Mixing the grim despair found in worlds like that of Dark Souls and wrapping it around the framework of Beyond Good & Evil’s blend of stealth, combat, and exploration, I was smitten with Ghost of a Tale before I finished watching its teaser footage.
Unfortunately, it’s still only halfway towards its Indiegogo funding target with just 10 days to go on its campaign timer.
We can help it along.
This is a project that should succeed, it has so many elements to recommend it: it’s the passion-project of Dreamworks’ former animation director Lionel Gallet, responsible for Despicable Me and The Lorax; it’s a small, focused project that is unlikely to spiral off into development hell; it’s set in a stunning world, one teased with horror, populated with lumbering, grim creatures; and its play sounds to be a varied mix of brutal combat, stealth, and puzzle solving.
Yet, of its €45,000 target it’s only just crept over €23,000. While €45,000 is no small amount of money, the quality of animation and artwork in the footage released so far is not to be sniffed at. Doubly so when you take into account it’s the work of one man and in only four months of development. The money Gallet is asking for is to fund the purchase of software licenses, commission for a composer, and to keep him going till the game’s 2014 release window.
If this is the work of four months I’m excited to see what could be done in another twelve.
Since launching the campaign Gallet’s released some character videos showing the creatures that inhabit the island Periclave in sharper relief.
First, our hero:
The lumbering Undead Rat:
A spearman Frog:
And, the all-important mud crab:
So, if you want to see Ghost of a Tale come to fruition you best head on over and back the thing. If you aren’t able to do that, upvote it on Steam Greenlight.