The field of survival horror is beginning to expand away from the usual third person view that was featured in older Resident Evil and Silent Hill games and is starting to merge its way in to the first person aspect more. Games like Silent Hills and Resident Evil VII are AAA proof of this concept, but now there are also indie developers creating games in this way as well.
The team behind Sandbox Studio are creating their second game called The Dreamer. This game will feature a first person aspect to the reality questioning game with a story that dives deep in to the heart. You will play as Jack, a man who finds himself merging with surrealistic dreams that will push him into taking drastic measures to discover the truth behind his wife’s disappearance.
The game play featured in The Dreamer is going to be avoid and defend style with a touch of monster hunting. While you will mostly want to evade and maneuver around the enemies you can encounter in this game, you will be able to fight back and take them down if necessary! But it is advised to be as sneaky as you can be, as weapons will not always be very effective.
Q&A with Marcin Szumiel
What inspired this game to be made?
“We wanted to create a game in which decisions actually matter on a large scale (instead of green, blue, red ending). We want to offer more than just a lazy story and cheap jump scares. And we really like horror games.”
What drives your team to create games like The Dreamer?
“It is our dream to work on video games. Game development always presents risks and challenges. Since we are a young team, we have to keep everything within a reasonable scope. We understand our strengths, and we understand what we lack in resources. It is very important to us that everything that we say will be included in the game. Everything that we announce is something that we have discussed in great detail to ensure that we do not make any false promises.”
How many weapons will the player have to defend themselves?
“Environment will be full of items that players could use as a weapon, though it’s effectiveness may not be very high. There also will be limited dedicated weapons."
What is the overall objective of the player?
“We cannot give too much information without spoilers, but I can tell you that general assumption of The Dreamer is to make your own decisions, face the consequences and find the truth.”
What can players expect when they play your game?
“The players can expect a nonlinear plot. The game play is based on exploration of various locations and environments. Due to randomized events, sound effects, object placement and choice consequences affecting the game world, every player will experience the game in a different way.”
What aspect of horror will this game feature most?
“It will be horror with a scary atmosphere.”
