For the first time, the festival is recognizing video games as official selections alongside movies and television.
Twelve Minutes, spotlighted as a selection of this year’sTribeca Festival, highlights elements of both.
When the man regains consciousness, he realizes he’s 12 minutes in the past.
Credit: Raw Fury; Ember Lab; Annapurna Interactive; EA
“There’s a spectrum.
“What we really want to enhance is the intersection between the mediums,” Baltes says.
“Is it a game?
A shot from ‘Twelve Minutes,’ voiced by James McAvoy, Daisy Ridley, and Willem Dafoe.Annapurna Interactive
Is it a film?
Is it an interactive immersive project?
By nature of categorization for a festival, sometimes we add labels to these things,” Baltes adds.
A still from ‘Kena: Bridge of Spirits.'.Ember Lab
“But a lot of projects tend to be undefinable.”
Kena: Bridge of Spiritsis a game that looks like a Disney animated film besidesFrozenandRaya and the Last Dragon.
That speaks to the sensibilities of its creators.
(The Legend of Korracomes to mind.)
Such was how the team forKena(set for Aug. 24) came together.
ForKena, it’s about pairing difficult battle sequences with stunning animation and lighthearted characters.
ForLost in Random, it’s also about the mechanics and visuals.
NORCOdoesn’t take the third-person perspective when telling its 8-bit tale.
Twelve Minutes, too, is a vastly different animal.
“But that got tired really fast,” he admits.
It gets more interesting.”
Furthermore, “If I don’t tell you anything, you’re interpreting this knowledge.”
They don’t even know his name.
Everything is a discovery.
Antonio seesTwelve Minutesas more of a character study or theater.
Who’s to say this couldn’t become a play at some point?
There are only three characters operating about a confined (digital) set.
It’s why he refers to his piece an “interactive thriller” rather than a game.
You have these goals," he says.
Antonio points to Daniel Benmergui’s 2009 releaseToday I Dieand Lucas Pope’s 2013 gamePapers, like.
With advancements in digital distribution, everyone has “access to make a game,” he continues.
“You don’t have to write an engine anymore.
It naturally created this experimental state of game development.”
“It also allows us to talk about story not just in cinematic form.
Correction: An earlier draft of this article statedKena: Bridge of Spiritsis out Aug. 21.
It’s out Aug. 24.
Pre-orders are available now.
