A 2014 NFTS video game '4pm' has been given a 4 Star Review by Will Freeman in The Guardian/ Observer newspaper. It also scores 7 out of 10 on the influential games site Destrucoid.com.
The game, created by NFTS Games Design and Development graduate Bojan Brbora and written by fellow NFTS student, Screenwriter Stefan Kaday, focuses on a day in the life of a female alcoholic.
These top reviews build on the game's recent success: '4pm' won the DEVELOP Games magazine 'People's Choice' Award and was launched last month on the Steam.powered.com website after being green lit by fans.
Writing on the Guardian and Observer, reviewer Will Freeman heaps praise on the game saying: "For this is a truly striking creation; a well-written, thoughtful short story in video game form that will intrigue fans of succinct narrative adventures such as Gone Home and Dear Esther, even if it fails to quite meet their standard of excellence."
Read the full story on the Guardian/ Observer website here...
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More about 4pm tells the story of Caroline Wells as she wakes up to face another day in her downward spiral to self-destruction. Designed as a blend between linear, cinematic storytelling and interactive gameplay, the game begins at 10am in Caroline's world. As players explore her environment they learn about her life and her struggles, and will make choices that culminate in a powerful, life-changing moment at 4pm the same day.
Featuring high productions values and a visual style that reflects Brbora's cinematography roots - and the benefits of working with fellow NFTS students from other disciplines including screenwriting, composing, sound design and VFX - his debut game also boasts a fully orchestrated score and professional voice acting.
Sailing through Steam Greenlight in just 13 days, the game has already gathered a lot of positive attention after being shown in an early form at Eurogamer Expo 2013 and the NFTS graduate show at the British Film Institute in early 2014.
Described by Serbian-born Bojan Brbora as a short, experiential drama, the vision for 4pm is an ambitious one, as the developer explains: “Games allow designers and players to explore challenging issues in a way that's simply not possible in any other medium. I've tried to combine a sense of 'everyday' realism with an interactive experience that is still satisfying to play, and I hope I've done it in a way that's a bit different from many of the games we see on sale today. I'm keen to continue to explore the approach further in future titles but I'm looking forward to seeing how people react to 4PM.”
4pm is released on Steam for PC, Mac and Linux at $4.99/E3.99/£2.99.
Full NFTS Credits:
Designer/Developer: Bojan Brbora
Writer: Stefan Kaday
Sound Designer: Neo Amilcar Peterson
Co-composer: Arran Price
More information on the Games Design & Development course can be found here.
