Gentle puzzler Unpacking gets PlayStation release date
Think outside the box.
For those keen to have a go at Eurogamer's Game of the Year for 2021 but have only had access to a PlayStation console and have therefore been unable to do so, I have good news. Unpacking will be coming to PS4 and PS5 on 10th May. Yay!
In addition to this news, Witch Beam artist Tim Dawson shared some more information about the real-life origins behind some in-game items on the PlayStation blog.
"People often describe the game as feeling very personal, and we think it is, but personal can mean different things," Dawson wrote.
"The items are personal to our main character, and let you learn about her and watch her develop over the course of the game. The items often have a personal connection to you, the player, as you encounter things that remind you of your own life or those people you know."
As well as these items being personal for the player and the character, these items also meant a lot to the development team.
"Part of making this game involved drawing on our own experiences and finding ways to add small details where we could," Dawson explained.
Items that Dawson specifically drew attention to in his post include the alarm clock (which will stay blank until you find a home for it, and then it will flash 1200 until you have an extra play around with it to change the time), the dragon plush (which Dawson revealed is actually a cameo from his old webcomic series) and the desktop computer with CRT monitor.
On this particular object, Dawson said: "Unpacking starts in 1997 and moves forwards through time, so you get to encounter wonderful moments like this level set in 2004 complete with a period-appropriate computer.
"Join us on a journey to the distant past where people still used cathode ray monitors without being a retro game enthusiast and bought and used cool mouse mats. Marvel at the sound of PC fans spinning up and thrill to receiving an instant message from your friends."
Personally, this is one item that certainly took me back! I can still hear that sound of my MSN Messenger sending its 'nudge' tone ringing through my parents' house. Ahh - Good times.
For more on Unpacking, check out Ed's interview with its creators, Wren Brier and Tim Dawson. Here, the duo chat all about developing their "weird", queer, BAFTA-winning game.