If it’s madness and surrealism you are after then The Inner Friend is going to be the game for you when it releases as an expanded edition on Xbox One and PS4 in summer 2019.
It was back in 2017 when we first heard of The Inner Friend. Exploring the theme of trauma and running you along a little quest of trying to save a child, it will be bringing some proper hardcore psychological horror to consoles this summer, with the development team at PLAYMIND promising an expanded edition of the game.
Free of dialogue, The Inner Friend, will be found unlocking the doorway to the subconscious, inviting you in to conquer gruesome beings and nightmares that have been materialized from mental anguish. And it is this emotional and narrative-driven experience that has been inspired by the works of psychologist Carl Jung and the filmography of Stanley Kubrick.
“Everyone at PLAYMIND is thrilled to finally bring The Inner Friend to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One,” said Emmanuel Sévigny, founder of PLAYMIND. “We used the time between the game’s PC and console release to expand the story of The Inner Friend in an exciting way, and it’s up to players to uncover more of the mystery in order to find answers. Fans of the surreal and avant-garde will see that the game is worth the wait!”
About The Inner Friend:
The Inner Friend features a rich and abstract visual environment supported by an immersive ambient soundscape and a cinematic soundtrack that enhances immersion and storytelling. Movement, imagery, and music are the primary methods in which the player interacts with the Shadow, their guide throughout the descent into the uncharted parts of the subconscious mind. There are many obstacles and puzzles to solve, themed after childhood games but made far more sinister. The Inner Friend on consoles brings with it a new unlockable epilogue, sharing more from the game’s mysterious world. Themed after psychologist Carl Jung’s concept of katabasis — the descent into one’s own self — ‘80s horror pop culture staples such as Poltergeist, and the filmography of Stanley Kubrick, The Inner Friend explores complex emotional themes and the childhood psychology surrounding coping mechanisms to overcome traumatic experiences. The Inner Friend’s lead designer and writer Sabrina Calvo is an award-winning author and child educator. The game’s narrative uniquely features no dialogue or text, tasking players with piecing the story together through exploration and observation.
If you want to get hand-on with The Inner Friend, then PLAYMIND will be in attendance at PAX East 2019 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center from March 27 – March 31, 2019, with the first playable version of The Inner Friend on consoles. Just head on over to the Indie MEGABOOTH to hit it up.