I managed to get an interview with Agustín Cordes, the co-founder of former studio Nucleosys, whom created the point-and-click horror adventure game, Scratches. I just wanted to thank him again for taking the time to answer my questions, as he is a busy guy. Thanks, Cordes!
If you haven't yet read my review and have no idea about the tense African enigma that envelops the Blackwood mansion, what are you doing here? Read it!
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Ready to go? Perfect. Head behind the horror with the latest interview on Noble Gaming:
Tell me a little about yourself,
Agustín Cordes.
Well,
I'm the co-founder of Senscape and I've been in the game industry for about ten
years. I happen to be a huge fan of adventure games and feel it's a privilege
being able to work in this genre these days. My previous and short-lived
company -- Nucleosys -- produced Scratches, a game that has been
generally well received but tends to be divisive: some hate it while others are
rabid fans. It's safe to say the game has become a cult title which,
particularly for me, is the best result I could have hoped for.
How did you get into game development?
Ever
since played King's Quest that I wanted to make similar games,
so my earliest desire to do actual development is around seven or eight years
old. It wasn't until I was ten or so that I actually began programming. I
remember doing some small and cheap ASCII text adventures with Pascal, and
eventually something more fledged out when I was in high school. That was a
serviceable graphic adventure called Shipwrecked which
unfortunately is lost forever after a 5 1/4 disk went faulty.
My
first "proper" release, though, was a weird text adventure
called Valpurgius and I, shortly after which I began working
on Scratches. After becoming involved with the adventure community,
I thought I was ready to tackle a bigger and more ambitious project.
What is it that drew you to horror
games?
Generally,
I was drew to horror since I began reading H. P. Lovecraft, curiously (or
perhaps not) also at the age of seven. His moody works and indescribable
horrors have stuck with me ever since. Similarly, I was quite devote of horror
movies such as Hammer Films, Italian Horror like Fulci or Argento, and of
course, Friday the 13th. Pretty much all slasher flicks of the
80's. I like the genre very much, so it's natural that I look for the same dark
themes in games.
Scratches is one of the most
atmospheric games I have played in a while, not only in terms of tension, but
also loneliness. How did you set out to achieve these intense emotions?
Thank
you! I've always asked myself what was that "secret ingredient" that
made Scratches such an atmospheric title. On one level the
graphics, music, and slow-paced gameplay came together to form this strong
atmosphere. But I think that on a deeper lever, the story, slow-burning horror
and implied passage of time gave players the impression that they were really
spending three days inside Blackwood Manor. In other words, the mix of routine
(stumbling into everyday problems, sleeping, etc) and ever growing mystery made
players feel attached to the mansion. Some told me they happened to be very sad
during The Last Visit, the additional chapter, when they revisited
a decaying and vandalized Blackwood Manor.
A large part of the narrative
revolves around an African curse. Was this completely fictional, or were you
influenced by something in real life?
It
was indeed fictional, and this element wasn't part of the story in the first
place. It was added later, as the plot progressed and became more complex. Many
sources can be attributed to its inclusion: I was fascinated with African
culture myself, which I believe is very mysterious, and it was also present in
some Lovecraft's tales. But the major source of inspiration was likely The
Ghost and the Darkness, which might sound weird because it isn't horror,
but I'm positive it's a movie that left a very lasting impression on me, and
the reason why I wanted to explore the theme.
The sound design for Scratches – and
its successor, Asylum – is nothing short of amazing. How important do you think
sound is to horror?
Extremely
important. In fact, a bad sound design can break games, and especially those
that rely on horror. Similarly, a memorable soundtrack has the potential to
elevate decent games to classic status. When done right, ambiental sound
effects can bring a lot of depth to the scenes, for example when you make the
most out of reverb, and also provoke disquieting emotions. The sound of
scratches in the middle of the night, growing louder as you went near the
source, is another good example. In the case of music we're particularly
careful to ensure every track fits with the scenes, and sometimes even colours
evoke certain moods and sounds.
What do you think point-and-click
gameplay brings to a horror game?
I
think it's perfect; for games likes Scratches and Asylum that
have strong doses of slow-burning horror and quick reflexes aren't required,
point-and-click is the ideal control scheme. I'd rather have players focusing
on the environments and the component of exploration rather than fiddling with
the controls. I like most type of horror subgenres, really, but psychological
horror is my preferred one, and adventures happen to be the ideal vehicle for
it, as they allow players to focus on the story and atmosphere.
What did you learn when making
Scratches that has influenced the development of your next indie-horror,
Asylum?
Quite
a lot. Scratches was a flawed game in some ways. It did things
wrong just as it did things right; for example, the first day was
excruciatingly slow and badly designed, forcing players to visit locations and
do certain actions in specific orders. Things did take flight in the second day
with a better approach, but that first chapter was the nail in the coffin for
many players. Similarly, puzzles were unforgiving and somewhat obscure in some
cases, although always logical and down to earth. Asylum will
be much more dynamic in its first moments, and a bit friendlier for players,
but still a challenging and slow-paced experience like the one many fans
of Scratches loved.
Do you have a favourite horror
series?
In
the realm of games, Alone in the Dark and Dark Fall are
series I have enjoyed a lot. Though not specifically horror, I'm also a great
fan of Gabriel Knight. In the case of movies, Friday the 13th is
hands down my favorite series, with Evil Dead closely trailing
behind.
Anything else you'd like to tell
lovers of horror?
Yes,
LONG LIVE THE NEW FLESH! Also, that everybody at Senscape is extremely grateful
for your support and patience while you're waiting for Asylum.
Believe me when I tell you, the wait will be more than worth it!
Want to know a little more about Senscape's upcoming point-and-click horror, Asylum? Check out my thoughts on the demo here.
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