Frogwares wants to reinvent itself with The Sinking City 2 and move on to the horror genre. The Kickstarter campaign is also scheduled to start soon.
With The Sinking City 2, Frogwares hopes to shift the studio to a “horror-first” focus, where gameplay is primarily built around combat, exploration and the Lovecraftian setting and story.
The team was finally able to respond to the Unreal Engine 5 to switch to take advantage of the technological leaps and advances that the engine offers developers.
“The original Sinking City is still one of our most successful titles, probably due to its greater reliance on the horror genre and setting. We've developed a number of detective adventures in the past, so now we're going to do something new to continue doing what people love about us – story-rich experiences – while still being able to evolve.”
“It's exciting, but at the same time risky. We are a completely independent studio that has become known for our detective games over the last 24 years. But we need to start taking bolder steps. The industry is changing around us and we want to secure the future of the studio,” Sergiy Oganesyan, Publishing Director, Frogwares.
Be a detective, but only if you want to be!
In addition to the strong story, The Sinking City 2 offers another Frogwares trademark: the opportunity to be a clever detective.
However, this time the feature will be completely optional. Players can decide when and where to put on their detective hat to reveal new secrets, lore, ways to advance, etc.
“We want investigations to be a useful part of the game, but only for those who want them, and to provide tangible gameplay bonuses and Eureka moments without being a requirement for progression.”
“Taking the time to collect clues will equip you with more knowledge and awareness of your possibilities than if you just stumble upon them by chance. We’re also doing this for our existing fans who have learned to love this feature from us, so they don’t feel left out.”
“For those who are not excited about combat and survival horror mechanics, we will also offer various accessibility features,” Denys Chebotarov, Executive Producer, Frogwares.
As the war rages on, Frogwares reaches out to the community. With Ukraine still in a state of war, Frogwares has decided to turn to Kickstarter again to provide a safety net for the studio and secure some additional features for the game.
“At this point we have learned and adapted to reality, but the ongoing war adds a threatening layer of uncertainty and the additional funding will help us deal with possible disruptions in addition to funding various additional features that we are happy to implement would.”
“Our previous game, Sherlock Holmes The Awakened, was fully developed and released during the war. Through Kickstarter and our supporters, we have built a safety net that has saved us more than once.”
“From power outages when our electrical infrastructure was under attack for months to the need for team members to relocate at very short notice, this financial safety net proved invaluable to us. We now have to do the same with The Sinking City 2, because this game is much bigger and more complex,” Wael Amr, CEO, Frogwares.
The Kickstarter campaign is expected to launch soon. If you want, you can set up a reminder. Further details will follow soon.
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