike as its wheel casts a shadow over its surface. In another, the building now stands out with proper shading as shadows of its support structures play across the surface of its walls. And last but not least we take a look at the interior lighting. This room inside a building in Pandaemonium already looked welcoming before the changes but now take a look at what's happening when we bring in some of the new effects. The room immediately looks warmer and more intimate and you’ll want to sit down at the table, gaze at the fireplace and never get up again – if only there wasn’t that epic struggle against the Elyos and Balaur in the Abyss!