Almost a year after our first glimpse at the shadowy horror that awaits players in Lunar Software’s first person exploration game Routine, SFL caught up with Lead Designer and Artist, Aaron Foster, to chat about the future of virtual reality gaming and dark abandoned Moon bases.
Sci-Fi author Damien Broderick is credited with bringing the term Virtual Reality to the masses back in the late 80s, and a plethora of VR movies like The Matrix and The Lawnmower Man followed, swelling the box office coffers during the 90s. Despite many years of immersive tech rumours, it’s only this year that a real contender has emerged; the Oculus Rift. “It’s like a glimpse into the future” Foster told us. “It’s not perfect but it's an amazing advancement in VR! We are in complete support of the Oculus Rift and absolutely can't wait to get our hands on the commercial version with all of the improvements.”
Developing Routine for the Oculus Rift could prove to be a very savvy decision by the three-strong development team at Lunar Software, as with no on-screen display, no health bars and no points system, players using the VR headset will be offered a truly scary, immersive experience. Having full body awareness and being able to look down and see the character’s full body exploring, running and hiding in the shadows of the strangely deserted Lunar Research Station should instil a true tension and fear in the player when seen through the Oculus Rift. Exploring is a huge part of the game and the Moon base holds many secrets. Thanks to its non-linear design, some players will uncover things others won’t, but all will have the same aim; to survive. Easier said than done when there are no health packs or multiple lives! Death here is cold, painful and permanent.
The Moon base might be full of nasty surprises waiting in the dark, but it’s worth exploring to also enjoy the 80s sci-fi aesthetic. “Most of our influences come from 1970’s and 80's cinema such as 2001: A Space Odyssey, Alien, The Shining and The Andromeda Strain” Foster revealed as we chatted about influences. “We carry the inspiration through in our audio and aesthetic designs. In terms of influences from games, I need to throw in System Shock 2 and Dark Souls. The level of environmental storytelling they have is so inspiring!” Lining the light grey walls of the Moon base are potted ferns and cork boards with forgotten memos pinned to them. Meeting rooms have wooden tables arranged in a horseshoe, surrounded by small, uncomfortable looking mass manufactured chairs. Meanwhile, upgrades to the in-game Cosmonaut Assistance Tool that affects a weapon’s reaction, are gained by uncovering data on floppy disks. This isn’t quite a leap into a far distant future; more a terrifying reflection on how the future was perceived back in the 1980s. Embracing humanity’s crafting and design past rather than abandoning or ignoring it in favour of a cool, mechanical, neon smooth, clinically characterless aesthetic as favoured by so many other sci-fi games featuring research facilities, and combining this with the Oculus Rift to create a highly visual, tense experience is what makes Routine one of our most anticipated titles this year.
The first gameplay trailer comes with frightening gulps:
Routine is due for release on PC later this year.