The scene was originally made for a 3d challenge on the Danish 3d community site www.3dmaxer.dk, it won the contest even tho it was not finished, but the main feel, modeling and concept was there.

During the voting period I started to update the scene with volume-light, fog and some post editing. I felt good about it when I posted it on CG-talk, 3dtotal and gfxartist, but based and good constructive critique I updated it once again, this time with new cars, new textures, some more destruction, billboards and a subway station.

Below is the render that was send to the 3d contest at 3dmaxer.dk

Plot

The mechfishies has melted the poles over a period of time, slowly flooding the world and gaining world domination.

People has moved out of the cities as the water was rising, the buildings has sustained only little damage, but some rioting and looting has taken place. all glass is destroyed from ground level to about 20 meters up from there partly broken. Leaking gas is coming from the subway in bubbles.

The scene takes place shortly after the flooding. The mechfish has spotted the viewer...

Concept

The original idea was to create the mechfish and put in a normal underwater environment with sand, rocks and seaweed, but as I was working on the fish I wanted something bigger and a scene that would give the viewer something to think about.
The idea about the flooded city was tempting enough to get me started up on modelling the skyscrapers and the main concept took a dramatic change from small happy shallow water mechfish to world dominating evil "bad-ass” mechfish with attitude.