:: VIDEO VOYEURSam Barlow’s follow up to Her Story is #WarGames, an interactive video series that reimagines the 1983 film WarGames in a more present day context. It’s not exactly a game, but it’s definitely still interesting. Here are the top things you should know about it before diving in.
What is it?
#WarGames isn’t much like anything else out there. It’s like watching a TV show, but the whole thing is told through different screens, which primarily show different characters video chatting with one another. All of these screens are visible at once, but you can tap to switch between which feed you want to focus on.
While you’re watching, #WarGames keeps track of which video feeds you’ve focused on and changes your story’s arc depending on these choices. It’s not really obvious what you’re changing though. There are no moments when a character is begging for attention and you can switch to them to trigger some kind of choice. It’s a lot more subtle than that, so much so it's hard to tell that you're changing anything. That said, #WarGames definitely lets you know when things change, and even gives you an overview of the paths you took at the end of each episode.
:: A CHILLING STORY
Sam Barlow, the creator behind Silent Hill: Shattered Memories and Aisle, has announced the release date for his next game, Her Story.
Sam Barlow, writer and designer of Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, has released a teaser trailer for his new independent game, Her Story. The game uses live action footage to tell a tale of mystery surrounding the disappearance of a woman's husband in 1994. Players will have access to archived video footage from a police database that shows interviews with the woman. As she tells her tale you will be tasked with researching her story using the database.
“If you can Google, you can play Her Story. The mechanic of searching for clips in the database is so simple that anyone can pick up and play. But it’s a mechanic that quickly reveals its richness and complexity. At times it can feel like you’re engaged in a genuine dialogue with this woman and her story. It’s a unique way to interact with a narrative, a sculptural way of viewing a story -- and something that can only be done interactively,” Sam Barlow said in a press release.
Her Story is due to release early in 2015.