Interviewed: Jonathan Boakes, Creator Dark Fall, XXv Productions
GP: GP: Please tell our readers a little about yourselves, and the background of XXV Productions.
Hello there. I am Jonathan Boakes, head of XXv Productions and creator of Dark Fall : The Journal. Based in the English countryside, XXv have been producing adventures for 4 years, with Dark Fall being our first commercial release.
GP: Dark Fall involves hunting down an ancient evil and ghosts. How high is the tension and fear factor in the game?
Many gamers have reported sleepless nights and a fear of looking over their shoulder after playing Dark Fall. Good solid ghost story elements are utilized to create a delicious mixture of fear and fascination.
GP: What types of puzzles will players tackle?
Dark Fall boasts a whole mixture of puzzles, enigmas and codes to crack. Clues are scattered throughout the game world, which are just waiting to be discovered. Due to the games non-linear nature, no puzzle with stunt your exploration.
GP: What types of ghost hunting gadgets are featured?
A CCTV system keeps a trained eye on all corners of a haunted country train station. These cameras may see "things" not apparent to the naked eye. Combine this with EVP (electronic voice phenomenon) to hear voices from beyond, and a electromagnetic guide to alert you to supernatural activity.
GP: How are you using music and sound effects to enhance the atmosphere of Dark Fall?
The environment is brought to life through the use of ambient sound, with music used very sparingly. A distant dog bark, the creak of a floorboard or the whistle of a long dead inhabitant will spook the player and heighten the feeling that you are exploring the most haunted train station in England.
GP: How will players obtain clues from spirits?
The previous inhabitants of Dowerton will aid your exploration, and investigation by leaving you clues, journals and coded letters. The Dark Fall itself will attempt to hide these details from you, but utilizing the technology at hand you will have the chance to communicate with the spirits directly.
GP: What types of locations will players explore?
The play environment is one large level, 90% of this is available to explore right from the start. A deserted country train station, and its adjoining hotel are a fading reminder to the grandeur of the past. Faded and crumbling hotel rooms, a darkened attic and a barn hidden out in the woods are just a few of the locations the player can explore and interact with.
GP: What can you tell us about the user interface?
Dark Fall pays homage to the classic adventure games of the late 90's, like Amber : Journeys Beyond, and Shivers. A traditional point and click engine is utilized to present an organic story, and detailed environments.
GP: Please tell us a little more about Dark Fall's graphics and mood.
Prerendered graphics boast detailed and highly interactive environments, which reflect the desolation and isolation of the hotel. Rooms abandoned for over 50 years still retain much of what made them special, but time has not been kind. Faulty lighting, and crumbling architecture are used to set the mood, where anything could be hiding in the shadows…
GP: What do you think sets Dark Fall apart from other games in the genre?
Many adventurers have said that it has the most non-linear story told in an adventure game, including the subplots. Players can piece the story together at their own pace, and tackle the puzzles and enigmas in whatever order they wish. Careful attention to detail and oodles of atmosphere combine to create one of the spookiest adventure games ever made…
GP: Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions here at Gamer’s Pulse