With the first game in the series a proven success, players are eagerly awaiting Horizon: Forbidden West. But while players focus on traps the sequel needs to avoid, tragedy has struck behind the scenes.
Michael Andrew Nash was the lead designer behind the machines of Horizon: Zero Dawn, with those designs returning in Horizon: Forbidden West. A Tweet from Gavriil Klimov, a close friend and colleague of Nash, confirmed Nash’s recent death. Mike Nash was 36. The cause of death, if it is known at this time, has not yet been made public.
In his tweets, Kilmov showered praise on Nash, praising his prowess in creating 3D designs. The death of Nash will likely be felt throughout the industry, as his work was, by many accounts, some of the best in futuristic design in video games today. Among his most famous designs were futuristic machines that interlocked and operated in glorious, intricate detail, lending a sense of realism and beauty in excessive detail. Among these designs, to no one’s surprise, were the machine animals that lent Horizon: Zero Dawn a huge part of its identity, grandeur, and beauty.
While his work is by no means limited to these mechanical creatures, it can be truly said that a huge part of Horizon: Zero Dawn‘s success was due to Nash’s designs. One of the crazy development stories behind Horizon: Zero Dawn is that no one thought a dinosaur-machine hybrid would work at first. The idea of a mechanical dino that would not only look cool but would also be fun and tricky to fight was considered beyond the reach by many on a development team stepping way outside its comfort zone. When the team saw Nash’s design for what would become the Thunderjaw however, that pessimism was swiftly discarded. The rest, as they say, is history.
With Guerilla Games shifting focus from Horizon: Zero Dawn PC to Forbidden West, it’s clear that the team will be working to make the best sequel it can. However, without any new creations from the original designer, it’s likely some new enemies will look distinctly different. If a third game is created, players can expect a new, possibly less detailed breed of robo-dinosaur.
Of course, machines were not Nash’s only area of expertise. His ArtStation depicts many futuristic designs with a focus on armor and power suits, and is well worth checking out. While the enemies in Zero Dawn originally looked more normal, players can thank Nash for the animalistic machines fought throughout the game. Nash’s tutorials on working with 3D art are also worth a look for any aspiring 3D artist.
Horizon Forbidden West releases in 2021 for PS4 and PS5.
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