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Sword Combat Focus
A combat-forward sandbox where melee timing, hit reactions, and FX layering are central to the experience.
Unreal Engine Final Year Project
VFX Sandbox
A sword-focused combat showcase highlighting cinematic environments, shader work, enemy interactions, and reactive VFX in Unreal Engine.
About the Game
VFX Sandbox is a stylised sword-combat showcase built to explore atmosphere, technical experimentation, and visual impact within Unreal Engine.
I started this project with no prior experience using Unreal, so it became a way for me to learn by building and developing skills across environment creation, materials and shaders, VFX, and basic combat systems.
Rather than a narrative-driven game, it functions as a high-quality playable art piece. It gave me space to experiment with things like combat readability, particle timing, lighting, and overall mood, while still keeping the experience responsive and engaging.
The goal is to deliver a polished experience, showcasing both the technical depth and the visual identity I've developed throughout the project.
Playable ArtCombat-driven showcase
Visual ImpactFX, glow, motion
World & MoodLighting, atmosphere, shaders
Core Highlights
The project is built around combat feel, visual spectacle, and technical craft.
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Reactive VFX
Slash effects, impact sparks, glow pulses, ambient particles, lifelike critters and enemy effects designed to feel immersive and satisfying.
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Shader Work
Custom material experiments and stylised shaders used to push mood, magic, and art across the scene.
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Environment Craft
Cinematic spaces built to showcase lighting, composition, atmosphere, and world detail in a playable format.
Final Demo
A demo of the final build, showcased here through YouTube.
Development Journey
A small walkthrough of my creative and technical process.
Phase 01
Concept & Visual Direction
Defined the direction of the combat showcase, including art style, tone, and mood. Focused on building a stylised, cinematic feel where sword gameplay and VFX drive the identity of the project.
Phase 02
Environment Building
Built cinematic environments for combat and exploration. Materials, lighting, fog, and composition were used to create strong silhouettes and maintain clarity during gameplay.
Phase 03
Combat Systems & Interactions
Developed core combat behaviour, including sword feedback, enemy interactions, and timing-based VFX to make each hit feel responsive and impactful.
Phase 04
VFX, Shaders & Polish
Refined shaders, glow effects, slash visuals, and particles to bring everything together. Focused on making the project feel cohesive and closer to a finished experience rather than a prototype.
Tools & Technologies
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Unreal Engine 5
Main engine used for combat setup, environments, lighting, and sequencing.
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Blender
Used for 3D modelling and asset creation, supporting environment pieces and scene composition.
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Visual Studio
Used for scripting and development work, supporting logic implementation and shader structure.
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Clip Studio Paint
Used for concept work and visual vfx textures, defining style, mood, and overall direction.
UI & Combat Presentation
A section for my menus, HUD experiments, gameplay UI, and visual presentation passes.
Main Menu
Animated menu presentation showing the visual tone and motion style of the project.
In-Game Feedback
HUD, combat indicators, lock-on visuals, and interaction prompts from the project.
Stylised Presentation
Visual overlays and interface details that support the overall atmosphere and readability.
About Me
Project Focus
VFX Sandbox is a final year project developed to build and demonstrate my skills within Unreal Engine, starting from a complete beginner level.
The project serves as both a technical sandbox and a creative showcase, allowing me to explore and develop across multiple disciplines, including real-time VFX, environment art, modelling, shader work, and combat interaction design.
Through this project, I focused on improving gameplay readability, visual feedback, FX timing, and overall presentation, while gaining hands-on experience with Unreal Engine as a development platform. It reflects my approach to learning by building, continuously refining both technical implementation and artistic direction.
As the project evolves, this section can expand further to highlight my career focus, areas of specialisation, and ongoing development interests within real-time graphics and interactive design.
Art
UI
Programming