Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is an upcoming tactical stealth sport with a particular emphasis on its narrative, in addition to three distinct protagonists. Being developed for PC, PS5 and Xbox Collection X/S, the title is slated for launch later this 12 months. Artistic director Anders Hejdenberg was sort sufficient to have a dialog concerning the varied facets of Eriksholm, together with its setting, and the way its protagonists differ from each other.
One of many first issues about Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream the sport that tends out is its setting. Are you able to inform us extra about what led you to decide on a 1900s-inspired Scandinavian setting in your sport?
I bear in mind watching the film Kiki’s Supply Service a few years in the past, and I used to be actually drawn into its world and aesthetic. Many facets of their world have been impressed by Swedish cities, however despite the fact that I’m Swedish, their world nonetheless had a fascinating and virtually dreamlike high quality. I puzzled if my response was on account of having grown up in Sweden and having visited the cities that they’d used as inspiration – however when speaking to folks from different international locations, I noticed that the enchantment was really fairly common. In order that sparked the concept that perhaps it might really be fairly fascinating to create a world impressed by Scandinavian aesthetics – however in a bigger than life form of method. And it definitely doesn’t harm to have all of the references you’ll ever want proper exterior your step.
“Many facets of their world have been impressed by Swedish cities”
The sport has three separate characters with their distinctive skills. Are you able to inform us extra about them, and the way considerably they may differ from one another when it comes to play fashion?
You possibly can swap between characters at any time, however the gameplay may be very a lot about utilizing your characters as a workforce to beat obstacles collectively. So the way in which you play is kind of interlaced, the place one character can carry out an motion that enables one other to maneuver right into a place that in flip creates a gap for the third character and many others.
Hanna has a blowpipe with darts that she will be able to use to sedate enemies, nevertheless it’s not like you may simply stroll round and put everybody to sleep – you must be a bit cautious with it. In the event you shoot a guard, they gained’t simply go to sleep instantly – it takes a number of seconds. They usually’ll flip round to see what’s hit them, so it’s normally finest to shoot from cowl so that you’re not simply standing there within the open once they flip round. However then you must think about if they’ve any associates close by that might hear them get hit, or associates that may miss them in the event that they don’t come again for some time. And you must take into consideration what your subsequent transfer can be if the guard’s colleagues come in search of him, and the way you would use a scenario like that to your benefit.
Alva has a slingshot that she will be able to use to create varied forms of distractions, but additionally to take out lights to create shadows. However for those who pay shut consideration to the scenario and dialogue from guards, it’s possible you’ll discover one guard being significantly nervous or one other that’s afraid of the darkish. You need to use issues like that to your benefit in order that taking out a light-weight isn’t only a approach to create shadows to maneuver by means of unseen, but additionally a approach to create a response out of your somebody in a method that works in your favor.
Sebastian is ready to choke guards from behind fairly shortly and silently, so that you not often have to fret about making noise. However you do should rise up shut and private with them, which can not all the time be the best factor to drag off. However combining this talent with Hanna’s darts can typically be an efficient approach to take out a number of enemies directly. Hanna’s darts will flip them, and guards who’re getting choked might even see what’s happening nevertheless it’s not like they’re ready to name for assist.
“Hanna has a blowpipe with darts that she will be able to use to sedate enemies”
Every character additionally has a singular “traversal talent” the place Hanna can crawl by means of vents, Alva can climb drain pipes and Sebastian can swim. This makes it simpler for the participant to learn the surroundings, and may begin developing with intelligent concepts on easy methods to outsmart the enemy based mostly on how and the place the characters can transfer.
However characters’ skills are merely the essential elements of the gameplay. Context is all the things, so totally different expertise can typically be used with totally different outcomes relying on the scenario. For instance, a guard will name out “Ow!” once they’re hit by Hanna’s darts, and different guards will react to that. But when there are plenty of mosquitoes in a selected space, and one guard retains getting bitten by them and complaining about it, then the participant can use that to their benefit. Who’s to say he wasn’t simply bitten once more if it sounds the identical?
Did the choice to make the sport a stealth expertise come from the story, or was it the stealth-driven gameplay that knowledgeable the story?
It was undoubtedly a stealth sport earlier than the story got here into place, however the story and characters definitely had a big effect on the kind of expertise it grew to become. We experimented early by having a extra sandbox-style gameplay, however gamers didn’t prefer it – they felt prefer it was out of character for Hanna to attempt to take out as many guards as doable together with her blowpipe, it simply didn’t really feel proper. She can be way more intelligent about it than that, and solely use it when she actually needed to.
It was a bit unusual for us to listen to gamers telling us what our character would or wouldn’t do, however they have been completely proper. And by crafting the gameplay to suit the character – and the opposite characters as nicely – made all of it match collectively in a way more coherent method. It’s not a gameplay, then story, then gameplay kind of expertise. It’s all intertwined the place the story takes place as you play. And for that to work – and work nicely – the elements want to suit collectively. The characters must be in character as you play.
“It was undoubtedly a stealth sport earlier than the story got here into place”
Discovering the steadiness between complexity and ease is usually so essential for stealth video games. What has your strategy been on that entrance with Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream?
Our strategy is to start out quite simple, after which progressively construct complexity over time. However to ensure that that to work, you actually need to design each facet of your sport from the bottom up in response to that precept. It’s a must to have a sport that’s fascinating from the very first second, despite the fact that the one factor the participant has discovered to date is easy methods to transfer their character round. The participant shouldn’t have to attend till they’ve mastered all of the controls so as to have enjoyable – it ought to be enjoyable instantly, and that takes plenty of effort.
I like video games with only a few actions, however the place the actions are so versatile that they can be utilized with totally different outcomes relying on the context. That method, gamers will develop into competent rather a lot faster as a result of they don’t have to recollect a bunch of various actions and combos – however they’ll nonetheless do plenty of issues as a result of their actions imply various things based mostly on the context. Certain, it’s tougher to design video games that method, however I feel it’s price it as a result of it provides the participant a way more streamlined expertise the place they don’t should climb a studying curve mountain the very first thing they do once they begin the sport for the primary time.
When you’ve taught the participant some fundamental ideas, then you may current new contexts the place these ideas imply new issues. After you could begin combining these ideas for added complexity. Then you may mix advanced mixtures, and many others.
“I like video games with only a few actions, however the place the actions are so versatile that they can be utilized with totally different outcomes relying on the context.”
However by means of all of this, playtesting is essential – and we’ve finished plenty of it. Simply because you may have an excellent concept for part of a stage, that doesn’t imply that the participant picks up on it in any respect. And discovering the steadiness between saying an excessive amount of and too little may be very tough. You wish to give the participant room to determine issues out – but when they’re given an excessive amount of room, they’ll simply get misplaced and irritated. I don’t know what number of occasions we’ve gone forwards and backwards with totally different elements of the sport, however when it really works it’s such an attractive factor.
By way of the sport’s story, what have been your major inspirations?
Creating passionate characters, fueled by their want to face up and struggle even when the antagonizing drive is overwhelming, has been our major story vessel. We simply don’t need you to root for Hanna. We wish you to face up collectively together with her, when the second requires it. There are moments when Hanna’s braveness has moved each the workforce and the actors. There may be a lot grief and ache in what she goes by means of, however there’s equal magnificence within the bonds she forges and what she’ll do for her associates and so they for her. Even within the darkest hour, there’s all the time a streak of sunshine. Our story is about that gentle.
Roughly how lengthy will a median playthrough of the sport be?
It can rely upon how gamers strategy the sport or how briskly they’re going to remedy puzzles all through the degrees. We wish folks to take their time and benefit from the story and the narration in Eriksholm.
Do you may have any plans to additionally convey the sport to the Swap, or maybe its upcoming successor?
At the moment, we aren’t planning to launch Eriksholm on Nintendo Swap. If that is going to alter, we can be very happy to speak it to the gamers.
“Creating passionate characters, fueled by their want to face up and struggle even when the antagonizing drive is overwhelming, has been our major story vessel.”
Are there any the reason why the sport shouldn’t be approaching Xbox Collection X and S?
The sport can be launched on PC, PS5, and each Xbox collection X and S. We had some technical points with the shop web page on Xbox, however it will likely be mounted within the upcoming months.
Are there any plans to make the sport PS5 Professional enhanced?
We have now been working laborious to optimize the sport in order that it might run easily on the common PS5. We are going to do our greatest to optimize Eriksholm on PS5 Professional as nicely.
As a developer, what are your ideas on the PS5 Professional? How does enhance in GPU assist in creating your sport in comparison with the bottom PS5?
It’s by no means a nasty factor to work with nice {hardware}. In our case, we’re already glad with how the sport runs on PS5.
What are your ideas on PSSR? What sort of alternatives will this open for the sport?
If we have been to focus on 8K decision on the PS5 Professional, it might be an fascinating possibility in case we are able to’t fairly attain all the way in which. Regardless that we nonetheless have optimizations to do, I’m fairly assured that we’ll be working native 4k at 60 fps on the Professional – probably even on the usual PS5.
What decision and fps will the sport goal on the PS5 and on the PS5 Professional (if supported)?
We’re at the moment very near working native 4k at 60 fps on the usual PS5, however we’re nonetheless working laborious to realize it. We’re assured that for the PS5 Professional, we’ll be capable to run native 4k at 60 fps, and probably increased, however we can decide that at a later stage.
