While Jungle Island was the most intricate and challenging area to build—given its vast size, numerous caves, and detailed environments—Survey Island brought its own unique set of challenges.
One of the standout areas I worked on was the Cave Aquarium. Though I didn’t handle the cave rocks in this section, I built the Entry Arch and wall as well as the viewer device. This device was reimagined to better suit VR and improve practicality, evolving from the original seated design. The redesign process involved close collaboration with Concept Artist Rick Campana and Art Director Richard Vander Wende, ensuring it aligned with the overall vision. For the construction, I textured the entire device in Substance Painter, giving it an aged and weathered appearance of brass and rusty metal. Its intricate details and close player interaction made it a particularly challenging yet rewarding piece, as it’s both an iconic element of Riven and a centerpiece of Survey Island.
Another key task was creating the totems for the Wahrk Pool, which presented unique challenges due to their length. I textured the head of the totem using Substance Painter, while the rest of the body utilized tiling textures to maintain seamless visual continuity. Masks were applied to integrate the totem marks on the back of the head, and I also crafted organic, broken versions of the totem trunks, adding storytelling elements to their design.