Labyrinthine

Phase 1 – Creature Animation
Every creature in Labyrinthine needed a cohesive animation set while maintaining its own unique identity and behaviour. MLC Studio was given creative control to explore different forms of horror – from Deadspace-inspired body mutilation to grotesque supernatural kills. Each creature used its own “tools” to brutally dispatch players, resulting in unique, terrifying encounters.

The animation set included walk, run, and both front- and back-facing kills. We began with idle animations to establish personalities, then progressed through blocking passes in stepped interpolation to define key poses, weight, and synchronisation with player actions. Once approved by Valko Studios, we refined the animations in spline, tackling challenges like gimbal lock, IK/FK switches, and floaty motion.

The final polish added critical lifelike touches – jiggle effects for large enemies, grounded hand and foot contacts, and expressive facial movements. Kill animations were carefully synced with player reactions in both first-person (victim) and third-person (observers) to avoid motion sickness while keeping reactions impactful. This close integration elevated tension and ensured the horror felt authentic from every perspective.

Phase 2 – Oni Character Production
Alongside creature animations, MLC Studio developed Oni, a unique character for the game. Starting with a client-provided concept, our artist collaborated on the final design sheet before modelling in ZBrush from a scan-based base mesh. The sculpt was refined for anatomy, with props and clothing built in Blender and Marvelous Designer. Retopology was performed for optimisation, with textures authored in Substance Painter.

For the hair, we used guide splines replaced with planes and alpha textures, delivering a performant and flexible asset. Oni was approved and delivered game-ready for integration in Unreal Engine.

Phase 3 – Trailer Production
MLC Studio also supported Valko Studios with trailer production across Labyrinthine‘s lifecycle. The early access trailer was turned around in just two days, combining in-game capture with player reaction footage to showcase both gameplay and horror impact. Later, for the full launch, we storyboarded and captured gameplay footage (with cinematic shots provided by Valko) to create a polished marketing trailer.