XIII

Creative Excellence

Delivering creative excellence

Experience Gaming

Unparalleled gaming experience

Trusted Support

Backed by trusted support

About the Project Overview

XIII, a cult-classic comic-inspired FPS from 2003, returned with a full-scale remaster. Zatun was engaged to revamp legacy animations, originally built in Unreal Engine 2, using a modern Unity-based pipeline.

Rather than creating all animations from scratch, the task was to extract and reference original motion, retarget it onto modern rigs in Maya, and clean up and polish it to meet current-generation standards. This applied across first-person player hands, NPCs, and story sequences, with over 540 animations delivered in total.

Zatun also created multiple animations from scratch to match the client’s animation style.

  • Extract usable animation data from UE2/UE3 to use as reference

  • Retarget to new Maya rigs compatible with Unity

  • Maintain stylized, semi-cartoon FPS aesthetic

  • Deliver consistently across batches under tight budget and time constraints
  • Work within client’s tracking and review systems using Google Sheets, Drive, and Slack

  • Implement a reliable loop, polish, and delivery workflow accepted by PlayMagic’s QA

Client Challenge

Zatun’s Solutions

🔧 Animation Types & Approach

Animation Type Description
FPS Hand Animations Reloads, idle breakers, ironsights, attacks, alternate fires, sprint cycles
NPC Animations Walk cycles, hits, deaths, interactions
Cinematic/Story Beats Dialogue gestures, environmental cues, intro/outro loops

  • From Scratch: Most 1st-person animations built new using legacy UE2 data as visual reference

  • Polish Pass: NPC animations cleaned up, adjusted for Unity rig fidelity, limbs fixed, poses improved

  • Hybrid Technique: Key poses derived from 2003 files, rekeyed with squash/stretch & timing overhaul

Deliverables  & Batching

Batch Type Animations Delivered
FPS (Hands) – Batches 1–8 50–84 animations per batch
NPC – 3PS Animations 62 animations per set
Total Animations 540+ across 10 batches

Each delivery included .mb files with final animation, untextured viewport, rig references, and updated spreadsheet entries for blocking, polish, and delivery status.

Technical Pipeline

  • Animation Tool: Autodesk Maya 2018

  • Target Platform: Unity

  • Camera Ref: Provided “camera_player” used for all FPS shots

  • Rig Offset: Hands repositioned per weapon for accurate screen framing

  • File Organization: Categorized folders for FPS/NPC with Provided and Delivered structure

  • Tracking System: Live Google Sheet per batch with CHCK/✓/! system for review and feedback

Results

Outcome Impact
All animation batches delivered On time, within the 3-month window
Reference fidelity achieved 2003-era animations matched and upgraded to 2020s standards
Stylised identity retained Cartoony feel preserved while enhancing movement quality
No retakes >5% Less than 5% of animations were flagged for changes or fixes
Satisfied client & steady work Zatun trusted for future animation & environment contracts

Master Agreement Summary

  • Direct contract with PlayMagic Ltd

  • All IP and rights transferred to the client

  • Scope included animation creation, support files, and tracker maintenance

  • Weekly sync via Slack and Google Drive

  • Future-ready for episodic expansion and additional batches