Hello everyone,

In our ongoing effort to create an immersive and atmospheric experience in Project Nightmares Multiplayer, we’ve been working on perfecting the flashlight lighting. To achieve this, we took inspiration from the highly cinematic catacombs scene in John Wick 2. Here’s a deep dive into how we’ve adjusted our flashlight lighting based on this reference.

Inspiration from John Wick 2 Catacombs Scene

The catacombs scene in John Wick 2 is renowned for its masterful use of lighting to create tension and highlight key elements. We decided to use this as a benchmark for our flashlight mechanics to enhance the horror and realism in our game.



(In our case the flashlight is a bit wider)

Breakdown of Our Flashlight Lighting Setup

1. Central Volumetric Light:
   • Intensity and Focus: The central volumetric light in our flashlight is designed to be more intense and narrow. This mimics the focused beam of light that pierces through darkness, similar to how John Wick's flashlight cuts through the eerie shadows in the catacombs.
   • Purpose: This helps in highlighting specific objects or areas directly in front of the player, adding to the suspense and guiding the player’s attention.
     
2. Secondary Volumetric Light:
   • Density and Spread: Surrounding the central beam, we have a secondary volumetric light that is less dense and wider. This softer light creates a gradient effect, subtly illuminating the periphery and enhancing the sense of depth.
   • Purpose: It ensures that while the focus remains sharp and narrow, there is enough ambient light to see the immediate surroundings, preventing complete blindness in dark corners.
     
3. Flare Effect:
   • Realistic Glare: To add an extra layer of realism, we’ve incorporated a flare effect. This simulates the scattering of light particles, giving the flashlight a more authentic and cinematic feel.
   • Purpose: The flare effect not only makes the lighting more dynamic but also enhances the visual impact during movement and interaction with different surfaces.
     

Implementation and Optimization

• Balancing Performance: While striving for high visual fidelity, we’ve also ensured that these effects are optimized for performance. The lighting setup is carefully tuned to run smoothly even on older hardware, maintaining the immersive experience without sacrificing frame rates.
• Feedback Integration: We’ve been iterating on these settings based on internal testing and player feedback. Your input is invaluable, and we encourage you to share your thoughts on the flashlight mechanics in the comments below.

Conclusion

By drawing inspiration from the catacombs scene in John Wick 2, we’ve managed to craft a flashlight that not only illuminates the path ahead but also adds to the atmospheric tension in Project Nightmares Multiplayer. We’re excited for you to experience it and look forward to your feedback.

Thank you for your continued support and enthusiasm. Stay tuned for more updates and insights into our development process!

See you in the next devlog!