At the start of this project, I took my inspiration from the concepts I have drawn for the final project at my college. These were created for the game concept I presented, and I really wanted to keep the idea of connection with animals and nature. These animals could be kept as companions, but I called that idea off eventually, because the goal of the main character and her origin have changed drastically. I kept the idea of them being way larger than regular animals you could find in real world.
When it comes to the initial inspiration for this project, I’d like to think that there were a couple of points of influence that encouraged me to make something like this. I am myself a big fan of fantasy settings in games; I love mythical creatures like elves and fairies, and when I got a chance of expressing myself through my work, my mind focused on this aesthetic instantly. Animals also hold a special place in my heart, and I decided to make them a crucial part of the experience by turning them into giant creatures that the main character would encounter throughout the whole journey. In terms of media influence, I’d say I took inspiration from the Avatar franchise, especially the idea of having deep connection with the environment and the animals. Although I haven’t played Horizon Zero Dawn games, I really enjoy the visuals and the idea of giant, robotic animals roaming the post-apocalyptic world. Having a female protagonist was a somehow subconscious decision, though I would say there was a bit of influence from this franchise as well.
Initially, the main character was supposed to be a regular human, or as far as elves could be considered regular humans in her world. She was chosen as a vessel for the ancient spirit of the forest to help her protect their shared home from rapidly growing kingdoms and intruders. The whole concept was then changed to the main character being the forest spirit herself, without a need for a vessel as she was summoned by nature itself and is the embodiment of it.
The game was had an open world exploration, and was supposed to be 3D through and through. Moreover, it had combat mechanics and much broader storyline, with side quests and free exploration (kind of like Horizon series?). I knew that many details would be changed throughout the development, so the only thing I kept was the MC’s connection with animals and the world around her because it was, essentially, the premise of the game.