One image shows a skeletal monster resembling an insect emerging from a corpse, while others appear to be inspired by scorpions, squids and perhaps the cordeceps fungus, which inspired the infected enemies of the Last of Us. We also see an image of a figure wielding a sword , which may suggest the previously announced action-adventure approach to the game.
Talking about the main influences on monstrous designs and the game in general, Toyama revealed that the death game comics and everyday life had a significant impact on the creatures and the vibe of the title.
“I usually read comics as a form of entertainment,” explained Toyama. “Recently, you see a trend towards the ‘game of death’ type of content. These works tend to add entertainment to somewhat brutal worlds, so I naturally took that approach. My view of horror is everyday life being shaken showing scary things, it should question our position and make us question the fact that we are living in peace. “
Japanese death game comics recently gained more Western attention due to the launch of Netflix’s Alice in Borderland – an adaptation of the manga of the same name, in which characters are apparently transported to an alternative Tokyo and forced to take on deadly challenges.
An enlightening interview with our own Keiichiro Toyama, who describes how he got into the game industry and what we have in mind for our new project.
我 ら が ク リ リ エ イ テ ィ ブ デ ィ レ ク タ ー 、 外 山 圭 一郎 に フ ォ ー ー ス を 当 て て み ま し た。。 #BokehGameStudio #BGS https://t.co/EeTeoGc81W
– Bokeh Game Studio (@BokehGameStudio) February 15, 2021
Discussing what other elements Bokeh Game Studio was looking to include in its first game, Toyama insisted that he wanted fans to feel excited, despite the aesthetics and horror narrative that the team would employ.
“I’m going back to my roots, for example, to terror,” added Toyama. “However, instead of something deeply rooted in terror, I want to keep an entertainment note. While avoiding the elements of terror, I want players to feel excited about playing the game.”
This latest provocation comes two months after Toyama revealed that Bokeh’s first horror action adventure game would likely be released in 2023. Speaking to IGN Japan at the time, Toyama said the game “would appeal to fans of my previous work” , and that should come to PC and “as many console platforms as possible.” Bokeh was announced in December and brings together several developers from Sony Japan as a new independent studio.In other news from Silent Hill, a recent interview with series composer Akira Yamaoka was taken after he apparently proved that Konami was working on a new entry in the franchise. Konami denied asking for the clip to be removed, with the uploader telling IGN that a “third party” had requested the removal of the interview.
Tom Power is a UK based freelance writer. Follow him on Twitter.