Phantasmal at Gameplanet NZ

Phantasmal Journey

Mon, 18 Apr 2016 15:42:00 +1200

Q: How’s your time on Early Access been?

Joe Chang: It’s been really good. Over the year we’ve been getting general feedback and just building the community up, and that’s been really, really valuable for us. We’ve done a lot of tweaking and balancing. I think if we were to do it again, I wouldn’t do a whole year’s worth – I think that’s way too long. When we do our next game, it’ll probably be a month or two, max – something like that. And the time we get in Early Access will be just polishing, just beta testing I think. And on that: no more two year's worth of development life cycle! But hey, this is our first PC game.

Q: What were the biggest changes you made thanks to that feedback?

Phantasmal – Terror Evolved launch trailer

Fri, 15 Apr 2016 09:07:00 +1200

Phantasmal is a Lovecraftian survival horror that evolves every time you play. Set in the Kowloon Walled City, you must depend on your cunning to survive the creatures that reside there! Steam Full Release 14th Apr PDT Lookout for the 20% discount on launch day!

Kiwi survival horror Phantasmal gets full Steam release today

Fri, 15 Apr 2016 09:02:00 +1200

Kiwi first-person survival horror Phantasmal sees a full Steam release today, after spending almost a year in Early Access.

Inspired by old-school survival horror classics, Phantasmal is a Lovecraftian roguelike set in Hong Kong's infamous Kowloon Walled City, prior to its destruction in the 1990s.

It features a randomly generated map and insanity mechanic, and challenges players to be stealthy, resourceful, and quick-witted in lieu of direct combat.

Phantasmal: City of Darkness – Early Access trailer

Fri, 01 May 2015 17:29:00 +1200

Eyemobi has released Phantasmal: City of Darkness on Steam's Early Access.

A survival horror game where every playthrough is completely different, Phantasmal has you venture through the perilous Kowloon Walled City before its destruction in the early '90s.

You will need to face off against lurking, otherworldy horrors as well as a totally unpredictable procedurally generated environment. You simply cannot rely on your previous experience to guarantee your safe passage.

You are fragile. Not just physically but mentally as well - the creatures will challenge your very sanity. The odds are stacked steeply against you, but you can prevail through sheer cunning. You will need to scavenge for resources carefully, sneak past and distract your enemies. If you are caught, you can fight back, but don’t expect to live long.

Psychological mindf*cks: Joe Chang on Phantasmal's Early Access bid

Fri, 01 May 2015 17:06:00 +1200

Q: What’s changed in the studio since we last spoke?

Joe Chang: To be honest, everyone is different now! I’m the only constant I think. [Former Microsoft colleague and senior developer] Jeff Chilberto is a San Francisco native, and one guy he’s managed to convince to come on board who has become one of our greatest team members is a guy called Brian Bell. Brian is an ex-lighting director from Hollywood, so he’s done a ton of movies including Life of Pi, Riddick, Narnia – there’s about 15 he’s worked on, and you’d know all of them. He’s turned into our art lead and worked on the environment, particularly the randomly generated stuff. We’re really lucky to have him.

Q: How many staff do you have on board now?

First-person survival horror Phantasmal wins NZ$25K KiwiGameStarter comp

Tue, 30 Sep 2014 11:25:00 +1300

Procedurally-generated survival horror Phantasmal taken out the top prize in the New Zealand Game Developer Association’s KiwiGameStarter competition.

The other finalists from a field of 18 were FrogShark's local multiplayer brawler Swordy and sci-fi racer Vector 36 by Red River Studio.

The competition was put together to give a boost to a team who are already developing a product and business plan, said NZGDA chairperson Ben Kenobi at its launch in August.

We'd like your recommendations for Gameplanet's Steam Curator page

Mon, 29 Sep 2014 17:03:00 +1300

If you love PC games as much as we do, you'll probably already know that Steam has launched a new feature called Steam Curators. The new platform enables gamers to see recommendations on the Steam Store from publications and individuals whose opinions they trust.

At Gameplanet we've been reviewing games for more than 14 years, so we know a thing or two about what makes a good game. On our Steam Curator page our writers will be sharing their personal recommendations on everything from niche indie games to AAA blockbusters.

But we'd also love to hear about your favourite games on Steam, so that we can share those with our wider community too.