Face/Defect started off as a conversation between a group of friends about the desire to create a co-op horror game/story that emphasized the importance of the two partners to survive. It started with a few sketch concepts I made years ago. Testing different set ideas, testing the designs, boarding out some story beats. I wanted to test the focus of the interactions and relationship between Face, the mute tinkerer protagonist, and his main companion Defect, an AI machine designed to battle againste the Mechanical Deities known as the Virus Nodes. Bio-mechanical hybrids obsessed with obtaining perfection through the sacrifice of both humans and machines. Their bodies are twisted unholy unification of the two.
Face and Defect have one shared goal. To survive. They do not always cooperate, but they have nobody else to turn to.
After these initial sketches I could only work on the project on and off while working on college classes. A few of the enemy Virus nodes were some of the scary amalgamations. I focused on Gread, the introduction Virus node that initially damaged Defect by removing his legs for parts. Next was Intrepide, a crawling insect like node that emphasized hands. The last sketch was a design for a large amalgamation that utilized a bulldozer frame stomping around and smashing things against walls. Lastly was Kreta, a very deceptive Virus Node that pretends to be a human in order to provide a sense of false security.
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I started a few rework concepts for the main two characters Face and Defect a year or two ago. Starting with a sort of poster sketch, reworking the siloette and mechanical shapes of Defect. I always kept the red coloration for Face for the warmth of life and blood flow, while Defect maintained the colder blue palette for the mechanical nature he has.
With the new design interpretation I wanted to start detailing some of the bare bones for Face's Tinkering Hideout, a place where he collected various parts and scraps scavenged from the outside world. This also included a means of mobility for Defect by swinging on the ceiling rails and pipes instead of being carried everywhere. This addition was so that there would be more options for Defect to interact with the environment beyond just being a talking turret.
I plan to post some new beatboards of the "Face Reveal" in an upcoming post. Hope you enjoy this process of concept work.