KickStarter Simon the Sorcerer: Between Worlds

[Luka-boy]

I recently replayed Simon the Sorcerer 2 and after I finished it I researched a bit and found out there were more games made after that 3D abomination. They all look like crap, but I also discovered there's a new one in the making that seems to want to go back to its 2D visuals and British snark roots with Chris Barrie voicing Simon again too.

Plot Synopsis
Simon, now in his mid-thirties, works away in Calypso’s curio shop to pay off a long-forgotten debt all-the-while still trying to find ways to get back to his own world.

Meanwhile, in a weirdly mirrored world, his opposite Simone stands on-stage at a wizard conference, about to receive a life-time achievement award. But before she is honoured, everyone discovers that their magic is no longer working. They once more turn to their heroine to save them. Simone, not used to being magic-less, contacts the one person who can save the world while simultaneously being useless – Simon.

She opens a portal into the shop and, despite Simon’s urge to avoid doing anything harder than ‘nap’, she convinces/cajoles/harasses him into helping (which has nothing at all to do with his seeing her dimensional portals and thinking “I’ll have that, thanks,” so get that idea right out of your head).

Finding that events in one world can shape those in the other, they work together to tear holes in reality, allowing the magic to flow back to its rightful world. Isn’t it just as well that tearing holes in the fabric of existence has no side effects?

Can they fix the magical imbalance? Will they find out who is behind it in the first place? Can Simon steal Simone’s portal opening abilities and get home? Find out in… Simon the Sorcerer: Between Worlds!

Here's the blog where they're posting all the concept art, music and stuff:
http://www.storybeasts.com/

What are the chances of this not being complete shit? Can the Irish be trusted in this endeavour?

 

[Jaesun]

Wow. That was pretty edgy. Careful everyone.

 

[ghostdog]

Is there going to be trans-dimention-self romance ? Simon-on-Simone action ? Victor-Victoria secrets ? Will Simon tip his magical fedora hat to Simone and say "m'lady" ?


If yes, then :





Otherwise, no, it sounds like crap. Let Simon die in peace you fucks.

 

[Astral Rag]

Haha, I forgot this existed.

Looks absolutely dreadful, I must try it.


Not sold on the art of the new game either.

 

[Aeschylus]

Looks absolutely dreadful, I must try it.

Don't, it's the bad kind of bad.

 

[Luka-boy]

Just saw this concept screenshot with Simone:

Spoiler

 

[taxalot]

Oh god. That art style. No. Just no. Go away.

 

[WrongTarget]

Hello guys,

Claudio Medina here. I'm the Lead Designer of StS: Between Worlds, and would be happy to answer some of your questions
You can always visit us at our forums and share any comments have over there.
taxalot Hey! Are you talking about the art style of our screenshots? We've received a lot of good feedback about I understand how it can't be everyone's cup of tea. We still would like to hear what exactly you don't like about it though.

Thank you, guys and girls!

 

[Darth Slaughter]

It (the screenshot) just look like the monkey island 1 special edition remake graphics.

 

[taxalot]

Hello guys,
taxalot Hey! Are you talking about the art style of our screenshots? We've received a lot of good feedback about I understand how it can't be everyone's cup of tea. We still would like to hear what exactly you don't like about it though.

The first thing is that I remember the looking very handmade backdrops of Simon the Sorcerer 1 and 2.

Your game, while having its own style, looks nothing like the Simon the Sorcerer that I used to love and to be honest even though that's probably being rude, looks a bit cheap.

The second thing is that this art style specifically reminds me of those cartoons that were incredibilly shitty

Needless to stay, I didn't think those were very good cartoons.

I am not sure if you can see it. Maybe it's just me. In case you don't : it's absurdly geometric, the environment is simple, everything is weirdly angular and looking cheaply made, the colors are surrealistically vivid and reminds you at all times that yes, this is a children story. There is nothing in that one particular screenshot posted earlier that to me evokes Simon 1 & 2. It's possible that you have a very good puzzle design and a great story, but to me it still looks about as awkward as Simon the Sorcerer 3D.

 

[pippin]

Remove that goatee from the main character, Daedalic already did their Guybrush ripopff (Rufus from Deponia) so this could be a little problematic, to say the least

 

[Tehdagah]

(...)
The second thing is that this art style specifically reminds me of those cartoons that were incredibilly shitty
(...)

Totally Spies! wasn't shit

 

[WrongTarget]

Hello guys,
taxalot Hey! Are you talking about the art style of our screenshots? We've received a lot of good feedback about I understand how it can't be everyone's cup of tea. We still would like to hear what exactly you don't like about it though.

The first thing is that I remember the looking very handmade backdrops of Simon the Sorcerer 1 and 2.

Your game, while having its own style, looks nothing like the Simon the Sorcerer that I used to love and to be honest even though that's probably being rude, looks a bit cheap.

The second thing is that this art style specifically reminds me of those cartoons that were incredibily shitty

Needless to stay, I didn't think those were very good cartoons.

I am not sure if you can see it. Maybe it's just me. In case you don't : it's absurdly geometric, the environment is simple, everything is weirdly angular and looking cheaply made, the colors are surrealistically vivid and reminds you at all times that yes, this is a children story. There is nothing in that one particular screenshot posted earlier that to me evokes Simon 1 & 2. It's possible that you have a very good puzzle design and a great story, but to me it still looks about as awkward as Simon the Sorcerer 3D.

My, my!
Sad to read that you think so poorly of the work so far.
We agree that they definitely don't look like the Simon 1 and 2 art, as you suggested we went for our own high res style. As much as we agree with you of how gorgeous pixel art is, we were dubious on how wide our audience would've been if we had gone that way.
In the end it was 50% a business decision.
Having said that though, we've received lot of praise on the backgrounds for their playful nature and design. I must confess that I'm surprise you find them angular and cheap, since some like Calypso's shop is very detailed and curvy.
((This is an old shot though with old characters that I'm linking from IndieDb))

The area where we received more negative feedback is the characters and we're working very hard on fixing that.
Somebody mentioned to drop the goatee. I know where you're coming from, even a few of the team members are not quite happy with it. We'll see KS ahead there's a lot of things we can still work on, like that.

"but to me it still looks about as awkward as Simon the Sorcerer 3D."
Oh, come on! Now you're just being mean

Thanks for the feedback. Much appreciated.

 

[WrongTarget]

Oh, sorry. One final note, if by the absurdly geometric you were referring to this screenshot (not sure)

Then mission accomplished! It's meant to be jarring. But that'd be a spoiler, so I'll shut up now. :D

 

[taxalot]

The calypso shop looks a lot better than this other shot, I grant you that. So, wait and see I guess !

 

[Dexter]

With Simon2 being probably my favorite Adventure game ever, those humorless German abominations broke my fucking heart. While Simon 3D was kinda shit in many ways, it at least still had that sense of humor to it.

From what I see here I really don't get the same vibe to it, the art style itself contributed to the game looking funny and adventurous, I especially loved the fantasy style mixed with contemporary stuff. Looking at this so far it looks... clinical and unappealing.

If it was up to me and even if pixel art was out I'd go with something more comic-y closer to say Discworld 2 or Deponia instead of sharp and clinical:

 

[Darth Slaughter]

This one actually looks great, but that quill is floating in front of the scale?

The characters are terrible, and I'm not meaning the goatee. Too many "brush" strokes, i can't quite say what it is, but they feel like it didn't have the same quality of the background. It's not cartoony, and it's not "realistic". Anyway it's a static shot, maybe it looks better animated.

 

[A horse of course]

Hi WrongTarget please don't send any review copies to Eurogamer or Rock Paper Shotgun. The reviewers there have hated the StS series since the days of PCGamer UK and will hate this one too (unless Simone is a vehicle for transphilic agitprop).

Also, ignore taxalot for insulting Winx Club.

 

[Lagole Gon]

Eh. Looks much better than Simon 4.

WrongTarget

Where is his ponytail?