![abzû xbox abzû xbox](https://www.gamesplanet.ae/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/XONE-Abzu-1.jpg)
![abzû xbox abzû xbox](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/UWoAAOSw9URhi1MV/s-l225.jpg)
GS: No, that’s perfectly fine and respectable of you.
![abzû xbox abzû xbox](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/R_TqO__QXaE/maxresdefault.jpg)
In doing so, we're making sure that there is a strong connection between the sound design and music. I don't want to speak too much for Austin, though. We bounce ideas back and forth frequently, which is amazing to have. I feel as though our collective work so far goes hand in hand very well. SG: Austin is fantastic and a big inspiration to me. The man composed the first video game score to ever receive a Grammy nomination. A bit more on the personal side, I can’t help but wonder what it’s like working with Austin Wintory. SG: Yeah, spent a day at a local humane society playing with kittens to get what I needed. Some creatures need a unique touch to keep this world mystical. Some creatures even use kitten sounds. Dolphins, for example, are being created using kitchenware. Not all of our creatures take sounds from others that actually exist. I tend to look at what I can manipulate to create a more unfamiliar, while still familiar sound. Even though you mentioned using land-based animals for inspiration, I didn't expect that. Lions, wolves and a few human created sounds are some of the palette I'm using for sharks – all of which can be, in my eyes, looked at as top-of-the-food-chain type creatures. As for the shark, being a dominating creature in the ocean, I'm going with ideas from dominating creatures on land.
![abzû xbox abzû xbox](https://img.gg.deals/3a/06/60f72aa44e7c93fec6b4773d9a7694ffe008_1920xt1080_S1000.jpg)
I've taken ideas and elements from so many of my favorite robots and machines from other movies and games and went about creating my own with them in mind. SG: I think the little drones are some of my favorite things as of yet to design. On one hand we have cute, little torpedo drones, and on the other is a great white shark. GS: And you're doing a great job, by the way. I want to maintain the sense of wonder and exploration that the game is presenting the player with. I think going into this though, with that balance in mind, I tend to side a little more on the magic side. It keeps me on my toes, trying to create an audible world that matches the beautiful visuals Matt Nava has been creating. SG: It's a pressure, but it's a good pressure. Has it been stressful at all, trying to capture both the realism and magic of this unknown? Do you feel pressured to maintain this duality? GS: It’s interesting that the ocean, though very much present in reality, is still so foreign to us all. I find myself using land-based life and animals as references and starting points to go underwater with. As I create this, I attempt to focus on making it alien, or different, yet slightly familiar and inviting. The world underwater is alien to many of us, I think. SG: Challenges for creating an underwater environment seem to be endless. GS: That's a pretty big task, especially considering that ABZÛ is set primarily underwater. What are some challenges you’ve faced while creating a soundscape for this environment? TL DR: I'm responsible for all audio except for music. The other half of integration is done by two main programmers, Cosmo Fumo and Pete Angstadt. I'm responsible for the sound effects, their design and, loosely, their implementation through the use of Wwise. Steve Green : I'm the Sound Designer for Giant Squid. Would you mind filling the readers in on what it is that you do at Giant Squid?
ABZÛ XBOX FREE
It is also spoiler free – respect and integrity first and foremost! Now let's dive right into it! (pun intended) *Disclaimer: Steve and I went to college together, so, despite our inherent professionalism, this interview may come across as rather casual.