While preparing for this year’s Game Developers Conference I decided I wanted to learn more about how “outside” works in videogames. By that I mean I wanted to find out how different studios create a sense of space or place that’s natural or expansive. Firewatch is not an open world game, but is has these beautiful, expansive vistas, gorgeous trees and a very definite sense of being outdoors. Senior environment artist, Jane Ng, told me more about how the world actually works and how she hides the technical side from players:
