The Indie Scene | Nibris

on 24.03.2006 at 12:00 User Icon

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Nintendo claims that all developers, big and small, will be able to develop for its next generation console, code-named Revolution. Despite this promise, though, the process of getting a game out isn't quite as simple for the smaller, independent developers as we might like. 'The Indie Scene' aims to spread the word about independently developed games and help out the people behind them, who can be just as passionate about making games as the big guys, if not more so.

Nibris :: Raid Over The River/Sadness

NIBRIS is a small developer residing in Poland, currently having a staff roster of just 14 people, with recruitment still open (it couldn’t hurt to pop over to their web page - yes, page, it isn’t a complete site yet - and have a look if you think you might be able to help in some way). Their team members mainly consist of developers with PC game experience, but luckily the guys at Nibris have some friends in convenient places. By co-operating with another, unnamed, Polish developer, the group are well versed in the workings of the Nintendo DS and the Gamecube’s architecture - helpful, if the Revolution follows a similar code base as is the general consensus.

In a valiant quest, Nibris claim that they do not make games to make money, but simply for the love of gaming. They create games that they would like to play, but have not yet appeared, aiming to fill gaps in the market that they feel need something occupying them. A familiar sounding philosophy, if you listen to Nintendo speak whenever they do, is that they feel the industry needs new ideas, not just larger and larger amounts of polygons and sparkly effects. It is not that they want to ignore quality visuals altogether - it is just that they would rather focus on entertainment and involvement primarily, wanting gamers to play and feel genuine emotions and feelings. They crave for gamers to smile at, cry at and fear their titles authentically and feel that, with work, they will be able to achieve this. Their ideals are very similar to sleeping giant Nintendo’s, and so it seems appropriate that they swear exclusivity to them, citing DS and Revolution as being the only platforms where they can truly realise their visions.

Nibris had exposure for one of its games, Raid Over The River (which we will come to in more detail soon), across the Internet a few months ago, and gained a publisher from it all. However, recently there has been news that they are once again without a publisher, and so are hoping to pick one up come E3, where they will be present to showcase the DS version of Raid Over The River, and possibly show off some Revolution projects in some capacity, whether public or private. They still do not have a Revolution development kit, but they have been assured that this will change very soon…

Onto the games, then. Nibris currently have three titles in development or design - ambitious for a small team, you might think, but they are well on their way to getting their first game out: a DS game by the name of Raid Over The River (working title). Raid Over The River is a vertical shooter that shares similarities in terms of naming with the Atari 2600 classic River Raid; a purposeful homage, perhaps. Raid Over The River is also their second game - allow me to explain. The DS version is the game furthest along at the moment, due to their not possessing a Revolution development kit yet, and will be showcased at E3, while Raid Over The River Revolution will be the cross-platform sequel to the DS version. How closely they will connect is unknown, but Nibris have said that they will both have completely different stories. Both are sure to use their respective consoles’ unique features, but it’s not been indicated how…

The story of one of the games, though it is not known which one, has been mapped out since 2004. David McBride, a 44 year old veteran of the first Gulf War, is the main character and the one that players will take control of upon starting the game. Scarred after enduring an accident that doctors say he should never have survived, David is also mentally scarred as a result of his service with the US Air Force in Iraq, where he was ordered to bomb civilians. The images of dying innocents began to haunt him regularly, and so he turned to alcoholism, leading to his wife Sara leaving him, with whom he has a son 17 years of age, Josh. His superiors turn a partial blind eye to his drinking habits due to his rank of Captain and his flying abilities being considered some of the best in America, but due to the battle with the booze he has not flown for a long while, instead teaching flying theory for the Air Force.

Completely randomly, though, David discovers the plans of a sect, the ‘Molayar’, who aim to summon a demon into the world (as you do). The demon, ‘Bafomet’, will aid whoever frees it, and the one who wishes to harvest its powers is Andrew de Molay, a retired US Navy General. Cruelly deprived of his wife and child at the age of 30 in a car crash that also left the right side of his body paralysed, Andrew thrust himself into his work, until he was sent a book of family history which led to him founding the Molayar. Becoming interested in the occult, Andrew believes that arranging sun dials correctly in a number of temples across the world will lead to his desires coming true - that is, his family will be resurrected and be with him as they were meant to be - but little does he know that Satan will be unleashed if he accomplishes his plot.

David is forced to pilot an air ship once again despite his problems to try and stop the mess that is about to be forced upon the world, though he is not alone. David’s best friend Tom, a US Navy General in charge of a secret time-travel department of the Navy, is perfectly happy to prove the Molayar’s connections with nefarious schemes about the world. Meanwhile, mysterious blonde temptress Anna, a member of the Molayar who actually wants to sabotage Andrew’s plot, helps David in his bid to destroy the plans with her own group, The Order Of The Nine. She might not be the only one doing a bit of double crossing, though...

Raid Over The River will consist of ten levels, that carry David and his various accomplices and adversaries through different areas of the world and across different time zones. Air battles, hidden cults, demon summoning, mental trauma, alcoholism, betrayal, a possibly apocalypse and time travel, then - all in a day’s work! Hang on though, I said Nibris were making three games, did I not? I did indeed, and the third doesn’t involve Raid Over The River in any way.

The first thing you must know about Nintendo Revolution-destined project Sadness is this: most of the project is absolutely confidential at this time - there isn’t even any publicly released concept art at this point. In fact, just about all I can tell you is that it will be a gothic horror game that aims to scare not by guts and gore, but by atmosphere. Conventional weapons (i.e. guns, knives) do not play much of a role here, with players having to scrabble around protecting yourself with whatever litters the ground - yep, you’re going to have to be finding sticks and stones to break your enemies’ bones, and names will definitely not be hurting them if what Nibris have said is anything to go by! Despite the lack of information outside of their studios, Nibris have kindly listed off some examples of the Revolution’s controller uses in the game, including swinging the controller to wave torches to scare off rats, slitting throats with pieces of glass by swiping the Revmote viciously and climbing walls by swinging rope onto them and hooking on by physically moving the controller (and not so physically releasing it - don’t go throwing it out of your window) as if it was a lasso. Nibris have said to expect a single player game for adult players with strong nerves who fancy their chances at playing through a game with strong themes of paranoid schizophrenia, narcolepsy and nyctophobia (that’s fear of the dark to you and me). Nibris have also made clear: “The scenario will surprise you.” Scary...

Do you know of any worthy independent games in development for Nintendo platforms, whether they are for their handhelds or consoles? Let Mike Mason know and we’ll see if we can cover them!