Everybody's Gone to the Rapture

DriedMangoes

We The North 🦖🍁
Sep 12, 2013
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http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014...for-everybodys-gone-to-the-rapture/#sf3282778



For the last twelve months, we’ve had our heads down working hard on Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture and it’s really exciting to be able to share some more information with you as well as a new trailer:

If you already know The Chinese Room, you’ll know that we make story-driven games. Creating a rich, deep world with strong drama and exceptional production values is key to what we’re all about. Rapture is set in a remote valley in June 1984 and is a story about people and how they live with each other. But it’s also about the end of the world.

Rapture is inspired by the fiction of John Wyndham, J. G. Ballard, John Christopher and other authors who deal with ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. There’s a very particular English feel that we wanted to capture in the game, a combination of the epic and the intimate. Rapture also came from our obsession with post-apocalyptic gaming, and the simple idea that whilst we normally play as the hero, in reality, most of us would be the piles of ash and bone littering the game world. That’s an interesting place to start telling a story.

Our approach is to create a game that you can utterly immerse yourself in. Yaughton Valley, where Rapture takes place, is a living, breathing world. The world of Rapture is not just a backdrop; it’s a character in its own right. It’s great working with PS4 as its processing power makes a game like this possible for a team our size.

The game is all about discovery. It’s open-world so you have the freedom to explore wherever you like, visiting areas in an order you define, and the story is written to allow this whilst making sure every player has a strong dramatic experience. It’s a type of storytelling that is completely unique to games. The choices you make as a player have a direct impact on how you understand the story – the more you explore and interact, the deeper you are drawn into Rapture’s world.

In the build up to E3, we’ve suddenly seen the game leap forwards – you spend a long time working on disparate elements in early production and it’s fantastic to now find ourselves in a world that springs to life week by week. We’re really excited, and hope the trailer, screenshots and an exclusive music track will make you excited too!
 
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Excellent, thanks for posting. I've been wondering about this game. I heard about it some time ago but hadn't heard much since. The studio did Dear Esther previously, and although I didn't play that, I heard good things.

I love the way they are describing the game, using words like exploration, freedom, story-driven, open world, immersive, etc. The trailer doesn't show much, but the description sounds great.
 
Some new screens, confirmation they aren't doctored, and confirmation of exclusivity.


Quoting.

"When asked whether these are indeed in-game screenshots of Everybody's Gone to the Rapture on Playstation 4? TheChineseRoom replied:

'Yep, an undoctored, un-photoshopped screenshot. Got a very very talented art team over here.'

"When asked whether there will be some actual gameplay showcased at GamesCom 2014? Developer replied:

'Holding off too much reveal for a while, don't want to spoil the surprise for everyone.'

"In addition to this, The Chinese Room also clarified that Everybody's Gone to the Rapture is Playstation 4 exclusive title and Sony Santa Monica are helping them in development.

"When asked: 'Is it planned for PC or exclusively on PlayStation?' The Chinese Room replied:

'It's a PS4 exclusive. Working in with the wonderful folk at @SonySantaMonica to make it.'



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http://www.gamepur.com/news/15423-n...gone-rapture-screen-out-old-screens-were.html
 
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Podcast Beyond was asked what PS4 game would receive the most critical acclaim in 2015 and both hosts independently said this game. Apparently, a lot has been shown behind closed doors already and the press is pretty high on this one.
 
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Some new screens, confirmation they aren't doctored, and confirmation of exclusivity.


Quoting.

"When asked whether these are indeed in-game screenshots of Everybody's Gone to the Rapture on Playstation 4? TheChineseRoom replied:

'Yep, an undoctored, un-photoshopped screenshot. Got a very very talented art team over here.'

"When asked whether there will be some actual gameplay showcased at GamesCom 2014? Developer replied:

'Holding off too much reveal for a while, don't want to spoil the surprise for everyone.'

"In addition to this, The Chinese Room also clarified that Everybody's Gone to the Rapture is Playstation 4 exclusive title and Sony Santa Monica are helping them in development.

"When asked: 'Is it planned for PC or exclusively on PlayStation?' The Chinese Room replied:

'It's a PS4 exclusive. Working in with the wonderful folk at @SonySantaMonica to make it.'



zpEbG0Q.jpg



p79MgfX.jpg



SZkp4oF.jpg


http://www.gamepur.com/news/15423-n...gone-rapture-screen-out-old-screens-were.html


Is it just me or does it look kind of grainy? Some kind of filter effect? The art direction is beautiful though.
 
hmm never heard of this fame till this thread. It look neat so I guess it's a PSN game? when does it come out?
 
Interesting idea and the screenshots like every good. I'll definitely keep on an eye on this one.
 
hmm never heard of this fame till this thread. It look neat so I guess it's a PSN game? when does it come out?

No release date yet. Expected some time in 2015. Probably later in the year, from the way it sounds.
 
They just posted an update. Here are some excerpts. More at the link below.

"The art team have been incredibly busy churning out the volume of assets a game like this requires. It's really made us realise that the way we've always talked about the game, not as an ‘indie’ title, but a short-form AAA, is definitely the most accurate way of talking about it. Making sure everything produced is historically accurate, to really sell a complete and compelling fictionalised version of rural England in the 1980s is a big challenge, but we've got an absolutely wonderful art team."

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"The core thing about Rapture is atmosphere and story - a deep, engrossing, emotionally driven tale set in a living, breathing world, and that's a combination of lots of things from environmental storytelling to vocal performances. We went into the studio with a stunning cast in late September and integrated all of the scenes into the game during autumn, and we're really proud of the performances."

"As we move into a process of regular QA builds, working through the bug database, pushing hard on lighting and colour grading, making sure we are balancing the process of adding depth and complexity to the art... this is the hard stuff, the real craft of making a good game. There's not loads to report, no shiny new things to show off. But - it's the part of the process where a great team makes all the difference, and we can definitely say we’ve got one of those…"

DycITG1.jpg



"So what can you expect from here on in? We're well past the half-way point, we can say that. It's always been a tough game to talk about, because it's a mystery, and that mystery is woven into the fabric of everything. There are clues in the screenshots accompanying this blog, just as there are in this new music track we hope you love as much as we do. We can't tell you anything about the story without potentially spoiling it, so you're going to have to be patient on that front, but we're really pleased with how a story as non-linear as this is all falling together in a way that is really powerful and engaging which, after all, was always the whole point."

http://www.thechineseroom.co.uk/blog/blog/happy-holidays-and-a-quick-update
 
They just posted an update. Here are some excerpts. More at the link below.

"The art team have been incredibly busy churning out the volume of assets a game like this requires. It's really made us realise that the way we've always talked about the game, not as an ‘indie’ title, but a short-form AAA, is definitely the most accurate way of talking about it. Making sure everything produced is historically accurate, to really sell a complete and compelling fictionalised version of rural England in the 1980s is a big challenge, but we've got an absolutely wonderful art team."

tL3R5jm.jpg


"The core thing about Rapture is atmosphere and story - a deep, engrossing, emotionally driven tale set in a living, breathing world, and that's a combination of lots of things from environmental storytelling to vocal performances. We went into the studio with a stunning cast in late September and integrated all of the scenes into the game during autumn, and we're really proud of the performances."

"As we move into a process of regular QA builds, working through the bug database, pushing hard on lighting and colour grading, making sure we are balancing the process of adding depth and complexity to the art... this is the hard stuff, the real craft of making a good game. There's not loads to report, no shiny new things to show off. But - it's the part of the process where a great team makes all the difference, and we can definitely say we’ve got one of those…"

DycITG1.jpg



"So what can you expect from here on in? We're well past the half-way point, we can say that. It's always been a tough game to talk about, because it's a mystery, and that mystery is woven into the fabric of everything. There are clues in the screenshots accompanying this blog, just as there are in this new music track we hope you love as much as we do. We can't tell you anything about the story without potentially spoiling it, so you're going to have to be patient on that front, but we're really pleased with how a story as non-linear as this is all falling together in a way that is really powerful and engaging which, after all, was always the whole point."

http://www.thechineseroom.co.uk/blog/blog/happy-holidays-and-a-quick-update

The art direction is fantastic.
 
This game is looking nice and it's running on my favorite engine.
 
The hits just keep on coming for the PS4. Last gen it was Flower and then Journey. Now it's Everybody's Gone to the Rapture. Can't wait.
 
Yeah, I'm looking forward to this game, too. It sounds very unique. I love the emphasis on story, mystery, and atmosphere. The art is beautiful. I also like how they describe it as a "short form AAA" game, rather than an "indie." I've never heard a game described that way before.
 
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The game has entered alpha stage.

"Well, we made it. Last week we submitted the alpha build for Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture to Sony Santa Monica for build approval and they gave us the big thumbs up. This means we’re hurtling straight towards Beta and then Gold.

"In real terms? OK, so it doesn’t get any easier – the back half of development is all go, ramping up detail in all angles, intergrating stuff like crazy, polishing the hell out of anything we can… and the bugs. It’s all about the bugs. So by this point the world is locked, scenes are locked, we know what is happening where and when and why and how, but there’s a big difference between that “it works” and “it’s a great game”, which is where we all want it to be."

[...]
"Nope, we’re not going to GDC. Nope, we’re not doing any interviews at the moment. Nope, there’s no new trailer or screenshots coming your way for a little while yet. It’s heads down time, the unglamorous bit of development where you just grind away, making it as good as you can - the bit where you understand game development is about craft as much as it’s about art. We’ll surface again sometime around March with more news, but for the moment, we just wanted to let you know where we are, and that we’re making something we’re really proud of. This is going to be our best game yet."

http://www.thechineseroom.co.uk/blog
 
Gamespot posted a preview. Sounds good. Here are a few quotes:

"My experience with Everybody's gone to the Rapture, though brief, kept my brain busy for hours afterward."

"You spend much of your time walking around... Occasionally you can interact with objects, but nothing more involved than opening doors or walking up stairs. You walk into houses and up roads, into churches and through playgrounds, looking for clues to everyone's disappearance."

"There is no user interface, no text bubbles, nothing to guide you other than twinkling gold lights that pop up from time to time. Lights floating in place are imprints of the people who have left this world behind. To unlock these conversations, you use the DualShock 4's gyroscope feature, tilting it in all directions until the gold light begins to spin and emit a loud, high-pitched sound. It feels like tuning a radio to find a static-free channel, which I imagine is what The Chinese Room was going for; but instead of looking for radio stations, you're looking to tap into memories. A burst of light indicates you've done it right, and you are then made witness to memories of the departed."

"Overall, there are six main characters in Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, with six major stories arcs and many small ones. This is quite a bit to chew on, if you're intent on finding all of them."

"And that's the wonderful thing about Everybody's Gone to the Rapture. After nearly 45 minutes working my way through one small town, one small piece of the plot's puzzle, I still had no idea what was going on. I felt like I had gotten somewhere, not enough to be confident in my assumptions but just enough to leave me distraught and breathless. What's happening in Rapture goes beyond weird into openly scary territory, which in no small part is because of the game's audio design."

There's a gameplay clip at the link, but I didn't watch it. I'd rather keep the experience fresh.

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/everybody-s-gone-to-the-rapture-is-gorgeous-comple/1100-6426660/
 
This trailer shows it as releasing Summer 2015, so I'll add that to the thread title.

 
Release date announced: August 11th.

Dear Esther stood on the shoulders of giants, drawing on the long, proud design history of first-person gaming, to just try side-stepping into an area we believed was worth exploring. We look back now at the number of story-driven, exploration-driven games that have been produced since and that’s an incredible thing to be part of. We stand alongside studios and developers who are committed to pushing at the boundaries of what games can be, and that’s being part of a tradition as old as gaming itself. This medium has always been about those boundaries, that pushing out, that bending and breaking of rules to do new things, and we hope Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture will earn its place in that.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2015...to-the-rapture-comes-to-ps4-august-11th-2015/

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Release date announced: August 11th.

Dear Esther stood on the shoulders of giants, drawing on the long, proud design history of first-person gaming, to just try side-stepping into an area we believed was worth exploring. We look back now at the number of story-driven, exploration-driven games that have been produced since and that’s an incredible thing to be part of. We stand alongside studios and developers who are committed to pushing at the boundaries of what games can be, and that’s being part of a tradition as old as gaming itself. This medium has always been about those boundaries, that pushing out, that bending and breaking of rules to do new things, and we hope Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture will earn its place in that.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2015...to-the-rapture-comes-to-ps4-august-11th-2015/

18676872652_54429f5003_b.jpg


18493915390_f63475c7d7_b.jpg


18681632235_091f9a33c6_b.jpg

Bro, it's an indie game. No one cares.
 
Well, there's not much to say at this point that hasn't been said already. Also, it's a narrative-focused game, and that doesn't draw the crowds the way something more action-oriented does. And Sony exclusive indies don't get the traction around here that MS-exclusive indies do. I'm used to it.

Sometimes I post about a game because I find it interesting. I don't necessarily expect a lot of responses.