In the video "How Gloomwood Combines Survival Horror & Immersive Sims" by Noclip - Video Game Documentaries, the creators discuss the design and development of Gloomwood, a game that merges elements from survival horror and immersive sim genres. The game, developed by New Blood, takes inspiration from classics like "Resident Evil," "Silent Hill," "Thief," "Dishonored," and "Deus Ex." The video explores the challenges and successes of combining these genres and features an interview with Dillon Rogers, one of the game's developers.
Gloomwood incorporates elements from both survival horror and immersive sim genres, such as ammunition scarcity, inventory management, and restrictions on saving. The video highlights how Looking Glass Studios, the creators of "Thief," pioneered sound propagation and lighting in games, and how these techniques have been picked up by the Gloomwood developers. Rogers explains how they experimented with different methods of visibility and lighting, ultimately settling on a raycast method.
One of the challenges in developing Gloomwood was incorporating destructible lights, which required creating a composite light map system. Sound propagation was another important aspect of the game, with the developers expanding on the techniques used in "Thief" by adding sound muffling and sound masking elements. This encourages players to think about how their actions create noise and how they can use the environment to their advantage.
The video also explores the development of the game's enemies, focusing on their AI and voice lines. Rogers explains how they wanted the guards to have distinct personalities and voices, drawing inspiration from games like "Thief" and "Vermintide." This added depth and immersion to the game, as players could listen to the guards' conversations and gain insight into their personalities.
Level design is a crucial aspect of both survival horror and immersive sim games. Gloomwood's level design evolved over time, with the developers striving to create a "thiefy" feel. Rogers discusses the challenges of balancing empowerment and disempowerment in the game, as immersive sims typically empower players while horror games focus on disempowerment. The level design in Gloomwood aims to create a balance between safe and dangerous zones, encouraging players to strategize and plan their movements.
The game takes inspiration from "Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth," specifically the game's pacing and atmosphere. Gloomwood features shortcuts and safe rooms, allowing players to save their progress and manage their inventory. The phonograph system, used for saving the game, was designed to encourage players to become comfortable with the game's mechanics and explore the full range of systems available.
Overall, the video provides an in-depth look at the design and development of Gloomwood, showcasing the challenges and successes of merging survival horror and immersive sim genres. The game is currently available on Steam Early Access, and the developers continue to refine and expand its features.
