«Previous post | Next post»

Press release:
Kyoto, Japan, June 14th, 2021.
Japanese gaming documentarian studio Archipel has released an all new video looking behind the scenes with acclaimed indie developer 17-BIT (GALAK-Z, Skulls of the Shogun), offering a first look at the studio’s upcoming VR survival adventure “Song in the Smoke“.

An abridged version of this 9 minute documentary, The Call of Nature, premiered during Upload VR’s Showcase, and the full version can be viewed right here:

Coming to PlayStation VR, Oculus Quest and Oculus Rift this year, Song in the Smoke immerses players in a mysterious prehistoric world full of strange beasts where they must craft, forage, hunt, and fight to survive.

Song in the Smoke utilizes VR to its full potential, allowing players to expertly identify threats with sound, sight, and smell. Use the world to your advantage, and stalk your prey from the tall grass. Intuitive VR controls let you line up the perfect shot with your bow, but be careful to listen out for the creatures that may be hunting you, or else you’ll have to fight for your life with clubs, sticks, or anything else you can get your hands on.

With art by famed illustrator Katsuya Terada (The Legend of Zelda, Blood: The Last Vampire, The Monkey King), Song in the Smoke creates a primordial wilderness unlike any other. Part survival game and part mysterious adventure, Song in the Smoke’s fantastical creatures and stylized scenery lend an eerie, otherworldly tone to an experience that’s both action-packed and intimate.

“Song in the Smoke is a colossal departure from our previous work,” said 17-BIT founder and creative lead Jake Kazdal.

“When I first tried VR I was instantly struck by how utterly immersive it is, which opened up a whole new world of possibilities. I’ve always been moved by exploring nature, with its overwhelming mix of majesty and danger, where you’re constantly reminded of both how expansive the world is and how small you are. With VR’s all encompassing presentation, I felt like I could actually make a world that captures this quietly beautiful feeling of aliveness. Where nothing is canned and everything feels organic. Song in the Smoke is the result of this.”

Visit the Song in the Smoke website: http://17-bit.com/
Follow 17-BIT on Twitter: https://twitter.com/17_BIT
Like Song in the Smoke on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SeventeenBit

About 17-BIT
Founded in 2009 as Haunted Temple Studios, 17-BIT began as a small Seattle studio composed of veterans from Sega Japan and EA Los Angeles. Since its inception, 17-BIT launched the turn-based tactics game Skulls of the Shogun, and the love letter to 1980s arcade shooters that was GALAK-Z. Now based in Kyoto, Japan, 17-BIT is developing its most ambitious title yet with the VR survival adventure Song in the Smoke, coming to PlayStation and Oculus in 2021.