RealFPS - Akosah

Unity FPS prototype exploring real-world captured imagery as game environments, using 360 imagery, terrain generation, height maps, and grounded object shadows.

Gameplay capture showing the RealFPS prototype inside a terrain-like environment generated from real-world imagery.

Date

2026

Client

Game Prototype

Tools

Unity, 360 Imagery, Terrain Generation, Height Maps, Lighting, Shadow Casting

RealFPS is an experimental Unity first-person prototype focused on using real-world captured imagery as a game environment. The goal was to explore whether 360 images or videos could become believable level assets instead of static backgrounds.

The workflow used captured 360 imagery as a base, then converted the scene into terrain-like geometry with height map data. In Unity, the environment became a playable space where enemy objects such as bees and spiders could move through the scene while casting shadows onto the captured environment.

The prototype tests a hybrid visual style: real captured imagery provides the atmosphere, while game objects, movement, lighting, and shadows make the scene feel interactive and grounded.

01. The Challenge

The challenge was testing whether captured real-world imagery could become more than a background plate. The prototype needed to turn 360 imagery into a playable level surface, then make enemies and interactive objects feel grounded through terrain collision, lighting, and shadow behavior.

Design Process

From captured image to playable space

The project began as a test of using real-world 360 imagery as an FPS environment. Instead of building a fully modeled level from scratch, the experiment explored whether a captured scene could be converted into terrain-like geometry that still preserved the look of the real environment.

The workflow used a terrain-generation package to turn the 360 image data into a level surface using height maps. Height maps are a common Unity terrain workflow: the height values define the shape of the terrain surface, allowing a captured or generated source to become navigable geometry.

Once the scene was in Unity, the next challenge was grounding game objects visually. Bees, spiders, and other moving elements needed to feel like they belonged in the captured environment. Lighting and shadow casting were tuned so those objects could cast shadows onto the environment as they moved, making the scene feel less like a flat photo and more like a playable world.

Specs

Project details

Format: first-person game prototype
Engine: Unity
Environment source: real-world 360 captured imagery
Terrain workflow: generated playable level surface using height maps
Visual experiment: blending captured imagery with interactive game objects
Gameplay objects: bees, spiders, and FPS-style movement
Rendering focus: object grounding, lighting, and dynamic shadow casting
Deliverables: playable prototype and gameplay recording

Gameplay capture showing the RealFPS prototype inside a terrain-like environment generated from real-world imagery.

Unity first-person view inside a converted real-world scene — Captured imagery is used as the base for a navigable first-person environment.

RealFPS scene with enemy objects placed in the captured environment — Interactive objects are layered into the captured space to test whether the scene can support gameplay.

Unity gameplay experiment with objects casting shadows on the environment — Lighting and shadow behavior were tuned so moving objects feel grounded in the scene.

RealFPS prototype environment generated from 360 imagery and height map data — The prototype explores a terrain workflow based on real-world capture and height map conversion.

First-person prototype view combining captured imagery with game objects — The final test blends real capture, FPS movement, and dynamic game objects into one playable scene.