Today, Danish game developer IO Interactive confirmed the nearly two-year-old rumor that it’s working on an online fantasy roleplaying game.
While the blog post does not go into any concrete details about the game other than it being a new IP, the article stresses that it’s an entirely new journey for all the IO Interactive offices across the world and one that many developers had been waiting a long time to undertake. Indeed, a couple of years ago, IOI CEO Hakan B. Abrak candidly said the unannounced universe (other than Project 007, which is likely to come out sooner) was a ‘love child’ and something that the core staff at the company had been dreaming about for quite some time.
This excitement certainly shows in the brief but poignant interviews with some of the key people at IO Interactive who are working on the online fantasy RPG.
Tova Nystrom, Junior Gameplay Animator:
I think when it comes to fantasy, there is not as many rules you have to follow. You can kind of let your imagination run wild and exaggerate expression in general with animation. I get a lot of inspiration from everyone I’m working with because everyone has such a burning passion for fantasy, and this has been something a lot of us have been wanting to work on for very long. Now, when we finally get the chance to try something new, we kind of reconnect with the child who always loved the fantasy movies and games, and now we’re creating our own version of that.
Esben Rasmussen, Art Director:
All of our colleagues are fantasy friends and have it as hobbies and interests, so when you are working on a fantasy game you can bring those past experiences and interests into whatever you’re sitting and working with. There’s lots of creative freedom, lots of responsibility and trust that is being instilled in you.
I think some of the specific challenges and the responsibility that I have for this project has pushed me to create the best work that I’ve created in my entire career. I can’t wait to show the world more of it. Some of the innovations that we’re doing and how we are pushing the limit on this project are elements that I’m not really able to share with you at the moment. But there are familiar elements combined with new ones that I don’t think we have quite seen in a game.
Stephanie Pecaoco, Producer:
My interest in fantasy started from the day I was born, I think, and it grew from the day I started reading books and watching fantasy films with my father. He was the one who really brought me into this genre.
When I was being interviewed at IO Interactive, the producer that was interviewing me asked me to try out the game, and when I did, I was blown away. I want this game out there, out in the world. That’s why I signed up.
Joshua Smith, Lead Sound Designer:
We’re trying to create something that I think doesn’t exist in this space currently. It’s a world where we’re going to allow you to be things you could never be.
Clement Linel, Senior AI Programmer:
I think what’s appealing about this project is having this mix of both starting anew as it’s a brand new world and at the same time relying on existing tech that has been developed over many games. This is not the studio’s first game at all and their technology is very mature.
The last comment in particular pretty much confirms that IO Interactive will be using the Glacier engine seen in the HITMAN installment, although certainly optimized and tweaked for the needs of this specific project.
It may be a while before the so-called Project Fantasy is released (presumably on PC and Xbox, according to the original rumor), but we’ll be sure to keep a watchful eye on any rumors or news in the meantime.
