Seven: The Days Long Gone - Thief-inspired isometric action-RPG from former CD Projekt devs

[Great Deceiver]

29. Bloom
The bloom will melt your eyes off.

 

[toro]

Was this game always cell shaded?

It seems so. Watch the older clips.

 

[Infinitron]

Looks like this game is shaping up: http://cogconnected.com/preview/seven-the-days-long-gone-preview/

E3 2017: Seven: The Days Long Gone Preview – Redefining Isometric RPGs
Seven: The Days Long Gone Preview

In collaboration with developer Fool’s Theory, developer and publisher IMGN.PRO promises to redefine the genre with their upcoming isometric RPG, ‘Seven: The Days Long Gone.’ Set in a sci-fi fantasy world described as ‘beyond post-apocalyptic’, players inhabit the role of ‘Teriel’, a lone traveler turned thief, who freely explores the sandbox world of the Vetrall Empire. Last week at E3, I sat down with two of the game’s developers to catch a glimpse of gameplay.

The demo begins in the high tech metropolis of ‘Hallard’, capital of The Vetrall Empire and headquarters of the tyrannical Emperor Drugan. The world is nonlinear, vast, and brimming with monsters and magic. Player freedom is at the core of Seven. Built from the ground up via the power of Unreal Engine 4, the game features an impressive parkour mechanic that enables players to freely climb up or across any obstacle, regardless of height. As a master of thievery, Teriel can complete a variety of quests and form relationships with a plethora of the city’s inhabitants. From scaling massive buildings, breaking and entering, and plundering valuable trinkets, Teriel proudly leads a life of crime. Following a period of loot seeking and pickpocketing, Teriel accepts a challenging job that leads him to the treacherous island of Peh; which serves as a massive prison housing Vetrall’s most fearsome criminals, monsters, and enemy factions. Along the way, Teriel crosses paths with a mysterious individual who plants a demon in his head named ‘Artanak.’ With a newfound mission in hand and a demonic companion possessing his mind, Teriel sets off for the dreaded island.

Upon arriving to Peh, the open world exploration and gameplay sincerely begin to shine. From physical aesthetics to play style, Teriel is fully customizable. Enemies can be engaged in head-on confrontations, silently slain through a stealthy approach, or avoided entirely; all with a myriad of weapons and magical abilities at your disposal. As you level up, Teriel can be geared more toward a brawler, or a swift, silent assassin. Considering he’s a thief, we stuck to a silent approach. I’m an avid fan of stealth games like Splinter Cell, Deus Ex, Hitman, and Dishonored. Inspirations from the aforementioned are prevalent in Seven. Similar to Eidos Montréal’s Thief, there are multiple ways to approach every objective. Enemies are dangerous in numbers; which was exemplified when one of the devs struggled to defeat more than two of them at once. It’s an aspect I considerably admire as it raises the stakes when sneaking around enemy strongholds. Should you be caught, it could mean certain doom, depending on your character build.

Though reluctant to share many story details, IMGN.PRO certainly exhibited some stellar open world traversal and stylish kills, complemented by a terrific score produced by The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt composer, Marcin Przybyłowicz. In addition to Marcin, a few of the devs behind The Witcher 3 are contributing to the world and quest design of Seven. As an ardent fan of CD Projekt RED’s critically acclaimed RPG, I’m excited to see more. Seven: The Days Long Gone teases a promising experience for RPG fans. The setting, player freedom, and isometric approach provide a unique twist on gameplay I’ve grown to love through a collection similar titles. A release date has yet to be determined, but if what I’ve shared intrigues you, be sure to stay tuned to COGconnected for more info as it approaches.

http://maroonersrock.com/2017/06/e3-2017-seven-days-long-gone-much-meets-eye/

E3 2017 – Seven: The Days Long Gone – Much More Than Meets The Eye

Seven: Days Long Gone was a bit of a surprise to me when I got the chance to see it back at E3. When I was told it was an isometric open world RPG, I was a slightly skeptical as isometric open world doesn’t seem ideal. Luckily, I was proven wrong once I got to see what exactly developers IMGN.PRO were actually trying to achieve. Now what I ended up seeing was still part of the pre-beta, so we still have to wait a little bit to see this game. The ambition of the developers is what I enjoyed the most, as they want to take this isometric RPG style and still make it feel like someone is playing a full 3D open world adventure game.



Seven has the player take on the role of Teriel, a master thief who takes on a job that goes haywire very early on. The developers did mention that because Teriel is already a master assassin, his skills are already given to the player. The best way to become more powerful is through the gear and not levelling up. Density is the key word to use when trying to explain IMGN.PRO’s ambition. The levels in the game are not what one would normally see in the genre. When I think of an isometric RPG, I think of a straight up flat environment to kill tons of bad guys. This is not the case with Seven, as verticality is spread throughout, in which the developers even promised: if you can see it, you can go there. The help of Unreal Engine 4 really can drive this title to something truly special.

When viewing the demo I really did get a sense this was a game someone could play even if they aren’t a fan of this particular genre. Upon first glance one can easily see how much the Assassin’s Creed series has had an influence on Seven. The main character usually wears a hood when he goes into stealth mode, so they definitely aren’t shy about their inspirations. Also, like the Assassin’s Creed series, there is the option of stealth or action. From what I saw in the demo, it looks like it will be a constant mix of both. I saw basic stealth elements in which enemies have a certain field of vision to take advantage of. Other than that the stealth mechanics didn’t seem all that game changing. Now this is still a pre-beta, so certain aspects such as visuals and framerate will not be at full power yet. However, I did see the hit boxes seem to be off while engaged in open combat. There were too many instances where a hit should have landed but for some reason many of them did not register. Once again, this is still a pre-beta so there is still much room for improvement.



One of the big selling points that is getting Seven a lot of attention is that some of the developers on the team are actually from CD Projekt Red (from the excellent Witcher series). That being said, I’m thrilled to know that some of the developers who worked on Witcher 3 are focusing mainly on the missions of the game. Witcher 3 was revolutionary in how it approached side missions, so this is something to look forward to and help us sink hours into this game if done right. Going off that, the open world is surprisingly huge. I was baffled by how enormous and diverse the entire map was, as there were so many activities and missions to tackle. It must be said that because this is an isometric RPG, the engine is able to run a lot more. This can give the developers a lot more room to add to the already dense open world. We still don’t have a release date, which I’m happy to hear IMGN.PRO isn’t rushing it out. With the promise of a choice driven narrative on top of a huge open world, this is a title gamers should keep an eye out for.

 

[Quillon]

What's with Polish devs & RPG redefining?

 

[ArchAngel]

OK this is cool but I would love one that lets you be a mage with d&d type spells and lets you go wild with smart use of spells to solve quests and problems.. maybe in some future..

 

[undecaf]

Having only read those last E3 quotes... Is this one of those games that are said to be RPG's because it sounds cool marketingwise, and because there're some elements more or less vaguely reminiscent of RPGs (like inventory, freedom of movement, dialog options, possibly some c&c...)?

 

[PulsatingBrain]

in which the developers even promised: if you can see it, you can go there.

Spoiler

Peekaboo!

 

[V_K]

I would love one that lets you be a mage with d&d type spells and lets you go wild with smart use of spells to solve quests and problems.. maybe in some future..

Quest for Glory was released 30 years ago.

 

[ArchAngel]

I would love one that lets you be a mage with d&d type spells and lets you go wild with smart use of spells to solve quests and problems.. maybe in some future..

Quest for Glory was released 30 years ago.

Nah, not what I am looking for. I want open world isometric but with lots of spells that let you do stuff like fly, teleport, charm, dominate, go invisible, set traps, summon creatures and the rest. Make it full real time so there is some effort involved with timely casting of spells but you only control one character, the followers and summons use some fairly basic AI (defend you or attack anyone in range or follow).
Something like NOX but more open world and with all the non direct damage spells of D&D implemented as well.

 

[Modron]

Nah, not what I am looking for. I want open world isometric but with lots of spells that let you do stuff like fly, teleport, charm, dominate, go invisible, set traps, summon creatures and the rest. Make it full real time so there is some effort involved with timely casting of spells but you only control one character, the followers and summons use some fairly basic AI (defend you or attack anyone in range or follow).
Something like NOX but more open world and with all the non direct damage spells of D&D implemented as well.

Well Arcanum has all that minus flying but yeah pretty high expectations will rarely be met.

 

[ArchAngel]

Nah, not what I am looking for. I want open world isometric but with lots of spells that let you do stuff like fly, teleport, charm, dominate, go invisible, set traps, summon creatures and the rest. Make it full real time so there is some effort involved with timely casting of spells but you only control one character, the followers and summons use some fairly basic AI (defend you or attack anyone in range or follow).
Something like NOX but more open world and with all the non direct damage spells of D&D implemented as well.

Well Arcanum has all that minus flying but yeah pretty high expectations will rarely be met.

A person needs to have dreams

 

[V_K]

Well Arcanum has all that minus flying

...and very little use for any of it.

 

[Infinitron]

https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/showcase/traversing-convention-in-seven-the-days-long-gone

Traversing Convention in Seven: The Days Long Gone

While isometric RPGs have made a comeback in recent years, they tend to be defined by classic expectations; modernized throwbacks to an earlier age of turn-based, tabletop-inspired gameplay.

With Seven: The Days Long Gone, Fool's Theory and IMGN.PRO look to challenge classic conventions, giving players the extensive character development expected of an isometric RPG, but also giving them the choice between stealth and real-time combat combined with the freedom of parkour-inspired movement in an open world.

Co-developing Seven: The Days Long Gone with IMGN.PRO, Fool's Theory may be a young studio, but the team's prior experience on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt means they certainly know a thing or two about creating an amazing RPG.

What was the inspiration behind the creation of Seven: The Days Long Gone?

Quest Designer, Karolina Kuzia-Rokosz - We wanted to pay homage to classic isometric RPGs with a rich, mature, and story-driven world. Two of our biggest inspirations in achieving that were the book series "The Gentleman Bastards" by Scott Lynch and "The Broken Empire Trilogy" by Mark Lawrence.

You also cite Thief as an inspiration. What did that game mean to you and why does it still resonate with people today?

Project Lead, Jakub Rokosz - With its in-depth stealth component, Thief was something of a trendsetter back in the day. Mechanics such as hiding in the shadows, snuffing out lights, being aware of noise propagation, and distracting your enemies are all prevalent in modern titles. Most importantly, the Thief series placed emphasis on stealth over unconcealed aggression.

Tell us about the RPG elements of gameplay. How will players be able to define and develop the main character?

Project Lead, Jakub Rokosz - The protagonist's development is item-oriented. Players will be able to insert special components into the dedicated skill chip that Teriel has in his head. This chip will act as a hub for currently implemented skills, allowing the player to easily switch their skills on the fly. Apart from that, you are able to acquire a plethora of items by any means necessary, and craft upgrades for your weapons and armor.

Why did you choose to use an isometric viewpoint, and how did that influence other areas of the game?

Project Lead, Jakub Rokosz - We're all big fans of the classic isometric RPGs, because we love how the perspective makes it feel like you're looking at a beautiful, shifting diorama. But we always felt that there was more that could be done with the style, and it was about time someone experimented with the formula.

Two things that stood out as being particularly limiting in existing isometric RPGs were the invisible walls and being stuck on a single horizontal place, so we decided to implement multi-layer levels with unobstructed climbing. When we established that as the dynamic we wanted from our movement, real-time combat was the obvious choice, although we did experiment with a turn-based system for a while.

The environments are particularly eye-catching; familiar, yet exotic. Tell us more about the setting and the design influences behind the world.

Art Director, Krzysztof Mąka - We've always had a weakness for stylized graphics in games, and taking that approach allows us to show off our talents much more than a photorealistic approach would. Plus, what is photorealistic today will be outdated a few years from now due to technological progress. Stylized aesthetics age more slowly, so even older games can still look beautiful today. This also gives us creative freedom to establish the rules of Seven's world and how things work.

The setting can be described as "beyond-post-apocalyptic." We draw the most inspiration from literature, because we believe there are only a few games with similar world creation. The aforementioned "Gentleman Bastards" and "The Broken Empire" book series had huge influences on us. Ancient technology in those books is something mysterious and incomprehensible. People are using it as much as they are able, but their beliefs and lifestyles correspond more to medieval times, hence the feeling that the world of Seven is something familiar, yet exotic. We're all used to post-apocalyptic, science-fiction, and fantasy as individual settings, but in our opinion, their fusion is a breath of fresh air.

The combination of open-world design and parkour-inspired movement must create some significant level design challenges. How much freedom do players have to go where they please?

Lead Level Designer, Krzysztof Mąka - The biggest challenge for the level design team was the construction of open, multi-layered levels in a way that will not hinder the camera's field of view. It is imperative that the camera can be rotated 360 degrees. On top of that, the gameplay is characterized by unlimited exploration, a fair dose of sneaking, and dynamic real-time combat. These features required us to take an approach to level construction and camera handling that we don't think has been seen in any other isometric RPG to date.

After experimenting with a lot of ideas like different outlines and vignettes, we implemented a couple of different systems to allow the player seamless exploration and a clear view of the path ahead and below. One of these systems is an integrated, dynamic clip mask that hides any static mesh that happens to be between your character and the camera. The other is a custom building-outline system that handles floor visibility when exploring the interiors of ruins or buildings.

Did you have prior experience using Unreal Engine, and why did you choose to use it for this project?

Project Lead, Jakub Rokosz - We were prototyping for a couple of years on Unreal Development Kit (UDK). Because of UDK's inaccessible source code, working with the engine required a lot of workarounds to make our vision come true. Fortunately, Unreal Engine 4 came out around the time when we secured funding for Seven. We made the switch instantly. Its open architecture, Blueprints, and the ability to prototype quickly were key elements in the decision.

Was there a feature of UE4 that proved particularly useful or even surprising during development?

Animation and Physics Programmer, Rafał Jarczewski - The existing navigation mesh system and its architecture gave us the opportunity to implement a system for advanced climbing mechanics and ledge regeneration. Expanding the automatic navigation building process for additional gathering, and marking ledge-like areas, minimized the requirement for hand placement annotations. Furthermore, dynamic navigation regeneration sped up the whole process significantly.

Seven: The Days Long Gone was recently given the Unreal Underdog award at E3. What was your reaction upon winning?

Quest Designer, Karolina Kuzia-Rokosz - Happiness! We're delighted that all of our hard work is being recognized. We're also very proud. This is a deeply personal project for us, so it's extremely gratifying to receive validation that we're going in the right direction.

Where should players go to follow Seven: The Days Long Gone and learn more?

www.seven-game.com is our official website. All upcoming news will be posted there. You can also add Seven: TDLG on Steam to your wishlist.

 

[HoboForEternity]

It couls be good like shadow tactics with rpg like elements. Wont be a real rpg from that description mechanics wise, only item based character progression and how the game is structured, but it is an interesting and have potential

 

[Infinitron]

 

[Abu Antar]

 

[twincast]

Dat dialogue.

Pretty, though. And some nitpicks aside, the gameplay seems nice as well.

 

[Quillon]

Levels look too cramped in & chaotic with a bit too vertical cam angle, not as vertical as Expeditions Viking's cam tho. Combined with the art style & color palette, very hard on my eyes.

 

[LESS T_T]

Release date is December 1st:



Pre-order on GOG and Humble:
https://www.humblebundle.com/store/seven-the-days-long-gone
https://af.gog.com/game/seven_the_days_long_gone?as=1649904300

 

[toro]

The game is 17 potatos on certain sites. I think they know they have a stinker but they need to get it out the door.



You are a master thief with Dishonored powers. Meh.

 

[ArchAngel]

Or more like in isometric view with very open ended map (unlike Dishonored) it can be a very fun gameplay experience.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

Game looks popamole as hell. Hide in grass, Press X for win.

Next.

 

[Sacibengala]

Seems cool, but that color palette, what a waste.

 

[AwesomeButton]

As long as combat is easier than stealth, your game is not a stealth game.

Also, you seem to be unable to hide bodies, which if true, is a telltale sign that the AI doesn't register seeing them.

 

[Infinitron]

http://twinfinite.net/2017/10/seven-days-long-gone-interview/

Seven: The Days Long Gone Director Talks Game Design and Life After AAA Development; Full Q&A

THE WORLD OF VETRALL: IMMERSION, LORE, GAME DESIGN

After several years of development, Seven: The Days Long Gone is closing in on its launch day — it was announced last week that the open-world role-playing game will be launching Dec. 1 for PC via Steam and GoG.

The collaborative effort between studios IMGN. PRO and Fool’s Theory has attracted attention for its unusual blend of exploration, parkour, and stealth played from an isometric perspective. And not least because the latter team is largely comprised of former CD Projekt RED staff who opted to leave the studio following the release of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Seven: The Days Long Gone is their debut title, the brainchild of two teams newly armed with the creative freedom to imagine their own fantasy epic.

Twinfinite had the chance to speak with the game’s director, Jakub Rokosz (Fool’s Theory), and its composer, Marcin Przybyłowicz, to find out a bit more about the world of Seven and the depth we can expect from its mechanics and design. We were also keen to better understand the inception of the studio, and hear Jakub’s thoughts on trading AAA for independent development.

Alex Gibson from Twinfinite: CRPGs have been using the isometric perspective for years, and there are well-established franchises that have continued this trend in modern gaming. Do you feel that the parkour and stealth elements to Seven’s gameplay are enough to make it stand apart from popular titles such as Divinity Original Sin and Diablo III?

Jakub Rokosz: We understand that Seven will be compared to games like that because of its isometric perspective, but we believe that our game is original enough to stand out from the crowd. We always wanted to respect the isometric RPGs that we’re so fond of, but see Seven as being a breath of fresh air within the genre. The main way we do this is by giving the player freedom of movement and choice in the game world.

Twinfinite: When conceptualizing Seven, were mechanics like stealth and parkour part of a brainstorming process specific to this project or are these gameplay mechanics you’ve always wanted to see incorporated into a role-playing game?

Rokosz: Yes and no. Parkour was always planned, and stealth naturally emerged from it, as well as the 360-degree rotatable camera, but all of those features were more or less means to achieve the goal we set before ourselves. Our main focus was to give freedom of movement to the player, so most importantly: no invisible walls, no place unclimbable. I always hated the feeling of being stuck to the ground in old RPGs, or seeing an awesome vista while progressing through hell in Diablo, but being unable to go there.

For me, the most irritating feeling I experienced while playing an RPG was encountering a decoration made of millions of gold coins and treasure chests, but that are only static objects; you could only loot the single chest that was in the “playable zone.” While making Seven, it wasn’t really a matter of incorporating parkour into the genre but giving the player the freedom to do, loot, and explore whatever areas they want. Parkour was the best means of doing that.

Twinfinite: Seven’s aesthetic catches the eye for its blend of sci-fi and fantasy. In the lore of Seven’s world, is there a conflict between technology and magic that we can expect to play a central role in the narrative?

Rokosz: I don’t want to spoil too much of Seven’s lore and world beliefs, but I guess I can say that the distinction is blurred. I recall that the quote from Arthur C. Clarke – “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” – really impacted my ideas while designing the core fundamentals of the Vetrall Empire.

Twinfinite: The Vetrall Empire seems like a bit of a grim place overall. Is there a brighter side to Seven or is the tone of this game along the lines of cyberpunk and dystopia throughout?

Rokosz: Yes, the Vetrall Empire isn’t a nice place to live for many, but like in all dark places a little light of hope can be found. And we do find it – in the way a husband and soon-to-be father loves his wife. In good deeds that random strangers are prepared to do, and in the selfless acts that you as a player can choose to do to receive a kind word from a poor soul. At the same time, you can be as grim as they come: backstab everyone, steal, cheat, and lie. Like in the real world, it all depends on what you make of the life you are given.

Life in the empire is also very different depending on social status. Wealthy, well-connected people can live in luxury, even on the prison island of Peh, whilst downtrodden unfortunates struggle to survive. Not all of the oppressed residents of the empire are resigned to their fate, however; some use black humor as a way of coping with their situation.

Twinfinite: The production quality of the game looks impressive from what we’ve seen so far, but we haven’t heard much yet about voice acting in the game. To what extent, if any, can we expect to hear voice acting in Seven?

Rokosz: We will have English voice-overs for all of the quests and quest-related content. The only things that will not be voiced are the descriptions and journals you will be accessing from the menu, and some random chats from the passers-by.

Twinfinite: I couldn’t help but notice the game’s score has been composed by Marcin Przybyłowicz — whose previous work includes The Witcher 3. What role does the score play in bringing to life world of Seven and relaying the tone of its story?

Rokosz: I could answer that, but I would rather give Marcin the opportunity to voice his thoughts. Marcin – take it away:

Marcin Przybyłowicz: Hi! Actually, quite significant I think. Since its inception, Seven was always appealing to me with its suggestive vision. It’s not common to work on a project that allows the composer to have that much creative freedom. A carte blanche really. One of the examples of such freedom is the overall sound palette we chose for this project. We started with a simple idea – it’s a “beyond-apocalypse” setting, so we thought Peh’s citizens would use all the scrap they can scavenge to build anything, including instruments they’d use for their own amusement. Why not try to record such instruments in real life and make them one of the pillars of Seven’s sound?

We reached out to Paweł Romańczuk, leader of the Małe Instrumenty project – old instruments’ collector, and a constructor. Paweł let us explore his workshop and record some of his most significant artifacts, including Bucket Bass (made out of a metal bucket and one bass string), Cardboard Cello (made out of an office chair leg, cardboard tube, cello strings and guitar pickups), authentic, 100-years-old Stroh Violin, and so on. There was some really exceptional stuff there; very raw and authentic in its sound.

The other pillar of Seven’s sound are elements of the western genre. For me, the reality of the Vetrall Empire has much of a Wild West vibe, so I wanted to pour some of it into the music as well. That’s why we have lots of sounds recorded on guitars – resonator guitar, cigar box guitar, twelve-string guitar, electric guitars, etc.

I think we did something special here, to make this grim reality of Seven’s world breathe and have its own voice. I really hope our audience will fall in love with it the same way I did!

THE ORIGINS OF THE PROJECT AND LEAVING AAA DEVELOPMENT

Twinfinite: I understand that some members of your team worked on a certain well-known RPG out of Poland before starting work on Seven. What has the transition been like from a large AAA studio to a smaller independent team? Have your experiences working in those larger studios shaped how you approach game design and implement these ideas or is it a case of tearing up the rule book and doing things your own way?

Rokosz: It has been an interesting experience for sure. For me, personally, it was the biggest challenge of my life as I went from working in a team to leading a team of 20 people. The transition was rough, stressful and full of surprises, but you cannot really expect to achieve anything in life without leaving your comfort zone.

As for the impact that working in a large AAA studio had on our current work, it definitely helped to work on a big RPG, but that’s not really the most important part – it’s the people whom we’ve worked with. In the years before starting to work on Seven, we had the opportunity to work with some of the best experts in their respective fields, and that environment made a huge impact on how we approach game design. The same applies to working in a smaller studio now – it’s the people (once again) who make Seven work. It’s this small team of people who think and feel in a similar way; small enough for every member to have a real impact on the design and implementation process.

It’s not really a matter of “tearing up the rule book” and saying “I will do this my way now,” because I think that every game development process that aims to create something original is starting from the point where some rules have to be abandoned. In my opinion, it’s the people you do this with that help you navigate the uncertain development paths of your future game-to-be.

Twinfinite: Could you say that you would recommend swapping the intensity of a large studio for the challenges of forging your own path in a smaller team?

Rokosz: It depends on what you are currently looking for in life. I remember that one of my earliest frustrations when starting to develop games was that I didn’t understand so much: how some systems are done, how things are being produced. So I decided to understand it all – and for me working on a big franchise was great, because I had 200 smart people around me that I could pester without end with my weird questions, or brainstorm with at any given time of day and night.

On the other hand, you might have a hard time getting some of your ideas through, especially if you’re in a junior position. Just because there are so many people involved, and their vision might be different altogether.

Different game studios have different work cultures, but it’s a fact that happens everywhere (not only in video game development). It wasn’t really my case during my time with CDP (as my lead would always hear me out, probably because I was shouting so loud ) but it does happen, and it tends to happen less in the smaller teams.

I decided to try and do something with a smaller team because I wanted to finally get this project (that has been sitting in my head for ages now) out to the world, and it was the best way to do it.