EGX Rezzed 2015 round-up
Rok
Drawing on mythology doesn’t mean a game has to be set in a fantasy world or the past. Whilst clearly taking their cue from Norse mythology, Stitch Games’ new production Rok is firmly placed in a sci-fi setting. An old bearded man is chained in a tiny cubicle, drained of almost all his energy. From nowhere a female voice calls to him, using powers beyond those of man to free him from his cell. Granted a fraction of that power, the man must now make his way out of the prison that holds him. But the Valkyries are not keen to see him escape, and will do all they can to stop him.
Rok’s 3D presentation makes the deliberate choice to use a low-polygon count. This gives the game a retro look reminiscent of mid- to late-1990s third-person shooters. The opening scenes involve transporting the unnamed protagonist’s cylindrical cell up a lift shaft. The cell stops at each level, introducing more of the game mechanics. This game has been designed for tablet devices, and makes full use of the various gestures available. Represented as telekinetic powers, the player’s gestures manipulate the environment. An abrupt swipe rips delicate components from walls. A more gentle hold and slide movement is used to activate levers or move items from place to place. Tougher items require pressing and holding to build up power before doing anything. Finally, a simple tap activates buttons. This action also directs the player character, with a double-tap making him run.
Once past the opening section, the main character is able to move freely. Up to this point the things you can interact with have been fairly obvious. From here on in you have to not only work out what items you can affect, but how. If stuck, a button in the top-right of the screen highlights interactive areas as long as it is held. You will need to get more creative as you go, moving platforms around to create new pathways and timing a dash past some security measures. There are also occasions where moving slowly is the best way of avoiding security measures. At certain points, robotic Valkyrie guards will fly in to accost you. You must sweep these away before they can harm you, though such contact simply restarts the section in which a squad of guards first starts attacking.
Though the part of the demo I played didn’t go very far in revealing much about the main character, the developers promise that his full story will be disclosed over the course of the game. Even with the addition of more physical control elements than adventurers are probably used to, the game presents solid puzzles that will appeal to many gamers. There is also something inherently satisfying with achieving effects well beyond the character’s reach. There’s nothing quite like inflicting wanton destruction or hurling aside foes at the flick of a finger to make you feel all-powerful.
There isn’t too much longer to wait for Rok, as the game is on track for release sometime this spring. In the meantime, tablet users can find more information on the game’s website.
Between Me and the Night
Described as a study in duality, RainDance LX’s Between Me and the Night almost plays like two games in one. The first game is the Day setting. In this the protagonist, an unnamed red-haired boy, walks around an ordinary house. At the start the only room accessible is his attic bedroom. This is sparsely furnished, apart from a collection of toys and comics scattered around it. Solving puzzles in this mode gives access to further rooms in the house, revealing more about the character. Whilst this section is ostensibly the real world, fantasy elements creep in, casting doubt on the lead character’s sanity. Two ghost children sat in front of the television at the beginning, though they vanished when I joined them. Later, having solved a few puzzles, the television surprised me by getting up and walking away.
When the boy goes to sleep you enter the Night setting. At this point you take on the role of a knight on a great quest. The worlds in this setting are to be procedurally generated, and solving puzzles in the waking world makes the dream world knight stronger, able to take and deal more damage to pass the obstacles in his path. In the part I played, the Night environment consisted of a barren rocky path enveloped in a gentle snowstorm. Whilst the Day setting has clear detail, the graphics at Night have a softer look to them, giving them an ethereal quality. Here you must combat fantasy monsters as well as making use of magic and avoiding traps. When you take too much damage in this section, you are thrown out of this dream world back into the waking setting. The combat and traps I faced did require a modicum of action ability, but they were not particularly onerous.
With the fantasy world apparently representing half of the game, this probably won’t be a game for the adventure purist. But the section played in the real world did feel very much like a traditional adventure. Real effort has gone into not making it a sterile environment either, with many of the toys and other background items interactive. I was only able to play the opening portion of the child section, but developers João Ortega and Karlos Garcia told me the real world is supposed to span three ages: child, teenager and adult. The game is currently in pre-alpha stage, with hope of final release in about four months.
Further news of development on Between Me and the Night can be found on the official website.
Closing Thoughts
Whilst adventures were definitely in the minority at this videogame convention, there were some interesting titles on show. Many of these were from small indie developers, with teams of even just one or two people producing quality products. For some there is still work to be done before they’re finished, but the demos I saw and played definitely whetted my appetite. Having sampled them in part, I eagerly await the full releases.
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