As kindly linked by one of Pathologic’s developers in our comments thread, here’s the latest trailer for Tension, Ice-Pick’s intriguing next game. Er – it may be a bit NSFW, depending on whether you sit near to anyone who objects to soft-focus polygon boobies.
The hook is battle via painting, rather than gunplay, using a gesture system apparently similar to Black & White – though it seems rather more expanded and based on a system of visible, physicsy results in Tension’s dreamlike world, rather than simple spell-casting. It’s a fascinating, and at times beautiful, trailer, even if it doesn’t tell us all that much about what we’ll be doing. There’s perhaps as much to scoff at as there is to coo at, but given Quinns’ epic wordgasm about Pathologic, it’s safe to say this is a game we’ll all be following with some interest.
I was going to say something like ‘artful eroticism’, until it got to the tree-humping and giant wood phallus bit at the end. Still, it seems more dignified than the Witcher’s boobie content, eh? Second trailer beneath the cut.
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A game that features tree humping?
At last!
WTF did i just watch? “battle via painting…?” Oh please tell me there is the option to battle via interpretative dance?
Actually, now that you mention it . . . I’d totally play a game that revolved around a dance-based combat system.
Also: why the hell don’t any other games have environments like these? Right now, the only thing that stands in the way of my unbridled enthusiasm is the feeling that the particle effects could be a little more interesting.
I want a Princess Tutu: The Game!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHZqxecCukg
(it’s an anime with ballet and lots of classical music, and the video it’s full of spoilers)
I hope this gets released in English, it’s only signed for Eastern Europe so far apparently.
Some beautiful environments there, probably the best I’ve seen since Dreamfall.
It’s hard to tell exactly what the game is though, although that’s probably a good thing.
Oh my gosh, that game looks beautiful. I’m so happy that there are developers out there willing to take risks like that. I really hope it gets an English translation–I don’t really have the time to learn Russian.
Also, boobies.
This will never get a western release. The only chance is if the devs translate it themselves, and release it online. I can’t imagine any western publisher daring to release something like this.
That looks really cool.
Hmm, has potential for a cult following, but without knowing more I can’t be sure if theres more to say.
@fluffy bunny: In a comment in this here article on RPS one of the developers said that there will be a translation of the game.
And because I’m such a nice person (as anybody who knows me will surely tell you), I’ve even copied the comment for you and put it into a blockquote, so you don’t have to go looking for it yourself.
Here we go:
I’m not sure how to describe the settings being shown here, but I think they’re pretty fantastic.
Gorgeously desolate, maybe?
Must say I’m a little bit disappointed by the lack of supposed tree humping. It is the most openly sexual game I’ve ever seen, though.
Oh, and this bears surprisingly strong resemblance to sacrifice (gesture, style, etc.).
Well, it is a game about death and life. (Mostly.)
The Russian title of the game suits it better – Turgor. Look it up. It’s a metaphore. ;)
Is it just me or does everyone feel like they are watching the winner at assembly08 or something. All it needs is some bad pseudo poetry and an ASD logo
Okami: Thanks for the info. I hope they do get a publishing deal for western Europe/US, because this is definitely something I’d buy.
Reply to The_Archetype
Gorgeously desolate could be ascribed to Stalker, Pathalogic and Cryostasis at a push. Looks like this is what the Russians *do*.
Just like the Germans *do* in depth strategy.
Just like Koreans *do* grinding mmorpgs.
I’m still not sure the British *do*.
Reply to The_Archetype
Gorgeously desolate could be ascribed to Stalker, Pathalogic and Cryostasis at a push. Looks like this is what the Russians/former soviet block *do*.
Just like the Germans *do* in depth strategy.
Just like Koreans *do* grinding mmorpgs.
I’m still not sure what the British *do*.
It’s certainly nothing like traditional western desolation game settings which are essentially survival horrors.
Totally awesome awesomeness. After all, I also enjoy the demoscene. Such digital beauty and wonderful music.
Maybe Ice-Pick Lodge should send their trailers to Assembly08…
Heh, it’s true ‘Tension’ doesn’t quite do it. Since turgidity in that sense isn’t all that common in english I’m trying to think of something better.
Pressure?…hmm no
Tumescence? doesn’t really roll off the tongue
Engorge? too verby.
Sanguine? pretty good, strays a bit from the whole vegetable angle.
Hmm, just call it ‘Wood’ and have done with it, methinks
You guys are kidding me, right? This is a joke and I missed it, yeah?
I’ve not seen such ugly, low poly nonsense in many a year and having to watch another game that exists because the devs have a hard on for Okami is just nerve shredding.
Isn’t PC gaming supposed to be about pushing the boundaries of genres and making our virtual worlds more beautiful? Did I miss a memo?
This game looks rather nice (and I’m not talking about the nudity, just the graphics). However they seem to be taking it a bit too far with the nudity thing. As someone mentioned above, the particles could be a bit nicer. And for the end section I am finding it very hard not to make a “firecrotch” joke.
To quote Mr. Gillen, “fail”.
That end bit of chasing smoke-things around looks vaguely wonderful. I have no idea what was going with the drill man fight though…
Watching the trailers that looks to be right on the mark.
Fingers crossed.
@Howard
“making our virtual worlds more beautiful” doesn’t have to be just about poly pushing.
It looks like this is being about genre pushing anyway.
I like the second trailer, with its much lower percentage of random boobage and much higher percentage of ethereal strangeness and awesome music.
Though both make me anticipate this game eagerly.
I actually have no idea what happened in those trailers. There we some colors, and some naked women, and some tree-humping, and a giant drill-man.
Do those buildings give a Source and/or Viktor Antonov feel to anyone else?
What.
I mean. What.
Maybe it’s because it’s three in the morning, but I simply couldn’t process that on any intelligible level. Intriguing, yes. Confusing, very yes.
It’s like a series of entirely unreleated events all strung together in a video.
Yes, the buildings in the first (second-released) trailer really reminded me of HL2.
Well, uh… I guess it has more pole-dancing and “B-MOVIE PRODUCTIONS PRESENT ‘ROSE PETALS OF BLOOD’ STARRING TIA CARRERE”-esque shots than Witcher, but as to whether that makes it more dignified or not… *furrows brow*
A certain ‘inevitable-when-you’ve-got-a-small-art-department’ sameyness to the buildings aside, the game looks quite pretty, but who the heck knows how it plays or what it’s about… I’ll give it a chance when it shows itself, but I gotta say, I think very little of ‘gesture systems’ (a strange sentiment from a Streetfighter devotee, perhaps, but then, even in SF I’m lucky if I can unleash an intended special move on the first try…), so the game’s gonna have to pull off something pretty fresh to pull me in.
that engine looks a bit sourcey imo
@Howard
Damn right – that looks a bit rubbish to me.
Umm…come on…find something nice to say…errr…a couple of the environments looked nice?
If it’s all about beautiful graphics to you, you should just go watch the 3DMark demos or something.
As for Tension, the trailer piques my curiosity but I’d be more interested in reading a little about what the game is about, what it is attempting to do, etc.
And, erm, Sitting Round At Home, You Know You Can’t Help It, I Believe, in A Different Kind of Tension.
/coat
Not enough shiney sheep. 0/10
After reading through that whole Pathologic write-up, I’m willing to give this thing the benefit of the doubt. I think the seemingly needless nudity may prevent Tension from being taken entirely seriously. Sure they’re only wearing slightly less than a lot of female game characters, it may even be more tasteful, but nudity creates different assumptions.
Also that girl in the second trailer really needs a sweater, though she may be all set if she’s the village glass cutter.
I really like the painting with different colors mechanic. That’s awesome.
Er, I object to tree-humping unless it’s absolutely necessary to the plot.
The music that starts at ~2:00 into the second trailer sounds an awful lot like music from the 1UP Show. Still, it works really well with the amazingly ethereal and surrealist visuals Tension’s got going on.