Summary
- Subnautica: Below Zero concept artist Alex Ries revealed an excerpt from his recently announced artbook Other Worlds.
- Other Worlds promises over 300 pages of concept art, showcasing Ries's major creative milestones in both his professional and personal life.
- The book will be available to pre-order via Kickstarter soon.
The Best War Games can share an exclusive look at Other Worlds, an upcoming artbook by Subnautica: Below Zero concept artist Alex Ries. The book will soon be available to pre-order via Kickstarter.
Alex Ries is a Melbourne, Australia-based concept artist who has been working on video games since the late 2000s. His two most recent projects were the critically acclaimed survival game Subnautica: Below Zero and turn-based strategy Moonbreaker, both of which were developed by San Francisco studio Unknown Worlds Entertainment.
Subnautica 2 Announced, Has 4-Player Co-Op
After months of teasing, Unknown Worlds Entertainment and Krafton reveal Subnautica 2 and confirm that it will have 4-player co-op play online.
The Australian artist is now publishing an artbook in collaboration with Iron Circus Comics. Titled Other Worlds: The Art of Alex Ries, the book promises over 300 pages' worth of Ries's designs. The Best War Games can exclusively share an excerpt from Other Worlds, which includes eight pages of Moonbreaker concept art. These reveal how some of the game's many designs—including The Sage, Charioteer, and Bastion Veros—came to be. All of them are accompanied by author commentary, providing some additional context on Ries's creative process.
Alex Ries Says Moonbreaker Concept Art Was an 'Interesting' Challenge
Ries tells The Best War Games that the turn-based strategy presented an "interesting" challenge for his artistic chops, not least because Moonbreaker's tabletop gaming miniature aesthetic required completely different designs than his previous project, Subnautica: Below Zero. "It was interesting to stretch my creative muscles depicting technology and the ethereal otherworldly environments that were a part of Moonbreaker’s pre-production," he explained. The sci-fi fantasy tone of the game ultimately guided him to author a variety of original designs, many of which sculpt inorganic materials into decisively organic shapes, as is the case with, e.g., the alien Bastion Veros and the crab-like Biotank.
This book is the culmination of decades of work, passing through traditional illustration, concept art and even sculpture.
Overall, Ries sounds more than pleased with how his work on Moonbreaker turned out, having labeled some of the resulting designs as his "personal favorite concepts to date." Other Worlds will include concept art from many of his other projects as well, with the artist describing it as "the culmination of decades of work, passing through traditional illustration, concept art and even sculpture." The way he curated its contents was by focusing on his creative breakthroughs in both professional and personal life. The end result of this approach is the kind of book that Ries says he always adored as a child, one filled with "creatures, machines, and life from other worlds," hence the title.
'Other Worlds' Kickstarter Campaign Coming Soon
Although Other Worlds doesn't have a release date yet, it's already possible to sign up to be notified when its Kickstarter campaign launches. This is supposed to happen "soon," as per the campaign's placeholder landing page. No pricing information has yet been attached to the project, but the crowdfunding nature of Kickstarter suggests that Other Worlds will likely offer multiple pledge tiers. As for what's next for Ries, it's possible that the artist is currently working on some DLC for the newly announced Subnautica 2, which is targeting a 2025 early access release.
Subnautica: Below Zero
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 83 /100 Critics Rec: 91%
- Released
- January 30, 2019
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- Unknown Worlds Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
- Unknown Worlds Entertainment
- Engine
- Unity
WHERE TO PLAY
Return to planet 4546B. Submerge yourself in an all-new, sub-zero expedition in an arctic region of Planet 4546B. Arriving with little more than your wits and some survival equipment, you set out to investigate what happened to your sister...
Alterra left in a hurry after a mysterious incident. Abandoned research stations dot the region. What happened to the scientists who lived and worked here? Logs, items, and data banks scattered among the debris paint a new picture of the incident. With limited resources, you must improvise to survive on your own.
Swim beneath the blue-lit, arching expanses of Twisty Bridges, where something undiscovered lurks around every corner. Become mesmerized by the glittering, mammoth crystals of the Crystal Caverns. Clamber up snow covered peaks and venture into the icy caves of Glacial Basin. Maneuver between erupting Thermal Vents to discover ancient alien artifacts. Below Zero presents entirely new environments for you to survive, study, and explore.
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Survival, Open-World
- How Long To Beat
- 20 Hours
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
