Tale of Tales publishes launch trailer of soon-to-be-released indie horror gameOne more week and then The Path will be released. To ease the pain and whet the appetite, Tale of Tales has released a video trailer that clearly sets the tone for an unusual experience.
"At first we were going to make a traditional launch trailer." explain creators Auriea Harvey & Michael Samyn, "You know, a little movie that explains the narrative premise of the game, shows some gameplay and then serves some kind of challenge. And our first sketches were just fine.
But then we started cutting things up and working with the recordings of [composer] Jarboe reading the original fairy tale. The end result much more clearly reflects the experience of the game: strange, disjointed and completely open for interpretation while simultaneously feeling very comfortable and intimate."
The intriguing videoclip is currently on display at http://ThePath-game.com in Standard and High Definition resolutions.
It is composed exclusively with video footage grabbed from the game. The music and voice acting is by Jarboe.
While created in familiar realtime 3D and designed with accessible controls, The Path offers a unique experience. Its design downplays the value of both advanced technology and sophisticated gameplay in favour of focusing entirely on emergent storytelling and the visceral experience of "being there".
"We're not really doing anything new," Samyn & Harvey point out, "we're just removing the parts of game design that we feel stop the medium from growing and expanding. Sure, some purist gamers may not appreciate The Path. But that's only to be expected. We want The Path to be a game for people who have been neglected by the industry. People who sullenly stood by while their boyfriend was shooting alien monsters and their grandmother was collecting virtual diamonds. A game that allows you to explore, to fantasize, and to grow."
The Path is a modern retelling of Little Red Ridinghood. The player controls six sisters who are sent out, one by one, to bring their sickly grandmother a loaf of bread and a bottle of wine. The path to her house is straight and short and no obstacles prevent you from swiftly completing your mission. But what about that forest along the way?
Mother told you not to enter it! But isn't that how the story goes?
Aren't you supposed to meet the wolf?
Tale of Tales is an independent games studio founded by Auriea Harvey and Michael Samyn, located in Belgium. The music in the Path was composed by Jarboe. Previous projects by Tale of Tales include The Endless Forest and The Graveyard (nominated for the Independent Games Festival later this month).
The PATH ----- Launch Trailer from Tale of Tales on Vimeo.