Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin
| Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Double Fine Productions |
| Director(s) | Tim Schafer |
| Composer(s) | Peter McConnell |
| Series | Psychonauts |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 4 |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 4 |
| Release date(s) | 2016 |
| Genre(s) | Puzzle, Adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin is an upcoming first-person virtual reality adventure video game being developed by Double Fine Productions for the PlayStation 4. The game's story is intended to bridge the events between Psychonauts and Psychonauts 2.
Gameplay
Unlike the original Psychonauts, Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin will not be a 3D platformer, but instead a first-person puzzle-focused game similar to a point-and-click adventure. As Raz, the player always remains in a seated position, and may interact with characters and objects in the world using his psychic powers such as telekinesis and pyrokinesis.[1] While many VR games have utilized a "blink teleportation" mechanic to allow players to travel in the virtual world, Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin instead requires the player to use Raz's clairvoyance ability to see the world from the perspectives of the other characters in the scene (who also remain seated throughout). These mechanics are used to solve puzzles to gain information and trigger events which further the plot and advance the game.[2][3]
Plot
At the end of Psychonauts, Raz is recognized as a great PSI Cadet and is asked to join his tutors as a fully fledged Psychonaut. But as Raz prepares to go home from camp with his father, news arrives that the Grand Head of the Psychonauts (and Lili's father) Truman Zanotto, has been kidnapped. The team, Raz and Lili included, fly off in the Psychonauts' jet to rescue him.
Development
The concept for Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin came about during the lead-up to the crowd-sourcing campaign for Psychonauts 2. According to Double Fine's CEO, Tim Schafer, they were looking to see what types of games they could develop with a virtual reality system, comparing it to the games they had made for the Kinect system earlier. Due to their recent focus on Psychonauts, the team agreed that a VR-based Psychonauts game would be a good fit, allowing the player to become immersed in the odd environments within the Psychonauts universe.[4]
References
- ↑ Dave Tach (16 June 2016). "Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin is a fresh take on VR and pillows as toilet paper". Polygon.
- ↑ Scott Butterworth (6 June 2016). "E3 2016: How Psychonauts VR Will Give You Psychic Powers". GameSpot.
- ↑ DoubleFineProd (YouTube channel) (14 June 2016). "Double Fine's "Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin" - Pre-Alpha Gameplay". YouTube.
- ↑ Webster, Andrew (December 9, 2015). "Tim Schafer on the return of a cult classic: 'Soon all games will be Psychonauts'". The Verge. Retrieved December 9, 2015.