Full motion video is re-surging in the video game market. These types of games may have gone away for a while, but it seems you can’t keep a potentially interesting game style down.
The latest in this line of games is Erica, a game that blends live-action set pieces and storytelling with player input. What sets this game apart is how the developers at Flavourworks are working to change the way we play these types of games.
This game will use the PlayStation 4’s PlayLink feature, wherein you use the touchscreen from a mobile device to interact with the game world, from brushing steam off a mirror to how heavily you open a door. According to the developers, Erica will even react if you open a door too fast or she thinks it may have been too loud.
Ultimately, Erica is built for the player to feel like they are watching a film but with control in places, something that is perfect for bigger groups who can discuss the correct course of action. The full extent of how we interact with the gameworld is unknown.
Erica tells the story of its namesake protagonist, who is contacted by an old family friend to help solve a murder case that may tie back to a traumatic event in her childhood. But the killer is also contacting Erica for reasons unknown; in the end the voice you choose to follow will alter the story.
Erica seems to follow Quantic Dream’s style of game with a live-action twist and some ideas that might change the way we approach games in the future.
You can check out the announcement trailer for Erica and a developer interview below:
