In this issue of Mr. PSVR’s Interview Corner, we talk with Sabastian of Red Limb Studio and look into the world of Rise of Insanity. A first-person psychological horror game that originally was not built for Virtual Reality, but was later added. Set in America in the 1970s, the story focuses on Dr. Stephen Dowell, a renowned psychologist faced with a difficult patient who shows distinct, yet contradictory symptoms of different medical disorders. But we also get into more of the mystery and the world of Dr. Stephen Dowell. Is it true what they say, that you truly cannot understand someone until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes?
Hello and welcome to The PlayStation Brahs. Can you please introduce yourself and let us know what a typical day like for you is like at Red Limb Studio?
“Hello, I’m Sebastian, one of the Rise of Insanity gameplay programmer and designer, there is also Franciszek our main programmer and head of Red Limb Studio, Adam also the originator of RLS – magician who can make almost everything looks more beautiful in Unity engine, and last but not least Krzysztof responsible for PR and marketing.
Our day is mostly a common day in the office besides we work more than 8 hours and after that we make 1h break. In this time, we do some physical work out and play music instruments. Just to give rest for our brains and spines.”
Are there any other projects or games you have been a part of that gamers might be aware of?
“We have made little game (our first) only for VR called The Purge Day. Was quite popular back in the days on Samsung Gear VR platform. And now we are working on something special, so stay tuned :)”
Rise of Insanity launched recently for the PlayStation VR, can you give us some backstory about the characters and the story?
“Set in America in the 1970’s, the story centers around Dr. Stephen Dowell, a renowned psychologist faced with a difficult patient who shows distinct yet contradictory symptoms of different mental disorders.
The life of the doctor himself is also shrouded in mystery – you must step into his shoes to find out the truth. There is also Susan Dowell – Stephen wife and little Teddy. I can’t tell you more without spoilers :)”
Originally Rise of Insanity was not made for VR, was there always some thought about bringing it to VR or was it more of a let’s see type of an idea?
“Yes, we always thought about bringing it to VR. That was our main goal after launching Early Access on Steam.”
What did you find to be the most surprising aspect when working with Rise of Insanity and VR?
“We can all agree that the most surprising aspect was to find out how to get rid of motion sickness and asset optimization.”
Do you feel that horror and VR is the perfect combination compared to non-VR?
“Yeah, VR plus horror games equals an unforgettable experience. You can immerse in games world like nowhere else
Is there anything you learned with working with PlayStation VR compared to other platforms as far as obstacles or surprises that maybe you were not expecting?
“Porting game from PC version to console and most importantly to VR version is associated with many technological aspects (boring things 😛 ) but there is big difference between XBox and PS. On PS, you have regions that are culturally different and the steps you need to go through to release game on store are different.
VR is a new way to play and experience games, where do you see VR in like 5 – 10 years?
“We hope there will be an antigravity chamber and people will step into it with suits that will allow you to feel almost everything.”
If you could tell someone who was looking to get into VR three things, what would they be?
- Only VR allows you to play games while on the move – no more sitting.
- It is an experience that you will not experience anywhere else.
- Very addictive :P”
With the library of PlayStation VR games and experiences growing, what would you say to someone looking for that new game or experience and why they should get Rise of Insanity?
“Captivating story, beautiful locations, easy gameplay, what more could you want? Don’t be scared :)”
I really want to thank Sabastian of Red Limb Studio for taking the time out of his schedule, his thoughts on Virtual Reality, and a closer look into Rise of Insanity.
Rise of Insanity is out now on PlayStation VR and is also available on Steam.
Also, check out the review.
To learn more about Red Limb Studio, please visit their site, like them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, and subscribe to their YouTube channel.
In case you missed the trailer, please enjoy.
