Inside The Art of Dustborn, classic comic inspiration and successful presentation

Dustborn is a new narrative title coming to Xbox later this year, an explosive adventure in which a group of misfits with superhuman powers attempt to traverse a dystopian America to deliver a mysterious package. As art director of the Red Thread Games studio, Christoffer Grav played a key role in the design DustbornNot only the unforgettable characters and dialogue, but also the unique aesthetics of its world are at the center of the gaming experience.

Invented by the game’s creative director, Ragnar Tørnquist, Dustborn initially took on a darker tone, before then focusing on the interpersonal connections between the main character Pax and her crew: “The art direction was a bit darker and more pessimistic at first – it wasn’t in the Cell Shade style or in the comic book style .” admits Grav.

However, as the story became lighter and focused more on human connections, Dustborn According to Grav, she “started to look more positive with bright colors, a cleaner look and a colorful palette.” “I wanted to go in this direction because it is my own style as an illustrator, which is heavily influenced by comics. I wanted to do something that I was very passionate about. Basically I wanted to translate my 2D style into 3D space.”

A product of the 80s and its pop aesthetic, Grav has given it a vibrant tone Dustborn, inspired by previous influences: “I’m a nerd for Disney, always have been.” And when I was younger, I was a huge comic book geek; When my grandfather was growing up in Norway, he collected French and Belgian comics like Asterix and Tintin.”

Grav’s moodboard also featured many artworks by French comics legend Moebius, which he discovered through his grandfather’s comic book collection. As he grew older, he also found inspiration in American creators: “When I was a kid, not many comics were imported to Norway, but eventually we got an official translation [Todd McFarlane’s] Spawn, it was one of the first American comics to be sold in grocery stores and it just blew me away! The art, the story, I quickly tried to emulate that style.”

As more and more American comics came to Oslo, Grav devoured them: “I started collecting comics like Gen 13 and Witchblade… So it’s nice to be inspired by so many different works at Dustborn. Of course, many games these days are inspired by comics, but I hope my work stands out for the way it mixes influences from America and Europe with its clean lines.”

The game’s comic-inspired aesthetic emphasizes the subversive side of the game dust born, which is set in the dystopian, justice-driven Divided States of America and is full of dystopian propaganda. It was a playground for an artist trained as a graphic designer: “Of course I was inspired by past world conflicts and dictatorships, but it’s more something that looms in the background. There is no big villain DustbornIt’s more about people and the way they interact with each other. That’s why the judicial officers have a smile on their faces: the state wants them to be seen as a positive force. They even have a mascot! With Dustborn“I’ve really incorporated a variety of influences into all media over many decades, from anime to films, series, books and comics that have inspired me,” explains Grav.

Finally the crew. Pax and the members of her found family each bring their unique contributions, with their complementary powers, identities, strong viewpoints, and, yes, flaws. People, after all. To achieve his narrative and artistic goals, Dustborn

“Representation is very important to me; “Growing up as a queer person, there was nothing on television or entertainment that reflected my experiences,” Grav explained. “As a queer kid, I went through tough times in school and given the direction the world is going today “Since LGBTQ+ and other fundamental rights are still at risk, I think it’s even more important to focus on representation, especially in video games.”

When working on DustbornGrav and his teammates often challenged each other to bring more perspectives to the experience while ensuring they authentically portrayed the game’s characters. They wanted to create a game that represented the diversity of the world we live in, with a variety of genders, ethnicities, sexual orientations, appearances and attitudes – a game that would have made the younger Grav feel included. Before ending, he expressed his hope that “people see themselves in these characters or are inspired by them.” Quite an achievement for the child who dreamed of seeing himself in comics, games and beyond.

Dustborn will be released on August 20th on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One.