Scene 5 is, in my opinion, the most challenging part of the project. Creating a desert environment comes with the risk of the entire scene looking flat and monotonous, so I gathered a large amount of visual references. Eventually, I decided to base the overall composition on a Diablo concept art piece, which provided a strong foundation for both the terrain complexity and atmospheric mood.
For the lighting, I took inspiration from the opening cinematic of Dark Souls III, aiming for a similar dramatic tone. I unified the overall colour purity and slightly increased the saturation to strengthen the visual impact. To enhance depth in the distance, I used layered fog cards, allowing the environment to build a sense of scale and atmospheric separation.
The animation in this scene mainly focuses on the character’s forward movement. Its purpose is to showcase the environment and convey the overall atmosphere, allowing the audience to fully sense the scale and mood of the desert setting.