Song in the Smoke

Song in the Smoke is a survival game, created from scratch with virtual reality sets in mind. The game was developed by 17-Bit studio, having in its portfolio such positions as GALAK-Z and Skulls of the Shogun.

Plot

Song in the Smoke takes us on a journey to a fantastic world. During the game we play as the protagonist, who travels towards a gigantic tree on the horizon, guided by visions of a strange shaman. The journey is not an easy one, and in order to survive it, the protagonist must fight for life and learn new things every day.

Mechanics

In Song in the Smoke the action was shown from a first person perspective (FPP). The game gives us a vast, picturesque land, which we can freely wander. We can find grassy plains, dense forests and snowy mountain peaks.

The game world is populated by a variety of creatures resembling animals or dinosaurs. While many of them are relatively easy targets, such as deer, which are a great source of meat (and thus food) for the hero, there are predators, which require special preparation. To knock down one of them, we need to equip ourselves with the best possible weapons, and during the clash we have to show off both dexterity and reflexes to make timely evasions and effective counterattacks. We can also attack our victims by surprise, sneaking behind their backs and hiding in the forest thicket or tall grass.

We craft our equipment ourselves by acquiring the required resources and making use of the extensive crafting system. The latter allows not only for supplying the protagonist with new weapons and improving the weapons he already possesses, but also for creating clothes, among other things. Survival elements present in the game include the need to eat and drink, as well as to set up camp in safe places, or even light fires after dark (to scare predators). The protagonist may also fall ill or get poisoned, and the return to full health requires the preparation of appropriate medicine. It should also be added that, although dangers may lurk in the darkness, from time to time it's worth to find the courage, pick up a torch and try your hand at night exploration, because after sunset the chances of finding extremely valuable resources increase.

Song in the Smoke makes use of the potential of not only virtual reality goggles (we look around by moving our head), but also dedicated motion controllers. With the help of the latter we use a bow, strike with a cold weapon, start a fire using a primitive flint (if it's possible to call two stones which we strike against each other until a spark appears), eat (by bringing the controller close to our mouths), or finally produce items from obtained resources.

Technical aspects

The graphic design of Song in the Smoke was kept in a characteristic cartoon style. It was designed by Katsuya Terada - a Japanese illustrator whose portfolio includes such productions as the first instalments of The Legend of Zelda series and the anime Blood: The Last Vampire.