We are so excited to finally release shoulders of giants! Since we’re just getting started, the whole team here at Moving Pieces is feeling quite thoughtful (and slightly scared/excited alike!) so I thought it would be nice to share a few thoughts on one aspect of the game, which is this something we are particularly proud of: its stylized visual graphics. I thought it would be nice to take this opportunity to talk about our inspirations behind the look of the game.
While it’s amazing to see how far photorealistic graphics can be pushed with the latest Xbox hardware, what really excited us was the development of something that combined the latest graphics technologies like physically based rendering with a more stylized approach to shading like Cel -Shading combined. This was the basis for our technical and aesthetic approach to the visuals for shoulders of giants.
We started experimenting with what that might look like, taking early concept art and creating simple worlds with no gameplay at all. Initially we leaned more towards a traditional cel shading look, but found that when we mixed some photorealistic rendering techniques into it, beautiful details really started to shine.
In terms of the setting, we knew we wanted the game to be set in a sci-fi universe, which meant having a cosmic skybox full of planets, stars, and swirling clouds. We were heavily inspired by the style of 1970s sci-fi art and loved how it often featured huge planets in the background to keep the horizon interesting.
The basic story of the game is that the dark and cold forces of entropy have taken over the universe and it is up to the players to restore life and balance. One of the game’s main NPCs is an all-powerful owl from an ancient order, and many of the levels and props found in the game are inspired by those of ancient civilizations like ancient Egypt and Greece.
We envisioned levels with the abandoned ruins of an ancient order scattered throughout the levels for the player to explore. This was a major inspiration for the look of the levels and their layout.
Some of the game’s props and levels are also inspired by surrealist paintings, particularly in the final act of the game. We thought of rumbling clouds and stairs descending into the horizon.
We use a stylized look and value the use of color to tell the story shoulders of giants. One of the biggest themes in the game is dark versus light.
The player begins each level with the world shrouded in darkness, and as you advance and eventually complete the level, restore it with life and light.
Making the “bright” versions of our landscapes shine with color was easy, but making the cold, dark versions of these alien worlds sing with color wasn’t trivial. Our art director and I spent days poring over palettes and finally decided to reconsider what “dark” really means. We have chosen to lean more into the darkness as a concept of coldness or lack of life.
Eventually we found colors and lighting combinations that still looked vibrant and striking, but still allowed us to express our themes. We have created sandy deserts, white snow fields and green glowing corrosive acid worlds.
We can’t wait for players to immerse themselves in the world we’re creating!
For more information, visit the game’s store page and official siteor join our discord.
shoulders of giants
Moving pieces interactively
Control a sword-wielding robot and a gun-slinging space frog at the same time in Shoulders of Giants, an explosively colorful sci-fi roguelike. Play alone, with a friend, or as part of a team of four and slice through waves of enemies in a quest to save the galaxy! The forces of entropy spread chaos in the stars, corrupting living planets and fueling the heat death of the universe. Led by the psychic Owl, a rowdy team of space survivors fight to restore balance. A mysterious mech! A sharp-firing amphibian! Together they must break through waves of enemies and restore light and life to the galaxy! Pre-order the game to get access to limited edition dye sets with special visual effects. Dazzle your friends!
