Cairns it was the most brutal game we saw at Gamescom.
This is surprising in the sense that The Game Baker's Cairns there's not much play with blood, guts or viscera. It also wasn't particularly difficult. But it nailed a terrifying sensation for anyone who's ever rock climbed: the terrible strain placed on your muscles as you're suspended dozens or hundreds of feet in the air.
Playing Cairns it's obviously safer for your actual body than the real deal, and it's also safer than going to the gym. But the feeling is still there. Creative director Emeric Thoa explained to us after some time with the game that the studio was deeply committed to capturing the struggle and intense thrill that climbers experience in real life.
To do so, he had to capture the pain and careful consideration that climbers practice when dragging themselves onto a ledge.
Cairns it's all about limb management
Thoa joked about this during our conversation Cairns it's almost like a “handstand”. Stranded Death,” drawing comparisons to Kojima Productions' debut title, which tasked players with methodically walking across a post-apocalyptic United States on a journey where every bump or crack in the earth could shed the enormous loads on their backs.
The player character Aava has an easier time compared to Stranded Deathhe's Sam Porter Bridges when navigating flat surfaces, but when it comes time to scale the walls of Mount Kami, he'll be faced with tasks his bulky arms couldn't handle.
Here's how the game's controls work: Once players are on the rock face, they control each of Aava's limbs as it clings to crevices, slopes, and even smooth surfaces. The game automatically scrolls between his arms and legs, meaning players have to quickly decide whether their limb is already in a strong position or whether they need to move it to reach the next tilt.
This is not possible with default animations. Thoa explained that because hands and feet can be placed anywhere, the character had to be animated using a mix of inverse kinematic (IK) rigs and procedural animation. “There is no such thing as man-made animation,” he stressed.
Image via The Game Bakers.
An algorithm that calculates such animations works in tandem with another that measures the effort each movement requires and how stable Aava's position is. Players can increase his stamina with quickly guzzled snacks and drinks on the cliff or by dropping a pinion onto the cliff to hang on to rest. “These things talk to each other until we decide on the code and have to fix bugs for two or three weeks,” Thoa said deadpan.
Stress and stability systems are what it does Cairns so tense. Sure, on a superficial level it's just a health bar that scrolls down based on the pressure applied by Aava's body. But the trembling of his limbs, the sound of his grunts, and his rapidly increasing breathing really begin to sell the pain of a tired limb.
And if you're playing with a controller with rumble effects, the experience turns up to eleven and Guys, it's really unpleasant if you've ever strained a muscle in real life.
Encouraging players to think about the future is a key part of the climbing experience
The overall structure of Mount Kami resembles most other climbing games, combining flat surfaces that serve as resting and exploration spots for the player with difficult segments that require brain power to navigate. The walls are not meant to have a correct path. Some will contain locations that are easier to manage than others, but Thoa said the goal is to create interesting choices so players can plan their own path.
This decision adds a subtle element Cairnsthe game cycle of: planning. Other climbing games throw challenges at the player as they progress, but rarely ask them to plan their route (Nintendo The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild AND The tears of the Kingdom may be an exception, but there are still obvious paths tailored to the player's stamina and others that can only be climbed by repeatedly lowering repair items).
Image via The Game Bakers.
Demanding players evaluate the route and make an educated guess about what they can accomplish mirrors the real-life rock climbing experience. Apparently veteran climbers who watched the game were surprised by how inspired by reality it is.
Previous Game Bakers games all mixed strong narrative design with interesting gameplay hooks and Cairns it's no different. With this game, Thoa said the team is chasing the feeling climbers get when they get to the top of a difficult cliff.
It's something that might be present if the team had just made a game they might have called “Rock Climbing Simulator,” but he said it's in The Game Bakers' “personality” to experiment with narrative. “We love video games where the gameplay has some meaning. It doesn't have to be a hardcore story, but at least there's some meaning that resonates…[with the player].”
Thoa stopped here as we both looked at the monitor and saw Aava collapse from thirst before sliding down the cliff I had just climbed. None of us had hit the “pause” button before starting the conversation. This was a moment that showcased the second half of CairnsThe algorithm of: The stress and stress that Aava faces during his climb.
Due to (my) negligence, it knocked it over the edge, undoing the progress I had made up the mountain.
Making innovative games takes time
Cairns's climbing system is unique, but it wasn't easy to develop. The game has been in the works for four years with a staff of 25 developers (some are pushing updates for the company's latest game) Refuge). The Game Bakers self-publishes and self-funds its titles. Developing a game under these circumstances is difficult, especially when the competition is so fierce.
Thoa said experimenting with unique mechanics is the only way The Game Bakers remains competitive in a crowded market. Not all of its previous games took this long, but the company's “David versus Goliath” strategy is what kept them going.
Of course it's friendly competition with the Goliath of the industry. He joked that the studio hopes Hideo Kojima will call them for advice Death Stranding 3.