The Thing meets Fallout as post-apocalyptic survival is put on ice
Winter is coming? No, ’fraid not It’s already here, and not only is it bloody freezing, but an asteroid has destroyed almost all of humanity, and what’s left of the world is in a perpetual snowstorm. And you thought Game of Thrones’ White Walkers were bad Impact Winter is the story of a band of survivors, but it’s up to you how long they stay in that state. Taking on the role of group leader Jacob Solomon, you must manage thirty days until help arrives, and keep as many hearts beating as possible.
We’ve been doing a lot of indie survive-’em-ups recently, but this game’s origins particularly spiked our interest. “Early conversations actually came from our love of John Carpenter’s The Thing, which lead us to pursue the idea of a game revolving around a team relationship,” explains designer Stuart Ryall. “Aswe developed things further – and the story and setting emerged – we found inspiration in many places: The Oregon Trail (the family/team connection); the Fallout series (the open world, and the sense of discovery and exploration); and Don’t Starve (the struggles and inventiveness of survival).”
Void rage
Everything takes place in an environment known as the Void. So much snow has fallen that much of the world as we know it has been buried. This means environments to explore that are hidden under the frosty layer. Snow caves, gas stations, and even airports are all ripe for the picking in the frozen wasteland. With his team holed up in a church, Jacob heads out to scavenge for items and fight the cold and hungry wildlife… but he’s not alone. He’s accompanied by a futuristic companion called Ako-Light, a portable hub that keeps you in the loop when it comes to your map and contact with your group. The bad news? He’s a bit like your iPhone without a charge pack.
“Companions can often be underpowered in games, so we made sure that Ako-Light is a key character, rather than just a quirky sidekick,” says Ryall. “What’s also fun is that you can become over-reliant on him, so if he runs out of power, you genuinely feel lost. Your map is gone, your inventory is locked: there’s a real risk. Risk and reward is something that’s constantly being referenced here in the office. The idea of having to think about what’s next.”
That would be less stressful if you just had to survive on your own, but your band of hardy humans is a vital part of game. “Your team is governed by the same stats as you, so although they’re NPCs, they will still get tired, bored, cold, hungry, etc. You don’t have to micromanage them, but it’s your job to scavenge for supplies to keep them healthy and happy,” explains Ryall. “Our stat engine can also react to subtleties. If there’s a hole in the church roof, your team will grow colder. If you overwork them they can become injury-prone. All of these personality traits come from the underlying stats.”
Frost bites
NPCs will go about their lives automatically, but you can chat to them and give them tasks that can have positive and negative effects on the team. Plus, just to give death more meaning, every crew member benefits the group in a different way. “It’s important to mention that each character in your team has a unique skill that can be used,” Ryall explains. “Wendy is focused on well-being (creating recipes and medication); Blane is a survivalist (upgrade weapons, build traps, shelters and other survival tools); Christophe is in charge of Ako-Light (upgrading its various functions); and Maggie is a mechanic (crafting upgrades for the church).”
You’re not just out in the wilderness without a story either. Each play through will give you a unique experience. “Alongside the team aspect, storytelling was something that we felt strongly about in the early days of the project,” assures Ryall. “One thing that sets video games apart from other mediums is their ability to allow players to shape a story. We’re trying to do something interesting with Impact Winter in that we’re putting more focus on the ‘journey’ than the conclusion. The story has a beginning and an end, but the problems you encounter along the way – the issues you need to deal with as leader – will be specific to your choices.”
Steel yourself for some chilly feels when it comes to your fellow survivors, and get ready to learn from your mistakes à la Don’t Starve. “We have permanent death for your team, so getting to the end with a full/healthy crew will be something a lot of players will want to strive for,” Ryall explains.“Replay value is extremely important. We took the decision to randomly assign certain elements of the game for every player. Items that are found in the world will be randomly assigned (no FAQ here, folks) and some locations and landmarks will change position throughout the game. We have the Nomad character (who is a mysterious trader wandering the Void), and his position will be constantly changing.”
The game’s atmosphere is lonely and foreboding, with a haunting synth soundtrack from composer Mitch Murder. “We decided to put a lot of focus on lighting and FX in order to create a specific mood,” says Ryall. “The atmosphere and ‘feel’ of the world is important to us. We’re big fans of matte artists like Ralph McQuarrie and Albert Whitlock, and that influenced us to use a more simplistic texture style. Also, going back to John Carpenter, we’re huge fans of ’80s movies and we’re definitely trying to evoke a B-movie feel.” The complexity of the survival, and the chilly aesthetic, make this stand out from a busy crowd of stressful scavenger hunts. Best wrap up – there’s a cold front coming in.