With its remake of Amerzone - The Explorer's Legacy, Microids Studio Paris is bringing a classic adventure game up to date, and not just with new graphics. At the same time, the team is painstakingly preserving the identity of the original episode, released in 1999. We took a look at how they are managing this balancing act!
Handling a classic game with respect
For Microids Studio Paris, whose team worked with Benoît Sokal for nearly a decade, it was crucial to honor the work of this unique author. As Lucas Lagravette, Game Director, told us: “We see it as a piece of history. It’s a title that has earned cult status with its atmosphere and narrative world; so, we could never allow ourselves to treat it lightly.”
To succeed in creating a remake that is both faithful and innovative, the designers drew inspiration from Capcom’s approach to Resident Evil on the GameCube. “It was a remake that enhanced the experience, while respecting the original and its audience,” commented Lucas. He gave the following example: “There’s a really well-known corridor in Resident Evil, where dogs jump in through the windows. This doesn’t happen in the remake, so players let down their guard. It’s only when returning later that the dogs finally appear, offering a surprise for even the earliest fans! It’s a great example of how to use a subtle change to augment the source game.”
With the Amerzone remake, Microids Studio Paris has had to decide what should remain the same, and what should be adjusted or redesigned. To guide this process, as Lucas Lagravette explained to us, some general principles were laid down as early as the pre-production phase, following analysis of the 1999 version and other references. “Then, during production, there are lots of decisions to make on a case-by-case basis,” added the Game Director. “Part of my job is to make these decisions – in consultation with Benoît Sokal’s family, and with the help of the talented team that we worked with to make Syberia: The World Before.”
Features of Amerzone that will be kept in the remake
So, what won’t be changing in the Amerzone remake? Firstly, as you may have noticed in the trailers, the player's character still moves from one scene to the next in a linear fashion. “We experimented with allowing free movement, but it just didn’t feel like Amerzone,” Lucas told us. “The levels aren’t designed that way; a typical example being the lighthouse, which is tall and narrow. We also believe that this kind of unusual way of moving around will be a differentiating feature of our game.”
Similarly, the character controlled by players will remain out of frame and silent, as in the 1999 game. Lucas Lagravette commented on this choice: “If we had given a voice to the protagonist, we would also have had to come up with a character, a past and motivations... But Amerzone was never about the hero. The player's character is intentionally silent, because it’s all about exploring an incredible world, with its enchanting and tragic story, through their eyes.”
Another feature that will remain similar to the original Amerzone is its ambiguous story. Unlike Syberia: The World Before, which has a strong narrative thread, Amerzone was always minimalistic. Lucas confirmed to us that this aspect will not be changing in the remake: “Even when we introduce totally new scenes, things will never be clearly explained. It’s important for us to keep these gray areas, which can be read in different ways by players, lying beneath the surface of the gripping plot.”
Going by these few examples and many others awaiting you in the final game, to be released in autumn 2024 on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series, the remake of Amerzone will clearly be an authentic tribute to the original episode. 25 years after its first release, this experience is as relevant as ever, with timeless themes like adventure, totalitarianism and disillusion.
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