Topic: Set Your Jaws to 'Drop': New Wii Game from French Development Team Announced

[Pittbboi]

Capucine

Check out the screens and art. You can definitely tell that the graphics are very "early build", but this game looks very, very promising. And I love the concepts they describe.

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Concept
Capucine is an exploration / adventure game, formulated as a tale and based on shadow and light opposition.

This game takes place in a fantastic universe where everything is dead. The player controls a child who holds a “capucine”. This flower enables her to survive in this desolated world. The little girl can hand on her own life to the surroundings thanks to a beam of light she can cast from her hand. To maintain life, water will be vital. However, the player must be careful not to animate the shadows of the surrounding elements. Indeed, animated shadows will try to steal the flower in order to prevent the child from accomplishing her destiny: revive the World.

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Philosophy
The main intention is to offer a quiet and disturbing gaming experience where the player explores the surroundings and solves riddles. During the adventure, we want the player to be fascinated by the world he discovers. We also want him to become attached to the main character. The gameplay and the interface must be easy to understand but not simplistic, in order to create an optimal immersion.

Capucine is based on four fundamental principles:

   * Give life rather than take it.
   * A unique gameplay element: the beam of light.
   * Build your own path.
  * The player creates his own enemies.

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FAQ

a) What kind of game is it?
Capucine is a third person exploration/adventure game formulated as a tale. The main character, Capucine, must reanimate the surroundings. Nevertheless, the player must be careful not to create shadow enemies.
b) Where does it take place?
The game takes place in a fantasy world where everything is dead. The sky, covered with shadows, immerses the world in a slight darkness, like on a full moon night.
c) Who is the main character we play?
The main character is an eight-year-old little girl. This child, called Capucine, can cast a beam of light from her right hand. In her left hand she holds a capucine flower (the French name for Nasturtium).
d) What is the main aim?
The aim is to cross the dead world to reanimate it thanks to the child’s power. The player must explore the surroundings, solve riddles and fight enemies.
e) What makes Capucine different from other games?
Contrary to most of the current market games, Capucine offers the player to give life rather than take it. Based on a simple gameplay focused on the multiple uses of the heroine’s ray of light, the game also uses a dynamic enemy creation system: shadows generated by the light beam are the enemies. Consequently, the way to play induces the frequency of the fights: if he doesn’t pay attention, the player may put the main character in danger.
f) What is the public?
The main target is a mixed public of young adults and adults:

   * Attuned to tales and fantastic stories.
   * Looking for a calm gaming experience.
   * With no time to be involved in a long game with complex gameplay.

g) Why is Capucine developed on Nintendo Wii?
The Nintendo Wii is different from other consoles on two aspects: the first one is the public, and the second one is the game pad. First, on the one hand, the Nintendo Wii targets a wide mixed public such as people used to video games but bored with classic games, and on the other hand, new players attracted by video games but disturbed by their complexity and their time-consuming aspect. Secondly, the Wiimote, the pad of the Nintendo Wii, enables a new gaming approach. The interface is based on body movement allowing a simpler handling by reducing the numbers of keys: it provides a natural way to aim and a better immersion feeling to the player.

This game definitely looks to be trying something new on the Wii, can't say I'm not excited. I see it doing for the Wii what Ico did for the PS2.
 

[GoldenPhoenix]

Wait I thought Ico didn't do that hot? So why would we want it to do for Wii what it did for PS2.  Anyway it does look interesting.

[Pittbboi]

Well, basically, I get the same vibe from this game that I got from Ico (and Shadow of the Colossus). The peaceful and eerie setting. The air of solitude around the character. The unique take on enemies (the player inadvertently creates them by giving life to the shadows). Hopefully it sells better, though.

[mantidor]

I can't see the video T_T, the rest looks interesting, but I still can't decide if the girl has a very distinct "art design" or if it simply was drawn by a five year old, I need to see that video.

[Pittbboi]

It's a quicktime imbedded video...hmmm

Anyway, the video is very eerie. The graphics and animation are still very "early build" but the trailer definitely arouses interest (especially with that soundtrack). Very Tim Burton.

[Bill Aurion]

More adventure games is good...

[Geech]

I may just be over-critical, but I wouldn't expect we'll ever see this game in stores. I've never even heard of anyone on this development team and the gmail and hotmail e-mail accounts don't do much to back them up. I'd be surprised if they ever find a publisher.

[Kairon]

It's Pittboi! Everybody RUN!!! ... wait...

oh shnaps this is a big quicktime video... or my dorm wireless is tres slow.

[IceCold]

For a "fantastical universe" the environments seem a bit generic.. but still, I'm definitely interested in the game.

[Adrock]

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Pittiboi wrote:
This game definitely looks to be trying something new on the Wii, can't say I'm not excited. I see it doing for the Wii what Ico did for the PS2.

What? Nothing?

Seriously, Ico flopped. I enjoyed it though. I loved the atmosphere and the presentation of the simple, yet surprisingly effective story.

The screens of Capucine are quite fugly. The land looks awfully bland and empty. In a way, it's just like Ico. However, Ico made great use of muted colors and lighting. Capucine, so far, lacks the charm and polish of Ico.

The game, based on some of the concepts revealed, shows some potential. It's hard for me to get excited for it though, but it might be a game to look out for.

[Pittbboi]

Well yeah, so far the game doesn't look that impressive visually (though, some of the lighting effects, like the moonlight on the trees, is definitely this-gen). I'm pretty sure these are from a very, very early build of the game that's more meant to show where the game is going and grab the attention of publishers than to be an indicator what the final product will look like. However, I can say in action the game does look a bit better. You can tell where they want the game to go (the trailer has a very epic, cinematic quality. Really, it's the massive potential this game has that's so exciting.

[ShyGuy]

The trees growing in the trailer were impressive

[GoldenPhoenix]

Pittbboi has been playing nice lately.

[denjet78]

The concept sounds very intriguing. From the description of the game I got a very vivid idea of what I thought the world was going to look like. Something like the art that has been released for Sadness or the Twilight Realm before bloom lighting invaded. Not necessarily black and white just something more sinister. The screen shots don't really mesh with that at all though; my interpretation or the description given. The world looks alive already. There's too much green.

I would have much preferred an almost cubist interpretation of the environment, filled with sharp twisted lines and dark wells filled with shadows everywhere. A fantasy world designed by, as someone mentioned the name already, Tim Burton.

It's a great idea, I just don't see it coming to fruition without some major backing.

[Dirk Temporo]

OH GOD THE BLOOM

[mantidor]

I finally saw the trailer, so yep, crappy girl design. The concept is great though and I hope we can see more of it in the future.

[Ceric]

That has to be just a place holder avatar.  It has not face.   Also I think the world is cool but I think the girl is to old for the premise of the story and how they seem to want to tell it.  Also where is the critters?  It all feels so static even in the footage where it seems like she has revived a good amount of the world.

[Terranigma Freak]

This game actually pushes quite a few shader effects from what I can tell. I'm pretty sure what you see there isn't bloom, but rather HDR. It's definitely a "next gen" lighting model.

[Bill Aurion]

The more I watch the trailer the more I like it...The graphics are early but for some reason they really fit with the kind of environment the dev team is going for...It's very mystical...

[Crimm]

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Originally posted by: Dirk Temporo
OH GOD THE BLOOM

True next gen'

[capamerica]

Looks pretty damn cool based on the early video.
I can't wait to see what the final game looks like.

Defiantly keeping my eye on this game.

[Adrock]

I just watched the trailer. It looks better in motion, though there are still plenty of poor textures and models. Sure, the game could look better by release, but if that's the case, don't show it until it's ready to be shown. It's interesting even if I'm not dying to see more.

[WuTangTurtle]

I don't know how HDR lighting or Bloom lighting works exactly but in terms of lighting in general, there seems to be a lack of it in the environments.  The trees don't seem to be accepting lights very well for example, everything seems to just be completely self-illuminated or unlit almost.

Also some of the trees look like @ss, then again most big devs have licensed out a tree generator program (simply add numbers, and push sliders around to make trees).

Overall I like the concept a lot, the re-animation mechanic is very refreshing.  I'd love to see how far they can take that mechanic and make a great game out of it.

[vudu]

Looks promising.  Anyone want to make any bets as to which game will come out first--this or Sadness?

If I might be so bold, I'd like to suggest Pittbboi include the name of the game in the thread title.  It will make finding and continuing this thread much easier when new information is released six months from now.

[Bill Aurion]

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Originally posted by: Adrock
I just watched the trailer. It looks better in motion, though there are still plenty of poor textures and models. Sure, the game could look better by release, but if that's the case, don't show it until it's ready to be shown. It's interesting even if I'm not dying to see more.

The point is to try and show off the concept to potential publishers...