How a simple pigeon shaped PS4 adventure sequel The Inner World – The Last Wind Monk

Deep within an expanse of unending soil, lies the world of “Asposia” – a perfectly round sphere in the middle of the darkness.

This world is home to the Asposians – a people known for their striped limbs and noses, bald heads, and assortment of hats – as well as a variety of strange creatures. Peck, a pigeon of limited flying skills, is one of these creatures.

Against all practical laws of physics, he is able to fly with his stubby, little wings – sometimes even upside down. The most important thing about Peck, though, is the role he plays in triggering the chaos that begins our adventure in “The Inner World” – which is now available on PlayStation Store.

When Peck swallows the treasured amulet of Asposia’s ruler, he sets off the epic story of Robert, a kindhearted, flute-nosed Asposian, and Laura, a no-nonsense rebel. Whenever Peck makes an appearance in the game, however short it may be, it is always memorably clumsy and entertaining.

During the planning of the game’s sequel The Inner World – The Last Wind Monk, we were struck with a brilliant idea: What if the player could actually control Peck and fly around in the world with him? When we discussed this idea, you could practically see little hearts appear in the eyes of our team members.

Peck has always been a particularly beloved character of the crew and fans alike. The very first sketches of our lovable pigeon were created as early as 2010, crochet instructions for creating your very own Peck plushie were soon released for the fans, and we received an abundance of diverse Peck fan art and crochet photos. The Peck-mania reached its peak in the creation of a two meter tall, larger than life Peck mascot, who has become a well-integrated and beloved member of our team – see photo:

From humble beginnings sketched on paper to a team member in the Berlin studio – Peck’s career has really taken wing.

 
We wanted to make Peck a directly playable character and immediately began conducting the first tests of his flying capabilities. Since the PC version of the game is only playable through mouse and keyboard commands, the use of a console controller was a totally new input method for us. Programming for it lead to the next logical step: What if we made all of our main characters directly controllable, instead of just “clicking” them through the world, as is usually done in classic adventure games? It would be an ideal solution for the console version of the game!

So, from the first prototype of the new game, we had already developed a new and exciting gaming experience. In addition to this, Peck went from being a simple sidekick in the first installment of “The Inner World”, to a fully functional main character in the sequel.

The new ability to switch seamlessly in-game between the three playable characters – Robert, Laura, and Peck – enabled us to come up with some brand new types of riddles. Peck can interact well with many of Asposia’s other creatures, has an uncanny pecking ability, has mastered the art of disguise, and can simply fly over to otherwise hard to reach places. Working together with Robert and Laura, he is a much needed part of the dynamic trio of heroes.

Peck assesses the Wacky Stuff Store, while Robert plays darts

 
As if a new form of game play wasn’t enough, our animators have once again brought the world of Asposia and our beloved pigeon to life with detailed, playful animation. In addition, we have switched up our game making programs, and have therefore managed to create shorter loading times and an even more lively world overall.

In the sequel, The Inner World – The Last Wind Monk, we want to allow the player to dive deeper into the world of Asposia and experience more of its unique inhabitants. The game will release this summer in both digital and physical versions on PS4. Check out how the adventure began with the first entry.

You can learn more about The Inner World at www.theinnerworld.de or follow us on Twitter @studiofizbin and find us on Facebook.

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