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Frictional Games, the team behind the acclaimed Amnesia series, wants to experiment with new themes that will allow the studio to go beyond the traditional horror genre, exploring different avenues to offer a more emotionally fulfilling experience.
“At Frictional Games, we’re committed to a holistic approach, and that plays a key role in the design and feel of our games,” creative director Thomas Grip said in an interview.
Weeks after the internationally acclaimed debut of Amnesia: The Bunker, Grip was quick to point out that “even though all of our games are horror to some degree, we’re trying to achieve some sort of ‘gaming immersion’.”
Horror games make that feel easier to create, according to the creative director. “However, we are also exploring topics that are not related to the need to create horror. In future projects, I think we will reduce the amount of horror and focus on other types of emotions.”
So is a change in the direction of Frictional Games, albeit partial, looming on the horizon? “I’m sure our next projects will continue to be seen as Frictional’s products. After all, engagement, personal journey and holistic vision are the things that I think are the hallmarks of our games, not just horror as such.”
According to Grip, the studio is also confident in its abilities. “While we don’t have the budget to create the longest interludes in history, in terms of immersion we can compete with any game on the market.”
We want to be the ones who make the best product in whatever genre we decide to go into, even if it’s the kind of stuff that AAA studios specialize in. I don’t think that makes us any less indie, although personally I don’t think I ever fully accepted that definition for a team.
