This year, players will get a chance to discover or revisit Benoît Sokal’s first masterpiece – Amerzone. Previously, we looked at how the remake will remain faithful to the 1999 original; we will now take a peek at some totally new features in the pipeline, beginning with game mechanics. Let’s get started!
Which mechanics to update and which to leave as they are?
This was our first question: how does Microids Studio Paris identify which mechanics from the original version should be kept and which should be modernized. Romain Pierson, Game Designer, gave the following explanation: “We started by spending a lot of time playing the original title, to check each mechanic for playability and clarity.” The team also looks at how today’s audiences like to play, and checks whether Amerzone’s gameplay is still compatible. “In the 1999 version, players only had to click once on a lever to pull it down; today, players wouldn’t find that satisfying enough.” Romain offered as an example. Lastly, the highly positive reviews of Syberia: The World Before, Microids Studio Paris’ previous adventure game, highlighted mechanics that were well received by players and could be added to Amerzone.
Gameplay innovations integrated in the remake
With this in mind, which gameplay elements are being transformed in the remake? “First, there are the puzzles and the way players interact with objects,” told us Amanda Goengrich, Concept Artist. “In the original game, everything was very static. Now, as in Syberia: The World Before, players can enjoy turning objects around in their hands, observing them, and figuring out how they work. As Benoît Sokal liked to say, in reference to Little Red Riding Hood, ‘pull the peg and the latch will drop’”. In addition to all the puzzles from the original, which have been made more dynamic and organic, you will also find some fresh challenges that offer surprises and keep the game going longer.
Another new gameplay feature in store in Amerzone is the addition of a diary, packed with functional and narrative elements. There, players will find objectives and optional clues to help them, as well as notes about the adventure taken by the player character, an inventory, documents, and an investigation tab. “The investigation system is another innovation in this remake,” commented Amanda. “As a journalist, our character can choose to dig deeper into something that piques their interest, with a view to writing an article about it. These investigations are kind of like side missions.”
Next, in this remake, Amerzone has been tweaked in various ways to enhance and modernize the game experience. In particular, much effort has gone into the transitions between scenes: while they used to be instantaneous, there are now real movements where the player is totally immersed in the character. There is also a fast movement function to rapidly backtrack, and players will find automatic saves at numerous checkpoints. “We now also offer two difficulty levels – Journey and Adventure – that give a choice between getting a bit more guidance or playing with total independence,” Romain added. “And we’ve also been working hard to make sure that Amerzone is equally playable using a mouse and keyboard, and a PlayStation or Xbox controller.”
A game experience for both fans and newcomers!
“We are creating this remake for fans of the original title, who will find everything they loved about Amerzone, along with our added little improvements,” concluded Amanda. “But it’s also for new players who enjoy story-based games, deep thinking and being transported into imaginary worlds.”
This is a great chance to discover or rediscover Amerzone, with reviewed and improved gameplay!
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