The Brisbane-made Windbound was a visual delight from the second it was announced, so naturally the art is a true joy as well.
Windbound was a huge departure for 5 Lives Studios, the Brisbane-based developers previously responsible for the sci-fi Satellite Reign. Windbound‘s all about life on the sea, sailing from one procedurally generated island to the other as Kara pieces together the history of the islands and the people that moved on.
Naturally, Kara’s character art and the design of her ancestral oar is a big part of the gameplay. So below you’ll find some renders, designs and concepts of Kara in the early stages, as well as a look at some environments. There’s a stunning little cutaway, almost like a Windbound-esque diorama, of one of the game’s relics.
All the art comes from Kyle de Silva, Alex Allen and Brad Nielsen, while Kara’s 3D sculpture was done by Dean Ferguson.
Each of the artists have some incredible art on their personal profiles as well, so absolutely go check those out. De Silva has some absolutely extraordinary keyframes and environment concepts, like this banner art for Wayward Sword that would just look divine on a wall. Nielsen also did a ton of concept work for Aquaman, and that’s as spectacular as you’d expect for a Hollywood-level production.
If you’re interested in the game itself, it’s out on all platforms now. Our US colleagues and I had very different experiences, so check them both out and see if it’s for you. Try and dodge the sharks if you can.
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