The White Chamber - PC/Indie
0This Game Sample (if you want to call it that) is for a sci-fi horror adventure game we showed a preview of back in February that sat on the backburner for several months. The reason? Soon after that video was shown, our previous computer bit the dust. The game was reacquired later, but by then, there were several other obligations to fulfill. It's probably for the best; the previous computer had difficulty capturing the game, whereas the latest computer we have is capable of capturing and running practically anything you can throw at it.
Anyway, "The White Chamber" is a short but interesting game by "Studio Trophis" originally designed as a university project, but later ambitiously expanded into a full game in 2005 using the "WinterMute Engine". It received various revisions and updates until it finally reached the status of "Definitive Edition", doubling the amount of endings the player could reach, translating the dialogue in nine different languages, and including spoken dialogue for virtually everything in the game (barring one statement as far as I've noticed). Over three dozen individuals actively participated in the development of the game, though the primary four were Richard Perrin (Producer / Designer, and a pretty smart guy), Paul Johnson (Artist / Animator), Zakir Rahman (Musician / Sound Engineer) and Jon Lawson (Public Relations). The game was reviewed positively by major outlets and publications, but was viewed less favorably by casual reviewers and gamers.
In the game, you play as a "female amnesiac" who has awakened in a coffin and is unsure of where she is, unsure of why she's where she is, and must discover what transpired and why things are the way they are. Along the way, she is tested physically, mentally and psychologically, with her decisions shaping the outcome of the game. From a technical standpoint, "The White Chamber" is artistically compelling, visually descriptive, and aurally competent. The game is drawn in a style similar to Japanese Anime and Manga, with bold spiky-haired characters that look fairly reminiscent to those found in Kazuki Takahashi's "Yu-Gi-Oh!" franchise and the music sets the mood, usually changing in tempo or tension as needed.
From a gameplay standpoint, "The White Chamber" is straightforward and "logical" (by gaming standards) as it follows many of the basic staples of the genre, although the game is seldom scary or believable (More WTF than OMG) in the sense that the heroine shows little range of emotion and several of her actions through the course of the game are questionable. For example, we are to believe that she collects random body parts for no reason (only at the end does she question this, rather than in the beginning) and can't carry a piece of meat, but can stuff over a dozen items in her pants including a decayed body, steel box, blanket, and heavy explosives? Nope. The game is contradictory at various points and the heroine's overly casual nature doesn't really help (like when she's getting electrocuted)... what's also odd is that the only other "character" that the player "interacts" with in the game displays a noteworthy degree of exasperation, fear, and conviction in his voice when appropriate... Phillip Sacramento (who voiced him) should've got an amateur "Golden Joystick Award".
Overall, the game is a fun indie title complete with easter eggs and neat extras, plus it's a solid debut title from Studio Trophis. As things currently are however, it's highly unlikely that the team will make any other games, much less a sequel to "The White Chamber" as the key members have gone their separate ways at the end of 2009. Richard Perrin however is still actively involved in game development and Paul Johnson's drawing abilities have improved considerably. They can be followed at:
http://www.lockeddoorpuzzle.com/site/
http://mightyotaking.deviantart.com/
You can still learn about Studio Trophis' other projects and download "The White Chamber" at:
http://www.studiotrophis.com/site/home
http://www.indiedb.com/games/the-white-chamber/downloads/the-white-chamber-17
This video shows the game in action, showing one of the game's conclusions.