[img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44192446/090847bedacb002da7edb3f267a0f9162e7f8dce.png[/img] [i]Being the writer of The 7th Guest VR is a distinct privilege. I am incredibly proud of not just my role but the hard work of the entire Vertigo Games team. To reboot the 1993 classic PC experience by Trilobyte and Virgin Interactive Entertainment is an honor and responsibility I did not take lightly. Fans are going to see so much of what they love about the original game, that melding of the classic haunted house dinner party genre with the video game form, resulting in something wholly original. Honestly, we had the same challenge that had to have been faced by the original team: how do we write something that feels modern and relevant but also fits into the 1920s/1930s time period that makes this concept so exciting to our audience? Threading that needle is how you make a classic. And our hope is that this iteration of The 7th Guest will be a worthy successor to the original. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44192446/b8513fb14b350b5e71185a5d03535900ff5989ed.gif[/img] Replaying the original game as an adult allowed me to focus on the ideas that make The 7th Guest so appealing. In particular, I think the entire game hinges on Stauf’s quest for revenge. But, also, there is this humor in the self-absorption of the guests that is funny and weird and charming. We might live in a more enlightened time than when the game is set, but humans will always be self-absorbed and vengeful. That tension makes this story timeless. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44192446/393835319cad2b0f30d8ed0ae868bc6e3072e0de.gif[/img] The plot of The 7th Guest reminds me of those great stories that blend horror, mystery, and witty banter, like Clue or The House on Haunted Hill (1959) starring Vincent Price. In these stories, you have this big, mysterious place and these more minor, personal mysteries woven throughout. Shirley Jackson is a hero of mine. And, her ability to bring together horror elements and social issues was groundbreaking and so influential. It is such a fantastic opportunity to play in that kind of sandbox. Not to spoil too much, but I think with Stauf’s story, we’ve channeled some of that, touching on themes of mortality and humanity in a fresh, fun, and frightening way. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44192446/bdc566b25709ce73e94b54651b37ed639125d292.gif[/img] One area I knew I wanted to interrogate was the character of Martine Burden. In the original game, her motives and desperation felt a bit too close to the surface. We created a more well-rounded, humanized female character by breaking open her backstory and delving into why she decided to go to the house (to reboot her once-glamorous theatrical career). I imagined actresses like Susan Sarandon and Barbara Stanwyck embodying her clever and cunning air. In the end, it was Daniella Down’s uniquely specific choices that breathed life into this fascinating character. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44192446/a40949007ef03d99dabf9b71ec7dfd267ea6f942.gif[/img] Getting that tone right is tricky. While deeply inspired by and nostalgic for the source material, we also saw beautiful opportunities for world expansion and character development that could only exist in VR. Collaborating closely with accomplished game director Paul van der Meer and his multidisciplinary team, we used creative problem-solving to write for the limitations of volumetric video and made the most cinematic experience possible. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44192446/7fd2500607d7122e7747094ecde142fcd5e9af22.gif[/img] Players can look forward to being inside full scenes, surrounded by world-class actors working at the top of their crafts. And the dev team’s ability to integrate this story with groundbreaking technology is awe-inspiring. October 19 can’t come soon enough![/i] Follow Claire Downs over on: [url=https://www.clairedowns.com ]Website [/url] [url=https://twitter.com/clairecdowns ]Twitter[/url] Join the deathly party over on: [url=https://www.the7thguest-vr.com/] Our Website [/url] [url=https://www.facebook.com/the7thguestvr] Facebook [/url] [url=https://www.instagram.com/the7thguestvr/] Instagram [/url] [url=https://twitter.com/the7thguestvr] Twitter [/url] [url=https://www.tiktok.com/@the7thguestvr] Tiktok [/url]