This is the first concept that began to flesh out what the Terraformer looked like above the cloud line.
Here is one of the first images with the 'final look' of the Terraformer. However this is not the accurate scale of the final version, it became much much bigger.
Front and side Orthos, there is no scale indicator here, I'll just say it's "Stupid Big".
Mid-section details, with and without extending pylon.
Detail of one of the structures at the base of an extending pylon with red stalkers for scale.
Terraformer "Gills" detail.
Originally there was some gameplay on the exterior, this was a first pass at where you would have been dropped off, and had to fight your way inside.
The first hall of the interior, you can see the lighting changed a bit from this first pass.
Lighting and ice pass of one of the rooms with a big generator in the center.
Diagram of one of the 'vertical generators' feeding energy into the core.
Evolution of the moving pistons. The left most is the final design.
Spinning 'carousel' gear that the player can use as cover...as it rotates.
Vertical shaft details, originally for the final falling sequence, some details where used in the various elevator shafts'.
A diagram of the central beam structure in the heart of the beast, the scale here is also 'stupid big'.
This was a drawing of the original design of the final room sequence, similar gameplay, but completely different arraignment.
Drawing of details of the new final room.
The end of the game , destroy this machine feeding energy into the core and it goes crazy and stuff blows up.
Though i worked on many parts of Resistance 3, I spent the longest on development of the terraformer. Not only was it one of the first things i worked on, but it was also one of the last things I worked on. It was almost a project within a project, being so different (completely alien) from the rest of the designs in the game. Though there was some Chimera architecture here and there, it was always nestled in the ruins of humanity, this was its own monster. The designed changed quit a bit here and there, and I think we're happy with what we got in the end. I think when you play through the level, you really feel like you're climbing into the cold heart of a giant mechanical beast. As a sci-fi lover, designing a "miles high" alien death machine was a art-nerd dream come true.
Though Ratchet and Clank: A crack in time was really fun to work on, Resistance 3 has been my favorite project so far. I think the team at Insomniac did a really great job with the gameplay and art of the campaign. It's also my favorite Resistance! Bias!
If you haven't you should totally check it out! If you have no idea what it is check the Insomniac Site!
-Colin
