I’m Minoru Kasai, character modeler for Bayonetta 3.

I’d like to talk a little about the modeling and texture for new Infernal Demon Cheshire.

Although he’s far from being the only Infernal Demon new to Bayonetta 3, he’s actually controlled by new character Viola. You’ll find that he has a slightly more comical side to him compared to the ferocity of the demons controlled by Bayonetta.

I’d say the most difficult things to get right when modeling Cheshire were having him be able to walk on two as well as four legs, having his mouth be able to open so wide, and the texture of his fur.

Once the modeling was more-or-less done, the next step was to focus on assembling him in a way that would move properly in the game. The skeleton and mesh were constructed in a way to prevent the model from deforming or going off-model.

Note: A mesh refers to a collection of vertices, edges, and faces which act as the foundation of a 3D model in a video game.

With Cheshire taking up so much of the screen, it was important to make sure his action was satisfying to play. This meant keeping the processing as optimal as possible. We needed to be sure not to compromise on the fun expected of an action game while also focusing on getting him to look like a stuffed toy.

When it comes to the materials, it’s vital to be able to understand and analyse the individual components. I had to think about what physically makes them look the way they do and carefully select the right components, then all that’s left is to implement them. When it came to Cheshire’s fur I thought about the light reflecting off the ends of the follicles, the shadows at the roots and the part in-between. I figured that if I had those 3 elements then it would look right, and I think it turned out even better than expected!

Take control of Cheshire and enjoy his charming mannerisms for yourselves.

Thanks for reading.

Minoru Kasai Character modeler for PlatinumGames. Worked on VANQUISH and The Wonderful 101, as well as on the modeling and materials for Bayonetta 3.