Curating the gritty, retrofuturistic art direction of Rollerdrome
If you combined the visual style of Heavy Metal, the fluidity of OlliOlliWorld, and the hip, slow motion bullet time of Max Payne, you'd the latest title from Roll7, Rollerdrome. Noteworthy not just for its unconventional protagonist Kara Hassan, the game features a gritty, retrofuturistic look that is simultaneously distinct and unfussy--and impossible to forget.
Recently, Roll7 lead artist Antoine Dekerle spoke with Game Developer to lend some insight into how the game's art direction was conceived. From brutalist architecture to the visual style of ligne claire and the dark side of the '70s, here are the sources of inspiration that curated this iconic look.
Game Developer: What’s your name and education and professional background? What was your role on Rollerdrome?
Antoine Dekerle: My name is Antoine Dekerle, I am the Lead Artist on Rollerdrome, I am taking care of the art direction of the game as well as managing an awesome team of artists. I have studied CG Art at Supinfocom in France (now known as Rubika).
Early in my career, I worked for the animation industry as a character and environment artist. I worked on a few animated TV series and a couple of movies. I clearly remember the day I watched a real time tech demo for the Xbox 360 and thought I should move to the video game industry. I applied to a few studios and quickly got my first job in the UK and never looked back. I love working on video games, it is a very creative and rewarding job.
I like how Rollerdrome’s muted palette and clean lines reduce the gameplay's visual chaos. It’s very sporty despite its simplicity. What tone were you aiming for with Rollerdrome and how did this particular style fit in with that vision? How does retro-futuristic look help
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