As the year draws to a close, this is the second installment of our coverage on Niraya of ■■.
This game is composed of stages aligned with multiple themes, one of which centers around mining tunnels. However, I found myself wondering, "What kind of atmosphere do mining tunnels really have? Even looking online doesn't quite convey it..." Feeling stuck, I decided on a whim, "That's it, let's go on a field trip!" and headed to the nearest silver mine. If you saw someone at the silver mine taking only photos of the walls on one of these scorching summer days, that was probably me.
In reality, under the blistering heat that could make even cacti seem like they wanted to flee, I walked over an hour one way from the nearest station, drenched in sweat. When I arrived at the site, it was mostly bustling with families, making me feel completely out of place. However, the fortunate thing was that mining tunnels are very cool, reportedly around 13°C year-round. It felt unreal compared to the hot summer in Japan, and that was the only relief.
Based on the moist walls and the perfect sense of claustrophobia I experienced on-site, as well as information I gathered locally that old mining tunnels were carved squarely with chisels, I tried to bring these elements into the game's world. Of course, I created textures based on the photos I took during my research, and this time I also utilized procedural modeling.
So, in Niraya of ■■, scheduled for release in 2025, I invite everyone to experience the chilly atmosphere of mining tunnels for themselves.