Just saw on Twitter that Ron backed this game, so I thought I’d take a look, and my eyes popped out of my head. It looks really good. It uses stop motion techniques, by building and crafting the models in a workshop and then 3D scanning them. I find the results quite gripping.
It’s also one of the best Kickstarter videos I’ve seen.
It’s made by Slow Bros, a German-based company. You can find them on Twitter too (@Slow_Bros@HaroldHalibut)
I’m definitely following (and probably backing) this one.
I like the technique that they’re using and the results that they are achieving with it.
I hope that the game will actually feel as a stop-motion movie and it would be nice to have an option to decrease the framerate of the characters to simulate the non-always-fluid animations of this kind of techniques.
The only thing that I’m still trying to understand is the kind of “vibe” that the photography of the game will convey. I’m under the impression that it’s a bit creepy and it’s not clear to me if this perceived creepiness is just a visual feature or something that is needed for the story.
This game reminded me a bit of The Dream Machine, which has been done with real materials as well. I wasn’t a fan of the resulting visual style, though.
Thanks for sharing this kickstarter campaign! I’ll read a bit more to understand if the game is my cup of tea.
I get the impression that the creepy vibe is linked to the story, but they obviously want to keep any big twists under wrap. The atmosphere of the underwater bits makes me think of films like Moon, and an underwater film that I can’t put my finger on (possibly The Abyss…). Anyway, that kind of eerie isolation. It’s the setting that’s really got my attention.
Just had a look at The Dream Machine that you mentioned. It looks, er, quite odd. ‘It’s built by hand using materials such as clay, cardboard and broccoli.’ The story sounds intriguing though - was it just the style you didn’t like?
I feel like the 3D scan makes it lose that… I don’t even know the word to describe it, that something a stop motion animation has.
I mean, 3D model for 3D model, I’d play a “normal” 3D game. What I loved about stop motion movies was they were actual pictures of the clay puppets, not renderings. For such a game I wouldn’t care if the rooms weren’t 3D.
Yeah, I am starting to see how the result might be a bit too ‘clean’, and lose some of the rawness of classic stop motion. I guess it just isn’t very practical to do it the traditional way.
(Fascinating little movie and one of my favorite modern sci-fi stories, by the way)
I like the settings very much, I’m a bit torn about the photography. I’m still thinking about it.
Yes. It’s rare, but sometimes the graphic style of an adventure game immediately kills any motivation to evaluate it further. It has happened also with games that are usually considered very good adventures, like The Journey Down or The Cat Lady.
By the way, other adventure games that have been developed using physical materials are Armikrog, The Neverhood and Dark Train, which is made of paper! Maybe you might be interested to have a look at them if you don’t know them already.
Yeah, it looks good. I haven’t watched too much as don’t want to ruin it, but I’m still loving the style. It is smoother than a stop motion animation but for gameplaying I think I prefer that, and I can still appreciate the modelling even though it’s a 3D scan.
It’s a bit hard to tell what the actual tasks involve, so while the story looks good I hope there’s enough interactive gameplay. But again maybe it’s nice not to know until I play it.
I think I’m just wary after starting Obduction recently and being a bit disappointed in that respect.
I’ve not played it for long so probably need to give it a chance, but just finding it a bit slow. I’ve literally operated a few things (being vague to avoid spoilers) but apart from that just wandering around looking at stuff. It’s not hugely clear what can and can’t be interacted with either - but I guess that’s part of the challenge. I’m probably just being impatient! Curious to see what you think of it.
I keep dipping back into it (like when I get bored with Obduction, heh). I do intend to ‘finish’ it, for completion. I think I’ve almost got all the lasers.
Well I did play Myst and Riven a bit for the first time a couple of weeks back so I’m guessing it’s like that. Like you, I’ve interacted with a few things and am more or less wandering around looking at stuff. At some point I think the method of the games will just “click” at which point they’ll become more enjoyable. Maybe it’s a good that I’m playing Myst and Riven before I play Obduction.
Yeah, I think that probably helps. I didn’t really know what to expect and was only judging it on the trailer. I shall give it another go at the weekend and move on to The Cave if I get fed up.
curious about the paper one.