Creatures in The Callisto Protocol – Breakdown

Creating realistic and terrifying gore effects in a horror game requires a deep understanding of anatomy, texture detailing, and a keen eye for reference materials. In The Callisto Protocol, the team at Striking Distance Studios pushed the boundaries of visual fidelity to deliver an immersive and gruesome experience.

In this article, 3D Character Artist Taibin Zhang takes us behind the scenes of the game’s gore creation system, sharing his approach to sculpting, texturing, and assembling the horrific details that bring the horror to life.

Introduction

Hello everyone, my name is Taibin Zhang. I previously worked as a 3D Character Artist at Striking Distance Studios, where I contributed to the development of The Callisto Protocol. I have been working in the U.S. gaming industry for over five years and have made contributions to three released games.

Be sure to check out Taibin’s portfolio at the following links:

I created some creatures and dismembered characters for the project, handling everything from sculpting to texture painting. In the following article, I will share insights into how I created the gore creation system of horror games.

Preparation

Before I began sculpting highly organic structures, I tried to find relevant photos online, including surgical procedures, various accidents, and so on.

Therefore, I apologize as I can only use these reference images with the Mosaic filter.

Of course, I also capture many interesting photos in my daily life, which can be processed in Photoshop to serve as material, such as alpha maps or inspiration for textures. So, pay close attention to everything around you—they could become an important source of inspiration.

Section 1: Sculpting

After completing the major forms, I tried to find interesting structures in the reference images for secondary shapes.

While sculpting, I paid attention to the variation in rhythm, meaning not having too many details, nor too few. From the examples below, you can see that purple represents the higher layers, while green indicates the lower layers.

This approach adds depth and variation to the overall structure rather than making it flat. The main brushes I use are StandardBrush, DamstandardBrush, Slash Brush for the skin peel-off effect, and Pinch Brush to create stretched tissues and thin skin.

Section 2: Texture Painting

Everyone has a preferred method for painting textures, just as people with different personalities approach the same task in different ways. I’d like to share how I paint carbonated textures for horror games.

I prefer to complete as many small details as possible in ZBrush. While sculpting, I also like to use Polypaint to represent different colors and textures, as it helps me better visualize how the final piece will look.

Finding good reference images is important. The advantage is that they help you accurately capture the real colors and textures of objects. Additionally, you can use reference images in Substance Painter to project colors onto your game assets.
(In the images below, you can see similar colors on the game assets）

Of course, this step is not just about projecting images onto game assets. You need to evaluate the reference images in terms of color, realism, resolution quality, and other factors to determine if they are helpful. You may need to photobash many images in Photoshop before painting.

Achieving a great final result relies on both the quality of the reference images and the use of other features in Substance Painter. Not all textures can be created in one action—I’m simply providing an additional approach to consider.

Also read: Surviving the VFX Indstry Crisis

Conclusion

Thank you very much for taking the time to read this brief article. I hope it inspires you to explore different approaches to collecting and utilizing reference images. I truly enjoyed creating this game and learned a lot along the way.

I have been working on several personal projects, including game-ready characters and likeness sculpts. I look forward to sharing more breakdowns in the future.

Finally, a huge thank you to Vertex Mode for allowing me to share some of the techniques I’ve learned. Best of luck to everyone! Take care.

Taibin Zhang

Taibin Zhang, Senior character artist, freelance artist, 2D concept artist, animator, and art director of a WIP indie game in the gaming industry, enjoys exploring and creating different 3D art styles.