My first trip to Europe to work as a Facial Animator for Horizon Zero Dawn at Guerrilla Games.

Soo Kang - Horizon Zero Dawn Facial Animation DEMO REEL

©2017 Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe. Horizon Zero Dawn is a trademark of Sony Interactive Entertainment Amera LLC.

Developed by Guerrilla Games

Accepting a gig as a facial animator at Guerrilla Games was a major highlight in my life. Stepping foot in Europe for the first time, it felt like diving headfirst into a wild new ride, just me and my backpack.

Horizon Zero Dawn had already made its appearance at E3 in 2015, the same year I graduated from college. At that time, I didn't pay much attention to it—I was focused on the idea of settling down and continuing my life in the United States, so the game didn't really catch my interest.

As my contract work for Uncharted 4 came to a close, an interesting opportunity came up: a producer with ties to Sony San Diego was seeking animators for Horizon Zero Dawn to work onsite in Amsterdam. With only two months remaining to find a job that could sponsor a U.S. visa, accepting this offer meant potentially forfeiting my chance to settle in America. Despite the uncertainty, I didn't hesitate and immediately volunteered and applied for the position. Spoiler alert, best decision I've ever made!

It's still hard to believe how bold and daring I was at a young age, leaving my beloved family behind constantly to venture into unknown territories. The Netherlands was a complete mystery and a blank slate for me. I hadn't bothered to learn much about its culture until after I got the job offer. Even then, my research was minimal, limited to figuring out how to get from the airport to the office in Google maps. I decided to let the rest unfold naturally as I went along, to experience the discovery firsthand.