According to Ricky however, slicing wasn't the only gameplay concept when work on I Am Dead began. While not always the most challenging or rivetting of gameplay mechanics, the slicing concept is a fun one that drives the game forward, since I Am Dead relies on you to uncover clues about various other recently-deceased people. And when you're not uncovering clues, you're finding Grenkins - the game's take on collectibles. "From an art direction point of view, it was hard making the jump from a 2D game, where I basically just draw everything, to a 3D game where I am working with a team of people modelling, animating and doing the environment design," Richard offers and reveals, "I think it could have easily lost some of the distinctive 'voice' that my stuff has along the way, but I think we did a good job of keeping the vibe of my 2D work."Īnd if all this talk of slicing objects has you confused, here's a handy video to help you wade through the uncertainty: "It took a lot of figuring out how to translate Richard’s 2D drawings into the 3D models used in the game, and we were lucky to collaborate with some excellent folks to help us with this," adds Ricky. This would also be Hollow Ponds' first 3D game. " Hohokum and I Am Dead share an art director in Richard Hogg," explains Ricky, "And in fact the sketchbook work and concept art for both these games definitely look like the work of the same person." But since I Am Dead relies on a core mechanic of slicing into objects to find concealed items, it had to be a 3D game. ![]() There are some similar things at play to those in the 2014 game Hohokum - but while that game seemed like a wild riot of colours and shapes, this one seems more like controlled chaos with its very easy interplay of colours and shapes. Soon after you've experienced the delight that is Morris for the first time, it's the art style that begins to grab you. We also think it's cool that he is an old guy, as so few games feature older characters." Indeed the 2009 Disney film Up was lauded for, among other things, having an elderly gent as a protagonist, so maybe Morris is video gaming's answer to Carl Fredricksen? That's a topic for a different place and time. "Perhaps he was a geography teacher before he retired and took on Shelmerston Museum full time?" ventures Ricky, "In fact, part of the visual inspiration for him was an old geography teacher of mine at school. "We aren't very interested in having bombastic hero characters - plenty of other video games have this archetype well-covered already," says Ricky, nailing his colours to the mast, and adds, "We really like that Morris was a normal bloke." Sure enough, through my two playthroughs, I found very little abnormal or extraordinary about Morris - whether certain abilities, character traits, superhuman empathy or anything. To learn more about Morris and of course, I Am Dead, I caught up with Hollow Ponds co-founders Ricky Haggett and Richard Hogg. The first comparison my mind drew was to the equally unassuming (albeit, French) George Stobbart - in the very first of the Broken Sword point-and-click games. It's not just his English West Country accent that distinguishes him as different it's also his unassuming nature. Within minutes of starting up I Am Dead, it becomes clear that the protagonist (yes, deceased protagonist) and curator of the Shelmerston Museum, Morris Lupton is one of the most unique lead characters in contemporary video games.
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