With a mix of turn-based ways and journey mechanics, all towards the backdrop of a post-apocalyptic setting dropped at life by a definite and vivid artwork fashion, Highwater is definitely a sport that catches the attention. Having launched for cell units roughly a 12 months in the past through Netflix, the technique journey sport is now on the verge of creating its debut on PC and consoles, platforms that the sport was initially all the time meant to look on- and now lastly will. Forward of its launch, we lately had the prospect to achieve out to its builders with questions on Hightower and its improvement, what to anticipate from its upcoming re-release, and extra. Under, you possibly can learn our interview with Demgaog Studio CEO and Highwater’s inventive director Igor Simic.
“It is a story of friendship, a highway journey, a fictional immigrant story, a sci-fi dystopia, and a form of scenario comedy.”
Highwater has been out there on cell units for practically a 12 months. Was it all the time the plan to finally deliver the sport to extra platforms, or was it one thing that happened following its preliminary launch?
Initially, the sport was made for PC primarily. Once we have been previous the demo section, the Netflix provide occurred. We hoped to launch Highwater concurrently on Netflix, PC and consoles, however that didn’t occur for varied causes.
Highwater boasts a really distinctive and distinctive artwork fashion. How did you land on this aesthetic for the sport?
The vivid bluish shade palette, the fog, and melancholy environment have been already launched in our different video games which can be set within the aftermath of this fictional ecological disaster. The low-poly characters have been each an aesthetic and sensible resolution to the overall scope of missions, variety of mates within the crew and NPCs in a comparatively quick improvement interval. Kentucky Route Zero was partly the inspiration behind this look that has a little bit of minimalist, moody, theater really feel.
Highwater’s dystopian post-apocalyptic setting is one in every of its most intriguing parts. Are you able to inform us extra about what sort of a narrative the sport tells inside that setting and the themes it tackles?
Per week earlier than the elites of Alphaville depart for Mars, a gaggle of mates residing in a flood zone resolve to go on a precarious journey in hopes of sneaking onto the Mars-bound rocket. It is a story of friendship, a highway journey, a fictional immigrant story, a sci-fi dystopia, and a form of scenario comedy. The objective was to make a bittersweet comedy concerning the apocalypse, to show the overall trope of mainstream apocalyptic leisure on its head. The setting combines two primary influences: Central European modernism (most notably brutalism in Former Yugoslavia) and Silicon Valley singularity-meets-space utopianism exemplified in a mixture of Apple HQ structure, SpaceX, NASA, Buckminster Fuller, and Metropolis. These cityscapes are both steeped in or surrounded by water, which is a cross between the stark photos of current floods globally and Lake Geneva.
“The exploration serves a number of objectives: narrative, discovering loot or collectables, and listening to the in-game radio.”
How a lot emphasis does the sport place on exploration? How does the expertise on that entrance differ when gamers are of their boat versus once they’re on land?
The exploration serves a number of objectives: narrative, discovering loot or collectables, and listening to the in-game radio. This a part of the sport connects the “islands” the place fight and key story moments happen and has a predominantly chill vibe. Conversely, conditions on land principally result in battle with Alphavillians, Insurgents, or different civilians making an attempt to get by within the flood.
Hightower’s turn-based tactical fight is one other one in every of its eye-catching parts, specifically due to the way it focuses on environmental interplay. Are you able to speak extra about that, and the way it units aside the sport’s fight from different turn-based ways titles?
Our concept was to begin with fight that may be a bit like a slapstick puzzle: the participant pushes or throws discovered objects, breaks tiles with a falling mild pole, pushes buying carts, stuns enemies with a flashlight. We hope this can be a recent tackle the turn-based style. Steadily, as we get nearer to Alphaville, enemies develop in quantity and the combats grow to be extra critical, together with vary weapons, hacking, potions, and many others.
With Highwater making the leap from cell units to PC and consoles, what kind of modifications or enhancements ought to gamers count on from the sport, whether or not when it comes to visuals, controls, or the content material?
For the reason that sport was all the time envisioned primarily for PC and consoles, it’s going to truly look and carry out because it’s alleged to. Lots of parts have been polished and two massive DLCs might be out there at launch.
“For the reason that sport was all the time envisioned primarily for PC and consoles, it’s going to truly look and carry out because it’s alleged to. Lots of parts have been polished and two massive DLCs might be out there at launch.”
Roughly how lengthy is a mean playthrough of Highwater?
The primary story most likely takes an skilled participant round six hours, and the 2 further DLCs add as much as a complete of eight hours.
