LogInMeeNell took an interesting approach to the character.
You don't need to imagine God of War's Kratos in a retrofuturistic setting: he already exists in 3D art. Artist Minwoo Ki, also known as MeeNell, had an unusual idea for the character, recreating him in steampunk/dieselpunk armor.
The model's realistic appearance adds to the immersion, and I would love to play a game with this protagonist. Maybe a God of War/Death Stranding crossover?
MeeNell focused on facial anatomy, skin detailing, and beard grooming to achieve cinematic quality, and this definitely paid off. Kratos was sculpted in ZBrush, textured with Substance 3D Painter, groomed in Maya's XGen, and rendered using V-Ray and Unreal Engine 5.
"Main reference materials include: Steampunk Iron Man by Mateusz Ozminski, Dieselpunk Skull Soldier by Jeremy Jodoin, The Space Marine from Warhammer, and the Dead Space suit design.
The rigging, MeeNell aligned Kratos's face with the MetaHuman base mesh using R3DS Wrap and applied blend shapes in Maya. The armor rigging was completed with AdvancedSkeleton.
"This project allowed me to deeply explore the fusion of character creation and hard-surface design, and it helped me push my creative boundaries further."
MeeNell's ArtStation portfolio is humble for now, but you can find more on Instagram.
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