Forbidden West: Burning Shores' Secret Hug Tech

Solving for Hug

When it comes to video games, hugs might seem like a simple interaction, but behind the scenes, they represent a significant technical challenge for developers. Guerrilla Games, the studio behind the Horizon series, has faced this challenge head-on, pushing the boundaries of video game animation to deliver believable and heartwarming embraces in their games.

The hurdle starts with motion capture technology, which typically relies on sensors placed on actors. When actors hug, their bodies, and the sensors attached to them, come into close contact, causing half the sensors on each person to be obscured from the software’s view. This results in a significant amount of missing data, requiring manual “solving” by animators, who must painstakingly reconstruct the missing sensor positions for the duration of the hug.

The Hair Tube Physics Problem

Even after addressing the sensor issue, the challenge of creating realistic hugs extends to the complexities of character design. Characters like Aloy in the Horizon series wear detailed outfits, including elaborate armor and intricate hair styles, which need to be taken into account when animating hugs. This process involves ensuring the character’s movements and clothes don’t overlap or clip through each other, creating a smooth and believable interaction.

Aloy’s hair, in particular, presents a unique challenge for animators. It’s created using a system of “collision capsules,” essentially tubes that react to collision with one another, making Aloy’s hair flow realistically. However, in the case of hugs, these tubes can make it challenging for the character’s arm to move through the hair naturally. To address this, Guerrilla introduced a “movable collider” in Burning Shores, a special physics capsule that responds to Aloy’s hair and allows it to move realistically around the character’s arm during a hug.

Engineering Intimacy

The difficulty of animating hugs and other intimate interactions extends beyond the Horizon series, impacting a wide range of video games. The technical complexities of such animations make them a time-consuming and expensive endeavor, often leading developers to opt for simpler solutions or avoid them altogether.

Guerrilla Games, however, prioritizes the importance of authentic human interaction in their games. They believe that such details are crucial for creating compelling stories and emotional connections between players and characters. The studio’s commitment to technical innovation has enabled them to push the boundaries of video game animation, delivering believable hugs that enhance the storytelling and overall player experience.

The technical achievements behind these seemingly simple interactions are a testament to the dedication and expertise of game developers. As technology continues to evolve, we can expect to see even more realistic and engaging interactions in future video games, further blurring the lines between the virtual and real worlds.

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