Audiences have been treated to a verbal insight into The Chant (working title), an upcoming survival-horror game from Vancouver developed Brass Token and the all-new Prime Matter label.
Brass Token Creative Director Mike Skupa was interviewed by Koch Primetime stream host Opal Cadman, and discussed how The Chant follows a group who visits an island retreat looking for “spiritual awakening” when everything “goes wrong”. It’s safe to expect some twisted psychedelia and new age cult violence.
Skupa noted his interest in 70s folklore and Giallo horror cinema (basically slightly tacky murder mysteries), and how this has fed into the game. Though not mentioned by name, 2019’s Midsommar from Director Asi Aster seems to be an obvious comparison, especially considering Skupa’s mention of “bright colours”.
When discussing video game influences, Skupa jump immediately to three classics of the horror genre - Resident Evil, Resident Evil 2 and Alone In The Dark.
Following Cadman’s questions, Skupa explained a little about the mechanics currently being developed for the game. Over its development, The Chant has tilted from its original concept towards more action with melee combat and “exploratory” mechanics. Additionally, The Chant is currently running with an over-the-shoulder perspective.
Though The Chant is still someways off, the team is currently working on the game’s cinematics, which includes the motion capture of real-life actors sourced from Brass Token’s local Vancouver film industry.
The game is slated for release in 2022 for across all consoles and PC.
What is Prime Matter?
Koch Media announced its new game label, Prime Matter, at the Summer Game Fest kickoff event on the 10th of June (you can read the highlights here). This new label takes several established names under its wing, including Pay Day, [Kingdom Come](http://Kingdom Come: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07SV8K836/?tag=qwtbarticle1092-21 ) and Painkiller, and two pre-existing Eastern titles, Crossfire and Gungrave. In addition to the announcement that Payday 3 and a new Painkiller instalment are on the way, we know that the new label will be bringing out some new IPs, including RPG, action and FPS offerings.
Other Koch Media labels include Deep Silver (Dead Island, Metro), Milestone (MotoGP, Ride) and Free Radical Design (Timesplitters, formerly Crytek UK). While many may wonder how the Prime Matter label and its mixed IP and mixed genre catalogue sit alongside these other outlets, the apparent formlessness is all part of the plan.
Speaking to GamesIndustry, Koch Media CEO Klemens Kundratitz notes that the intention with Prime Matter isn’t to do with “one label being about one type of game”. The studio is more about providing audiences with games from more voices and more locations. Additionally, this should also help to up the international output and standing of Koch Media more widely.
According to Kundratitz, it's all about taking risks to reap significant rewards: “This is very much a statement to the global community that we as a company are about great content, publishing it globally, and we don't shy away from risky or niche products.”