Absolutely Games

Creative Excellence

Delivering creative excellence

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About the Project Overview

Absolutely Games, led by industry veteran James Brooksby, partnered with Zatun to support the development of their upcoming WWII-themed strategy game, Classified: France ’44. The collaboration focused on creating high-quality, photorealistic character clothing and gear assets, including uniforms, jackets, helmets, and accessories optimised for modular use in Unity.

Zatun’s scope spanned multiple SLAs, delivering assets across recurring batches over a 2-year period. Each batch involved modeling, UV unwrapping, PBR texturing, skinning rig-ready versions, and implementing iterative feedback.

  • Create historically accurate, photoreal character clothing using strict style and topology requirements

  • Maintain a 10k triangle limit per asset with 2K PBR textures (Albedo, Normal, Roughness, Metallic)

  • Ensure modular assets support swappable heads, tops, bottoms, and gear on a shared skeleton

  • Deliver rapidly in short milestones without compromising on quality

  • Implement cross-compatible rigging logic (e.g., jackets fit multiple trousers, helmets across heads)

  • Collaborate across time zones and align on feedback with daily/weekly iterations

  • Minimize rework while accommodating gameplay feedback during in-engine testing

Client Challenge

Zatun’s Solutions

Modular Character Production

  • Used internal ZBrush–Maya–Substance Painter pipeline
  • Built assets on bind-pose rigs for immediate Unity integration.
  • Delivered consistent bind-pose compatibility using the client’s base mesh
  • Created both standalone accessories (e.g., helmets, berets) and layered clothing (jackets, trousers)
  • Created reusable texture/material setups to streamline production
  • Ensured non-clipping geometry and correct deformation with multiple pants and head types

Technical & Design Highlights

  • 10k tri budget per item
  • 2K PBR textures: Albedo, Normal, Roughness, Metallic
  • Each helmet or jacket fits all current and future body variants

Rigging + Technical QA

  • Assets rigged to a common character skeleton
  • Optimised collar/pocket/hem deformations to avoid clipping during animation
  • Adjusted topology based on multiple head and body scales (e.g., pilot helmets fit current & future head meshes)
  • Implemented texture-only tweaks (folds, creases) when high-poly redo was unnecessary

Client Communication & Workflow

  • Daily and weekly updates via Slack and Dropbox
  • Iterative review process using in-game screenshots and turnaround renders
  • Shared working folders for rapid feedback implementation
  • Clear handoff structure for FBX, textures, and Unity-ready exports

Batches  Delivered

Batch Timeline Focus Area
Q4 2020 British P40 tunic, Luftwaffe pilot sets
Q1 2021 U.S. & German military jackets, helmets, and civilian clothing
Q3 2022 Modular characters for FFI, Maquis, Tirailleurs, Goumiers

Each batch included jackets, trousers, helmets, or full characters—rig-ready and fully textured. Assets passed Unity import tests, in-game fit reviews, and adhered to strict optimization guidelines.

Key Achievements

  • Delivered over 30 modular assets, ready to combine into hundreds of character variations

  • Matched real WWII references with modern rendering standards

  • Designed gear to be future-proof across new characters and body types

  • Ensured visual cohesion across diverse factions and ranks, from Maquis rebels to Allied soldiers

  • Adjusted topologies on the fly for real-time gameplay feedback integration

  • Photoreal Quality: Stylized realism consistent with AAA war-themed strategy games

  • Historical Accuracy: Reference-validated models like the British P40 and Luftwaffe sets

Results

Outcome Impact
All SLAs completed on time Delivered within 2–5 weeks per contract
Zero failed handovers Assets passed Unity engine tests and client QA gates
Assets integrated in Unity builds Verified clean rigging, proper texture loads
Expanded production scope Progressed from standalone assets to full modular uniforms
Repeated work orders New SLAs signed every few months due to consistent quality