Play Station Official Magazine - UK (2020-11)

019

The Big 10

STORIES EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT

PlayStation

voices

the month in

mouthing off

“We even got an

urbanist in our

team [...] We just

hired him to just

help us design a

city that makes

sense, you

know?” Paweł

Mielniczuk tells

us how Night

City came to be.

“Multiplayer/

social VR,

large-scale

VR, AI driven

characters... All

feel like natural

evolution for the

[VR] medium.”

Innerspace

VR co-founder

Balthazar

Auxietre wants

big things for VR.

“RPGs are one

of the riskiest

kinds of game

to develop

from a financial

perspective.”

Fortunately

for Yoshitaka

Murayama,

Eiyuden

Chronicle was

Kickstarted.

What is it you look for in a horror

game? Let us know: [email protected]

08

We’ve seen

low-poly horror

before, but there’s

something uniquely

expressive about

every bit of art

that’s gone into making Mudaun –

everything is hand-penciled by

creator Michel Ziegler himself.

“All the textures are hand-drawn

with pencil and paper,” he explains.

“I begin by creating a 3D model,

then I print the UV map and use

that as a rough template to base

the texture drawing on. They are

then scanned and applied to the 3D

models.” It’s a unique look. “Where

things are left unspoken, unseen,

or the visuals have a degree of

abstraction, the imagination of the

player can run wild a bit.”

The game’s set in a secluded

Alpine valley, and you ascend

the mountain as you uncover

the mystery surrounding your

grandfather’s death. “The world

and lore of this place is perfect to

hide away little things to discover

for the curious,” says Ziegler.

Enemies can be hard to predict,

and will even follow you into houses.

A fear system means you might

be rooted to the spot. “I wanted

the element of threat [to] be

reflected in the gameplay as well

as the atmosphere and narrative.

Exploration is key.”

Q Everything exists for a reason. Sometimes

that reason is to scare the pants off you.

Mundaun is hand-

penciled horror

Michel Ziegler on crafting his Alpine valley of terror

RUMANTSCH READER

The game’s dialogue is (subtitled)

Rumantsch, which is spoken

as a first language by about

35,000 people. “I wanted to have

Rumantsch voice acting to have

that authenticity,” says Ziegler.

The mysteries of Mundaun’s

creepy valley include

sinister Wicker-Man-like

ritualistic horrors.

019

PlayStation

voices

the month in

mouthing off

“We even got an

urbanist in our

team [...] We just

hired him to just

help us design a

city that makes

sense, you

know?” Paweł

Mielniczuk tells

us how Night

City came to be.

“Multiplayer/

social VR,

large-scale

VR, AI driven

characters... All

feel like natural

evolution for the

[VR] medium.”

Innerspace

VR co-founder

Balthazar

Auxietre wants

big things for VR.

“RPGs are one

of the riskiest

kinds of game

to develop

from a financial

perspective.”

Fortunately

for Yoshitaka

Murayama,

Eiyuden

Chronicle was

Kickstarted.

Whatis it youlookforin a horror

game?Letusknow:[email protected]

08

We’veseen

low-polyhorror

before,butthere’s

somethinguniquely

expressiveabout

everybitofart

that’sgoneintomakingMudaun–

everythingis hand-penciledby

creatorMichelZieglerhimself.

“Allthetexturesarehand-drawn

withpencilandpaper,”heexplains.

“I beginbycreatinga 3Dmodel,

thenI printtheUVmapanduse

thatasa roughtemplatetobase

thetexturedrawingon.Theyare

thenscannedandappliedtothe3D

models.”It’sa uniquelook.“Where

thingsareleftunspoken,unseen,

orthevisualshavea degreeof

abstraction,theimaginationofthe

playercanrunwilda bit.”

Thegame’ssetin a secluded

Alpinevalley,andyouascend

themountainasyouuncover

themysterysurroundingyour

grandfather’sdeath.“Theworld

andloreofthisplaceis perfectto

hideawaylittlethingstodiscover

forthecurious,”saysZiegler.

Enemiescanbehardtopredict,

andwillevenfollowyouintohouses.

A fearsystemmeansyoumight

berootedtothespot.“I wanted

theelementofthreat[to]be

reflectedin thegameplayaswell

astheatmosphereandnarrative.

Explorationis key.”

Q Everything exists for a reason. Sometimes

that reason is to scare the pants off you.

Mundaun is hand-

penciled horror

Michel Ziegler on crafting his Alpine valley of terror

RUMANTSCH READER

The game’s dialogue is (subtitled)

Rumantsch, which is spoken

as a first language by about

35,000 people. “I wanted to have

Rumantsch voice acting to have

that authenticity,” says Ziegler.

The mysteries of Mundaun’s

creepy valley include

sinister Wicker-Man-like

ritualistic horrors.