Playmind has today announced its presence at Gamescom, Cologne, this week with the studio’s first videogame, The Inner Friend. Currently in development for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC and virtual reality (VR) platforms, The Inner Friend throws players into an Alice in Wonderland type world where dreams and nightmares are intertwined; taking place inside the physical realisation of a subconscious universe.
In The Inner Friend, players are led through a 3D world by a mysterious Shadow, acting as a witness to his childhood memories and collecting them in order to rebuild what was once a safe haven. Together, the player and the Shadow descend always deeper, unravelling a rich but wordless story, but every journey has to end. What secrets hide in its darkest corners?
“The game will see players descend into an eerie world made of scattered memories and unresolved traumas,” offered Playmind founder Emmanuel Sévigny. “By exploring a nightmarish landscape, they’ll come face to face with their childhood fears.
“The Inner Friend inhabits a rich visual environment, supported by an immersive soundscape, and cinematic music that promotes immersion and deep emotional moments. Intentionally dark, scary, and mysterious at times, the environments are surrealist representations of memories and fears. Movement, imagery, and music are the key means of communication the player’s got to interact with the Shadow, their guide throughout this descent.”
The Inner Friend is the first commercial videogame by Canadian outfit Playmind, which was first formed in 2002. Since then, founder Emmanuel Sévigny has been creating augmented reality (AR), VR and interactive installations as well as digital environments and event-based games.
Sévigny first started work on The Inner Friend two years ago, building on his experience developing event-based games and interactions for advertising, museums, events, world fairs and performances. The Inner Friend will hit PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC and VR in 2018, and VRFocus will keep you updated with all the latest details.