Guerrilla animation director Richard Oud recently discussed the challenges of animating hugs in Horizon Forbidden West’s Burning Shores DLC. The discussion was sparked after Xalavier Nelson Jr., the Strange Scaffolding studio head, pointed out on Twitter that Aloy’s hug in the DLC’s trailer was a technical flex. Oud explained that capturing hugs using motion capture performers is difficult, as the sensors on their suits disappear from the camera’s view when two actors hug. To solve this problem, developers have to manually correct the mocap data captured during a hug, which is a time-consuming task. Animating hugs is made even more difficult as the movement captured during the mocap stage only considers the characters’ bodies, and not their hair, armor, or other appendages.
Importance of Hugs in the Game
Despite the challenges, Guerrilla decided to include the hug in the game as it is an integral part of the story. Oud highlighted that if they removed the hug or any other intimate moments from the script, the story would not come across. The team had to find a way to animate the hug while ensuring that the emotion and connection between the characters were delivered to the players without drawing attention to the technicalities involved. Oud expressed his satisfaction with the final product, stating that as long as the players feel the emotion, they have hit their target.
In conclusion, animating hugs may seem like a small and insignificant detail, but it involves a significant amount of work and technical expertise. Guerrilla’s efforts to overcome the challenges and include the hug in Horizon Forbidden West demonstrate their commitment to delivering an immersive gaming experience to their players.
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