Indie developer Spry Fox has announced that their newest title, Road Not Taken, will launch for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita in early 2014. Spry Fox previously developed the PC and mobile titles Steambirds, Triple Town and Realm of the Mad God.
In a Playstation Blog post, Spry Fox co-founder David Edery discusses what Road Not Taken is all about and how Robert Frost’s poem of the same name comes into play:
“Road Not Taken is a game about life’s surprises, both positive and negative. In our take on Robert Frost’s poem of the same name, you wander through a mysterious forest in the aftermath of a large snowstorm. As you explore, you’ll come across wild animals, impassable barriers, and lost children. Road Not Taken explores the question: “What happens when life’s events throw you off the path you expected to take?””
Although Edery describes Road Not Taken as a game about life, the title is officially classified in the roguelike puzzle genre. If you are unfamiliar with the term, a roguelike game is characterized by randomly generated levels and constant player death. Examples of modern roguelike games include Spelunky, FTL: Faster Than Light and The Binding of Isaac.
Players coming into the genre for the first time may be discouraged by constantly dying, however, Edery explains that death is just a part of the learning process:
“But you won’t mind death in Road Not Taken, because each death teaches you something new about how the world works and how you might do better next time. The world unfolds and becomes more complex over time, as well; you’ll progressively unlock new things to encounter, and boosts that change the way you play the game.”
One of the better developments from Sony in recent months has been their commitment to indie games, such as Road Not Taken. Even though these titles are not exactly system sellers, Sony knows that the critical acclaim that they can bring to their systems can go a long way. Just look at what Journey and Guacamelee! brought to the PlayStation 3. While it may be a little early to say that Road Not Taken is on the same level as those fan favorites, the game certainly seems worth keeping an eye on.
We will have more information on Road Not Taken in the coming months. For now, here’s the trailer:
