At the Tokyo Game Show, I went hands-on with INTERSCAPE, an all-new cinematic and surreal action title from ROOMTONE Games. This is a game from a tiny team, just ten developers in size, and it’s shaping up to be something special. It’s inspired by Christopher Nolan’s most iconic works, and it takes a mind-bending concept and throws you into something truly immersive.
I came away from my INTERSCAPE preview safe in the knowledge that this game will make waves. It’s like a combination of Control, Interstellar, and Inception, but despite those influences, it manages to bear a unique identity that has made it one of my most memorable experiences from this year’s Tokyo Game Show.
INTERSCAPE is Already Winning Awards
INTERSCAPE entered a prestigious showcase at the Tokyo Game Show this year, emerging as one of the SELECTED INDIE 80 titles. More importantly, it received the Gold Award in the lineup, standing firm as one of just eight games in the run to secure that accolade.
I sat down to play INTERSCAPE because the game’s art caught my eye as I roamed the show floor in Tokyo. I wasn’t sure what to expect, and at first blush, the core concept confused me. It took a discussion with the studio’s CEO, Dongwook Kim, to really understand what was happening.
But with an explanation, it all falls into place.
Imagine a world with everyone trapped inside an inescapable network of dreams. What seemed like a revolutionary technology turned out to be a nightmare, sucking in humanity’s collective dreamscape, with a mysterious black sphere, akin to a black hole, soaking up these endless experiences, each represented as its own world.
You assume control of Agent K, a unique persona with a powerful ability to dive into the dreams of others, cutting through worlds and leaping into a mix of settings to try to unravel the shadowy mystery at the heart of all things. Each dream is exclusive, bearing new abilities, archetypes, and challenges, and it’s up to you to contend with a twisted web of nightmares to save humanity.
For instance, the demo I explored took me from an Interstellar-style ‘tesseract’ setting to a 1920’s noir-style thriller, fighting suited goons in what could have been a replication of New York from days gone by. The palette was monochromatic, but the dreamscape kept things from being plain, with the chaos becoming increasingly apparent as the mission pushed on.
I can see the story behind INTERSCAPE becoming something quite impressive. As I spoke to Dongwook Kim, ROOMTONE’s CEO, I learned that the game would be made up of dramatically different dreams, each offering a totally separate perspective and way to play.
There are a few things that really stood out to me from the INTERSCAPE preview.
First, the combat is hugely satisfying, offering a mix of hand-to-hand combat and ranged attacks. The particular dream I was in saw me wielding a large key as a weapon, and I could fling it at certain surfaces to twist and stretch the map, using the setting as both an offensive and defensive tool.
Then there’s the dialogue, which felt genuine and laced with humor. I didn’t get too much time with the characters, but the trio of Hana, Agent K, and Void represented some good chemistry.
I also liked the movement. The puzzle-solving elements I saw were pretty basic and revolved mostly around traversal, with some light parkour being thrown in for good measure as you make your way around a world that’s warping around you as the dream shifts and ebbs.
It kind of feels like Control and Control: Resonant in how you move through each environment and fight enemies across alternating planes.
INTERSCAPE has been in development for a good couple of years, and everywhere it has gone, it has drawn a lot of interest. The Tokyo Game Show has arguably proven to be the brightest spotlight for the game thus far. I’m glad I found it out there on the extremely packed show floor, as it wound up finding a spot on my wishlist immediately after the demo wrapped.
It’s worth also highlighting that the game will be coming to PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and XBOX Game Pass.
If you’re interested, you can wishlist it now on Steam and wait for more news. Let us know on the Insider Gaming Discord server if INTERSCAPE seems like your kind of game.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that ATOM RPG 2 is poles apart from the first game. Also, don’t forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter
Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
More from Grant Taylor-Hill
Comments