Hi, I’m Yuts, a member of a small game studio called Geography of Robots. We recently released our first game Norco, a point-and-click narrative adventure set in the swamps, refineries, and suburbs of South Louisiana. The game takes inspiration from first-person pixel adventures like Rise of the Dragon, Snatcher, Deja Vu, and more recent titles like VA-11 HA-11 A. Some have also compared it to Kentucky Route Zero due to its surreal Southern themes and the “literary” tone of its writing.

The game has its roots in a Louisiana history project I was conducting with a friend in the years after Hurricane Katrina. I was learning a bit of pixel art at the time and decided to apply some of our research to a classic adventure game format. This experiment quickly took on a life of its own. It got some attention on Twitter, which is how our publisher Raw Fury found out about it. Signing with them opened up lots of opportunities that I never would have imagined, like winning the first-ever Tribeca Festival Games Award and being selected for the PlayStation Indie Fund.

Norco’s story follows a young woman named Kay who returns to her hometown of Norco, Louisiana following her mom’s death. She soon discovers that her brother’s gone missing, leading her down a rabbit hole populated by an influencer messageboard cult, fugitive robots, drainage ditch prophets, giant sentient birds, and other colorful characters. 

The game is more of a psychedelic tour of Louisiana’s River Parish region than a straight adventure, though you’ll encounter puzzles and quests along the way. It borrows heavily from reality. Norco itself is a real community. It’s where I grew up. It’s a lovely town but is also wedged between two massive petrochemical facilities. It has a complicated history, as does much of the region outside New Orleans. We try to explore all these topics in our own way.

One thing I recommend while playing through the game is to listen closely to the soundscape. The sound designers worked carefully to create a convincing ambiance, collecting field recordings of wetlands, native bird species, insects, and more. We tried to be equally intentional with the artwork. We explored the locations that inspired the game on foot, taking lots of reference photographs at various times of day and often redrawing scenes from scratch multiple times to get it right. 

They say it takes a village…and when it came to creating the village of Gravoi, that’s more than true. Saturnalia is a cultural mosaic, inspired in equal parts by cinema, theater, and even architecture—as well as classic video games that emphasize survival and exploration. The result is a deeply textured and thematically rich world, one that reflects a true-to-life influence while ultimately remaining otherworldly.

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Where Reality Meets the Surreal

Once the team at Santa Ragione knew the game was to be set in the Sardinian region of Italy—a location not often represented in popular media—we understood we had a responsibility to the beautiful locales and authentic culture of the area. At the same time, our vision was for a horror story with a supernatural influence, necessitating an imaginative leap from the real world into something else altogether. That’s how Gravoi came to be: a fictional dreamscape that reflects the real Sardinia while standing on its own as a distinct and eerie setting.

The team conducted extensive location scouting throughout the island, taking countless photos and videos of villages and towns throughout Sardinia, from the ancient church of Bosa to the abandoned mines of Monteponi. With these resources in hand, we were able to meticulously design the town of Gravoi and its many unique twists and turns. 

With the aim of creating a procedurally-generated layout capable of reorienting itself once certain in-game conditions are met, the designers worked hard to ensure that each cobblestone sidestreet and narrow alleyway felt distinct and lived-in. The cathedral, storefronts and architecture that make up Gravoi are at once familiar and totally unique. But establishing a three-dimensional setting is only part of the storytelling process.

The neon-folk effect

The art style of Saturnalia brings many descriptors to mind. Colorful, kaleidoscopic, or maybe picturesque? All of these are accurate, but they only begin to explain the depth and range of influences that contributed to the aesthetic that defines the visuals of Saturnalia.

From the outset, we had a very clear inspiration in mind for both the story and the look of Saturnalia: giallo cinema, the classic Italian horror films that rose to prominence in the 60’s and 70’s due to the bracing and innovative work from the likes of Dario Argento a

Greetings, brave warriors! With the release of Asterigos: Curse of the Stars on PlayStation just around the corner, we’d like to tell you a little more about the gameplay, locations, and monsters. These insights will prepare you for the locations and enemies that await you in Asterigos: Curse of the Stars, so you can be ready for battle when the time comes.

The world of Asterigos

The City of Aphes is stunning in its grandeur and expanse. From the outskirts and marketplaces to military academies and shimmering mines, each zone in the world will provide you with a unique visual experience, challenging battles, and boss encounters.

Underneath the city you will find a unique hub that connects all areas of the world together and is the starting point for your adventure. Shelter offers Hilda a place where she can return and be safe. Here you can take new quests from the Adherents, make use of the document archives, the vaults, talk to the blacksmiths, visit shops, and even find a sparring partner if you need training!

There’s also plenty to do in the Shelter, and as you progress through the game, you’ll discover more opportunities. We want players to have a sense of a ‘universal connection’ as they explore it. So, it’s not just a place where you teleport or load in and out, but the place where the real exploration of the city begins.

Monsters of Asterigos: Ethrus, the Dark Cult

The streets of the city are filled with danger around every corner. Each city quarter, including the surrounding areas, is occupied by a host of unique and deadly foes, each with their own special abilities and appearance. Let’s talk about one of the enemy factions, The Dark Cult Ethrus.

These cultists stray from the doctrine of the Gods of Stars, they believe that only an appeal to the wild hearts of the beasts can save them from damnation. To do so, they perform a magical “Ritual of Sublimation” which transforms them into werewolves and other mythical creatures. The ritual allows them to use the powers of the beasts: the strength of bulls, the sharp fangs and claws of wolves or the swift wings of birds.

Using Starite – the magical mineral that was used to empower many things in life of Aphesians – some cultists can create powerful spells, such as chain fireballs or even shockwaves. Remember to be extremely careful when traversing the city as cultists often ambush or attack from the blind spots. They also tend to run in groups, making them even more difficult to fight.

Adjusting the fight style 

Hilda is masterful and wields six weapons: The sword and shield, magic staff, daggers, enchanted bracelets, battle hammer, and spear. She can use any two weapons simultaneously in battle and change them on the go depending on the situation. Each weapon has its respective advantages and disadvantages. For example, when fighting enemies armed with small weapons, using a shield against them will give you an advantage, as it can easily block those attacks.

The Blockbuster Games promotion comes to PlayStation Store today, Wednesday, September 14. For a limited time*, enjoy discounts on a range of epic experiences, like Dying Light 2 Stay Human. We know you’re eager to dive straight in, so let’s get to it.