Stress, Strategy, and Success: The Art Behind "Project Dreamscape"

This year has been a big win for the students in Studio Aspen, EGD's AAA-style studio based in NYC for those studying to work in games. The video game that the students spent all year creating, Project Dreamscape, is set to release on Steam, which is a never-before-seen feat for the program! To gain a behind-the-scenes look at what the development process was like, we interviewed leaders from each team within the studio. In this entry, you'll hear from the two students in charge of the art department.

For Ashley Saldaña, art producer at Studio Aspen, and Melissa De Merced, art department project manager, Project Dreamscape served as an outlet to test themselves in a leadership role that is both stressful and rewarding. 

“I will say it is stressful, but it also has its benefits,” Ashley said. “And I feel like I’ve learned so much since this is my first year as a producer for the team.”

Melissa claimed that it's "rewarding to be able to talk to people and get closer to knowing their way of thinking to make sure that we can help them and guide them as they go."

Their roles in Art are to manage tasks from highest to lowest priority assigned to artists and check if the artists require any additional assistance to complete the task at hand.

“We'll start looking through everybody's tasks and seeing what needs to get done and what hasn't been done,” Ashley explained. “Then, we'll start sending DMs and seeing if anyone wants to catch up or what new stuff can be given out."

As leaders, though, what kept them going? Well, their primary motivation was the experience of first-time leadership and the high expectations placed on their shoulders.

Ashley said that she "never had a producer role, and this is one of my first leadership roles, so it's very enlightening to see what it's like being in a team from a different perspective, having been mostly the one to do the tasks before and now I'm the one giving them out. It's definitely a jarring experience, and it gives me more appreciation for people who have those roles in this kind of department."

Melissa also stated that she loves "running around to figure out what someone is doing, making sure that something is right in another department, ensuring everything is done on time, etc. It's a really good feeling to see the fruits of your labor, if you will, at the end.”

During the development of Project Dreamscape, they had an assortment of ideas they originally wanted to implement but didn't. One of those was to make the game feel grim and spooky, but it eventually shifted to a more lax and dreamy vibe.

“The dream biome was really big in the department, and everyone thought it was really cool and kept the fantasy theme, so we just ended up sticking with that the whole way through,” answered Melissa. 

An early view of the dream biome

According to both leads, Project Dreamscape is a unique game to them because it revolves around a world entirely made out of a person’s dreams. 

“With it being a dream, I feel like a lot of things in the environment can be exaggerated. We have some cool, unique enemies, like a follower and a chaser, and they're all in their own environment, but they have unique abilities and vibes, and just the way that they look varies a lot,” Ashely explained.

“I think what makes Project Dreamscape unique is the concept itself. It's really interesting to have a whole world that's built on dreams themselves and how when the player dies, they wake up in a cold sweat and shock. I thought that entire concept was so cool because you're technically fighting your inner demons throughout the whole thing,” said Melissa.

The player waking up in shock after an in-game death

On top of this, both believe that Project Dreamscape is a game that should be played due to its randomized land feature, which allows players to become their own artists. 

“The land will be randomized each time despite choosing the same one, so you get to see all of the work that the art department did, whether it be a simple tree, rock, or the enemies themselves, which will also be different for each biome, so I think you won't get bored of the things you see in the game,” as stated by Melissa.

Ashley claimed, “If you're interested in playing, I think the overall aspect of the gameplay, where you're able to create your own biome and truly be your own artist in the game, brings a distinct aspect to roguelike games, and I feel like it’s a unique take.”

Project Dreamscape is a game developed by artists of distinct abilities, each of whom brought their own flair to its dreamworlds. Check it out and wishlist on Steam! https://store.steampowered.com/app/3569570/Project_Dreamscape/

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