Game developers are dealing with cut-through competition these days. This is because the number of highly functional software that can make the game development process easier is increasing rapidly. With such software, anyone can tackle any complicated section of the game development process with minimal knowledge and training.
Such software is also available for critical and complex game VFX creation. As all gamers prioritize a game’s visual experience, proper expertise in VFX and VFX creation is vital for game developers. Thus, besides discussing what VFX is in games, the top 3 software for game VFX creation and the importance of qualified and professional VFX development services has also been discussed next. So, do keep on reading.
What Is VFX in Games?
Visual Effects, better known as VFX, can be explained as the process that will allow you to combine traditional art with digital art software to create any phenomena in your game that is not an object or a character.
Think of it like the fake but realistic-looking explosion that was digitally added to a movie scene. The explosion probably was not created while the scene was shot for safety, budget, or any other such reason. VFX creators used their skills and VFX creation software to digitally add the real-looking explosion in the movie scene in question during post-production. Now comes the question – how is this visual effect used in games to enhance gamers’ visual experience?
As per experts providing game VFX services, VFX has many varieties of disciplines, and in the game development process, two categories of visual effects are applied mainly. These are:
- Gameplay Effects
- Environmental Effects
If you are developing a game that falls in the following game genre, then you will need a VFX artist whose forte is gameplay effects:
- Fighting/Combat games
- RPGs
- Hack-and-Slash games
However, if you are creating a realistic Shooter game, then it will be best to rely on game VFX creation software that allows you to explore the environmental effects better.
If you are interested in VFX creation for games, you have to get familiar with Morphing, which is considered one of the most popular types of game visual effects. It is the process of transforming imagery through an ideal transition. Another famous VFX in video games that also records movements and then transfers the recorded movements to a digital environment is MOCAP or Motion capture. And lastly, in any VFX creation for a video game project, both sound effects and CGI (Computer-Generated Image) creations play an indispensable part.
Top Game VFX Creation Software
Undoubtedly, VFX plays a major role in the success of a game as it can add the proper atmosphere that will communicate the gameplay effectively and enhance the gaming experience as a whole. So, if you are not well aware of how VFX is used in games, you should take the help of such software.
This kind of software features different preset assets or settings, such as animations, meshes, or textures, allowing you to create the desired category of gaming visual effects. However, it is important to mention here that such settings will come in stock imagery format, and it is up to you how you will create qualitative effects in real-time on the basis of the provided preset assets.
The following top 3 software are easy to use and have advantageous features to ensure you can get the desired outcome with minimal skill and/or knowledge of game VFX creation:
1. Houdini
This one can be defined as a procedural system that will empower you to create freely. With it, you can work on multiple iterations, and sharing workflows rapidly with colleagues is easier. Here you will find nodes that are unique to this particular game VFX creation software. It also features different shelf tools and viewports, allowing game developer-friendly viewport interactions. The networks and nodes of Houdini are easy-to-use and allow proper creative freedom as you can try out a new node and explore alternative ways to bring the visual effects you have in mind to life.
2. Nuke
Nuke is also node-based, first developed by the legendary Digital Domain for film and television post-production. This particular game VFX creation software is a favorite of many VFX experts as it allows for easy visual effects application and proper digital compositing. It provides game developers with advanced toolkits for node-based editorial, compositing, and review. The software provides fast results of the highest quality with collaborative workflows and unmatched flexibility.
3. After Effects
Mainly used for sprite sheets and texture creations, this game VFX creation software offers nearly limitless applications. This one is still a popular choice of VFX creators or artists working in the post-production stage of films/television as it provides an easy method for particle effects creations like dynamic disappearing effects, explosions, stars, smoke, simulation effects such as snowfall or water, and more. This one comes from the popular Adobe Systems and offers excellent options for compositing applications, motion graphics, and digital visual effects. It will also help you in animation, tracking, keying, etc.
Some other popular ones are 3ds Max, Photoshop, Blender, Unity, Maya, etc. Even though these are easy to use, you do need to work on your VFX creation skills to get the best outcome. They have all the tools there for you, but you have to use if effectively and accurately for a stunning end result.
Should You Go For Game VFX Services Instead?
It is true that game VFX creation software has made it easy for game developers to work on a game’s visual experience. However, as it is quite competitive out there, you, as a game developer, need to stand out to ensure success for the game that you are developing. So, in reality, you might find yourself working for months just to perfect a minor visual effect in the game if you are not an expert VFX artist/creator. Thus, if you are not confident enough or you are not getting the desired outcome from the software of your choice, it will be best to consult an expert providing excellent VFX development services. They have the proper knowledge, skills, training, and tools to ensure your VFX creation process gets finished effectively and quickly at a competitive price.
