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Matt Nava took what he learned shaping Journey’s desert and used it to build a very different world for ABZÛ: vivid, animated, and underwater. In a 2015 GamesBeat interview, the Giant Squid founder explained how sand art direction led to a design centered on movement, color, and free exploration.
From Journey’s sand to a new studio
Nava was art director on Journey, and described his role simply: “I designed the look and feel of it.” He worked with lead engineer John Edwards on the sand shaders, while emphasizing that the finished sand was the work of the whole team. The interview does not cast the game’s visual style as a solo technical achievement; it shows Nava’s art direction working alongside engineering and team collaboration.
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![Journey: Collector's Edition [PlayStation 4, PS4] [video game]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51nfQhi5+tL._SL160_.jpg)
- Import Version - Game fully playable in English - Box in Nordic
- PLEASE NOTE : Region Free / Compatible with US PS4 (only DLC may requires to create an european PSN account)
After Journey shipped, thatgamecompany dispersed. Nava made The Art of Journey, then decided he wanted to build a studio and development team around what he had learned. He formed Giant Squid in Santa Monica to create ABZÛ. In the 2015 interview, he said the studio had 10 people and planned to remain small; that is a development-era headcount, not a current staffing figure.
Why the next world was underwater
Nava described Journey as a desert game “void of life.” For his next project, he wanted the opposite: “I want to make something green. I want to make something full of life and movement. Everything you touch should be animating.” The ocean offered a setting where those aims could become part of the environment itself, with vibrant scenes and lush kelp forests.
Rank #2
- Includes three full games: Journey, Flower, and flOw
- Bonus content includes the original soundtrack for all three games, three exclusive mini-games from thatgamecompany, a 30 minute documentary about Journey, Creator Commentary play throughs of all three games, exclusive Journey PSN avatars and much more
The shift was artistic rather than a claim that the two games shared the same setting or mechanics. In the interview, Nava’s comparison is between a largely lifeless desert and an underwater world intended to teem with motion, color, and animation.
What ABZÛ was designed to feel like
Exploration without scuba-management mechanics
Nava said he and lead engineer Brian Balamut went scuba diving and noticed that, once underwater, the equipment and instruments receded from their attention. That helped shape ABZÛ’s design: rather than focus on scuba simulation, gauges, equipment, or upgrades, the game was meant to immerse players in a new environment. As Nava put it, “We wanted to get at that, get at the magic you feel when you’re diving and exploring a new environment.”
Rank #3
- [ Kids Handheld Game Console Built-in 400 Retro Games ] - This handheld gaming console is pre-installed 400 nostalgic 8-bit games such as puzzles, arcades, shooting, racing, fighting and adventure games. Kids are able to cultivate skills such as hand-eye coordination, thinking, and problem-solving while playing these games.
- [ Rechargeable and Long Battery Life ] - This video game console is equipped with an 800mAh rechargeable battery, which supports up to 5 hours of continuous playing. And 1-2 hours for fully charged. No more worring about replacing batteries while electricity runs out. Remember to charge it when you receive the package.
- [ Portable and Travel-friendly ] - This mini handheld video game console is carfted with 2.8" color screen and compact size, which makes it portable to be in your pocket, handbag. Keep you entertained when outdoor in airplanes, camps, journey or travelling......
- [ Support TV Output ] - This handheld game console supports TV output, there is an AV cable in package, you are able to connect this gaming console to TV and enjoy hours of fun
- [ Perfect Gift for Gamers of All Ages ] - If you are looking for unique gift for kids, this mini handheld game console is a good option, for birthdays, Christmas or other special occasion, offering endless fun and entertainment wherever kids go.
In his description, the diver has no air tank and faces no danger, so players can swim as long as they like and lose themselves in the world. This was Nava explaining the intended experience in 2015, not a comprehensive specification of every game system.
Color, light, and mood
Nava also described color and lighting as tools for shaping emotion. He wanted light to illuminate the water and different light sources to create distinct color environments; he identified lighting and fog as ways to influence the player’s mood. These are statements of design intention from the interview, rather than technical specifications for the finished game.
Rank #4
- [ Kids Handheld Game Console Built-in 400 Retro Games ] - This handheld gaming console is pre-installed 400 nostalgic 8-bit games such as puzzles, arcades, shooting, racing, fighting and adventure games. Kids are able to cultivate skills such as hand-eye coordination, thinking, and problem-solving while playing these games.
- [ Rechargeable and Long Battery Life ] - This video game console is equipped with an 800mAh rechargeable battery, which supports up to 5 hours of continuous playing. And 1-2 hours for fully charged. No more worring about replacing batteries while electricity runs out. Remember to charge it when you receive the package.
- [ Portable and Travel-friendly ] - This mini handheld video game console is carfted with 2.8" color screen and compact size, which makes it portable to be in your pocket, handbag. Keep you entertained when outdoor in airplanes, camps, journey or travelling......
- [ Support TV Output ] - This handheld game console supports TV output, there is an AV cable in package, you are able to connect this gaming console to TV and enjoy hours of fun
- [ Perfect Gift for Gamers of All Ages ] - If you are looking for unique gift for kids, this mini handheld game console is a good option, for birthdays, Christmas or other special occasion, offering endless fun and entertainment wherever kids go.
The people and plans behind ABZÛ
Nava named Brian Balamut as lead engineer and Austin Wintory, who composed the music for Journey, as the composer for ABZÛ. He said 505 Games understood the project better than other publishers the team had spoken with, which was why choosing the company made sense to them.
Asked about scope in June 2015, Nava said the game then looked slightly larger than Journey and that the team wanted players to dive deeper. He also said the plan was to ship on PlayStation 4 and PC, with a target of the first half of 2016. Those were development-era plans, not reliable information about current platforms, release status, or availability.
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What Nava hoped players would take away
Nava described the project’s broader goal as creating “an experience that’s lasting and meaningful for players.” The creative path from sand to sea was therefore not just a change in scenery. In his account, it was a chance to make a world that moved around the player and to let exploration—not instruments or danger—carry the experience.
Quick Recap
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