Striking an Artful Balance in Mixed Reality - Spatial Ops
Spatial Ops - the ultimate mixed reality FPS game that turns your own space into a battlefield - is a game that was several years in the making. In addition to literally breaking boundaries of some of the latest technologies in order to make the game work as well as it does, another important aspect of the game is the art behind it.
Balancing realism and stylization was key in crafting the unique art style of Spatial Ops. In the world of mixed reality (MR), where virtual elements merge seamlessly with your real surroundings, creating an experience that’s both immersive and engaging is no small feat. This blog post explores some tips and learnings from our extremely talented art team.
How did you approach the balance between realism and stylization in Spatial Ops’ art style? What were the main challenges?
We approached this from a couple of different angles:
Realism for Immersion: To make virtual elements feel like they belong in your space, we focused on semi-realistic textures, physics, and lighting. This anchored the game in reality, ensuring players felt like the action was truly unfolding in their environment.
Stylization for Fun: While realism draws you in, too much can feel heavy or even overwhelming. That’s where playful stylized touches come in! Vibrant effects, exaggerated colors, and bold designs add energy, excitement, and clarity to the gameplay.
Creating Positive Reactions: The semi-realistic approach sparks joy and encourages a sense of wonder. Explosive effects, vibrant UI elements, and approachable visuals are crafted to make every moment memorable and fun.
The result? A balance of immersive realism and stylized creativity that makes Spatial Ops a groundbreaking MR experience—designed to keep you fully engaged while having a blast!
Were there specific aspects of the game world that the team felt needed more realism? How did you decide where to draw the line?
When creating the immersive world of Spatial Ops, the team made a clear choice: the environments had to feel real. Why? Because in mixed reality, the game world merges with your physical space. For the experience to feel seamless, the surroundings needed to look and behave like they truly belong in your environment.
To strike a balance, the team carefully drew the line between realism and stylization by asking, "Does this enhance immersion or player enjoyment?" The result? A game world that’s as exciting as it is believable—and visually cohesive.
Realistic Environments with Cohesive Design: Beyond lifelike textures and lighting, every element was crafted to follow a cohesive design style. From in-game signage and interface languages to the shapes and forms of objects, everything works together to build a world that feels consistent and authentic.
Stylized Gameplay Elements: While the environments embrace realism, we kept some gameplay elements—like visual effects, characters, and UI—stylized and fun. This balance keeps the action clear, engaging, and exciting without losing the immersive connection.
Did the game’s mechanics or narrative influence how realistic or stylized certain assets needed to be?
Yes, in Spatial Ops, mechanics and narrative were key factors in deciding how realistic or stylized certain assets needed to be. Every design choice was influenced by how players interact with the game and the story being told. Here are some examples:
Mechanics Dictate Clarity: For the fast-paced, action-packed gameplay, we found that critical assets like weapons, power-ups, and enemies needed to be more stylized. To achieve this, we used vibrant designs and bold effects to ensure these elements stood out in mixed-reality environments, keeping the action clear and intuitive.
Narrative Grounds Realism: The story within the game demanded environments and world-building elements that feel immersive and believable. From realistic architecture to cohesive signage and environmental storytelling, these assets helped create a world that players could feel truly a part of.
The Perfect Balance: By combining realistic environments with stylized, action-oriented gameplay elements, Spatial Ops creates a dynamic experience. You’re not just playing a game—you’re living in a world where enemies invade your reality, forcing you to fight back while hacking and interacting with devices to turn the tide of battle.
How did you use lighting, color, or textures to blend realistic and stylized elements together?
Here’s a look into a bit of each of those:
Lighting for Immersion: Subtle, realistic lighting brought depth to environments, making them feel like a natural part of your real-world space.
Color for Clarity: Stylized colors added energy, ensuring key gameplay elements—like enemies, weapons, and power-ups—stood out during intense combat.
Textures for Balance: Semi realistic textures grounded the environments, while bold and elaborate designs on guns and portal machines ensured they captured attention during battles or hacking sequences.
This thoughtful blend created an experience that felt both immersive and exhilarating, drawing players into the perfect mix of realism and stylization.
What advice would you give to other artists who want to blend realistic and stylized art in their work?
For artists looking to combine realism and stylization, here's our advice:
Anchor in Realism: Start with a grounded, realistic base for environments to ensure immersion. This helps virtual elements feel like they belong in the real world.
Stylize Key Elements: Use bold colors for interactive objects, simplified shapes, and exaggerated designs for interactive elements—like enemies or power-ups—to keep gameplay clear and engaging.
Find the Balance: Keep testing to see what feels right—realism for environments and stylized designs for action-oriented gameplay can create an exciting, dynamic experience.
By thoughtfully blending these approaches, you can craft a world that feels both immersive and fun.
Looking back, is there anything you would change about your approach to balancing realism and stylization in this project?
Reflecting on Spatial Ops, we’re proud of how we balanced realism and stylization to create an immersive, exciting mixed-reality experience. But if we could change one thing, it would be experimenting even more with subtle stylization in the environments. While we feel we nailed the realistic feel for immersive spaces, adding a bit more visual flair to the environments could have enhanced the overall tone without compromising immersion.
The key takeaway: It’s all about finding the sweet spot where realism grounds players, and stylized elements keep the gameplay energetic and fun.
The Takeaway
Spatial Ops is a testament to the power of blending artistic styles to suit both narrative and gameplay needs. By combining realistic environments with stylized gameplay elements, it creates a world where players feel immersed and engaged without sacrificing clarity or fun.
Whether you're a game developer or an artist, finding the "sweet spot" between these two approaches can transform your work, creating experiences that resonate deeply with your audience.
