Review Fix Exclusive: Inside ‘Nebulous’

Review Fix chats with Patrick Twohig, Studio Head at Namazu Studios, who discusses their upcoming game, “Nebulous.”

Nebulous will enter the orbit of PlayStation 4, Windows, Mac and PC VR devices on August 30.

About Nebulous:

By aligning gravity altering machines, conveyor belts and other gadgets to guide our hero through physics-based mazes filled with deadly traps, players can bounce the astronaut through stages like a pinball as they hear his quick-witted insults and discover a route to each exit.

Review Fix: What games inspired Nebulous?

Patrick Twohig: Nebulous was inspired by old-school physics puzzle games like the Incredible Machine.  We drew some story elements and tone of the game’s dark humor from games such as Portal.

Review Fix: What has development been like for Nebulous?

Twohig: Nebulous certainly has been a challenge for us.  We had to go through several iterations until we got it just right.  The original style was more abstract using fractals and relying heavily on particle effects.  We felt that this wouldn’t tell a very fun story, so we brought in Aaron (our writer) to help with the details of the story.

Review Fix: What makes the VR versions different?

Twohig: The original idea behind Nebulous was conceived in the very early days of VR where it was more of a novelty than anything.  We played some of the VR demos and noticed people having difficulty with simply interfacing with the game.  Because of this we opted to build everything into the scene, allowing the player to simply look around to provide all controls; including the menus.

Review Fix: How would you describe this game since it blends a few genres?

Twohig: Nebulous is a physics puzzle game with a dark sense of humor and a main character who’s attitude and personality is inspired loosely by Zapp Brannigan from Futurama.

Review Fix: With all the competition on the indie and on console markets now, how difficult was it for you guys to try and make something that stood out?

Twohig: We actually attended a panel put on by the Oculus Team back in the early days of the Rift.  I got the impression that there was lots of interest in making VR-enabled games that were heavy on action, horror, or other simulation.  While immersive, we felt like we wouldn’t be in the front seat as a small indie studio so we picked the road less traveled.  We knew the physics puzzle concept was strong and that it would resonate with the more casual players.

Review Fix: Bottom line, why must someone play this game?

Twohig: Play Nebulous if you’re looking for a game that will make you think (and laugh).

Review Fix: How do you want Nebulous to be remembered?

Twohig: We want Nebulous to be remembered for its sense of humor, challenging puzzles, and being one of the first VR games to introduce players to the expanse of outer space.

Review Fix: What are your goals for this game?

Twohig: We want to see people have fun with the game, laugh a little, and share it with their friends.

Review Fix: What’s next?

Twohig: We have some games in the pipeline that retro gamers may appreciate.  Stay tuned.

Review Fix: Anything else you want to say?

Twohig: We hope everyone enjoys the game! We’re excited for people to play it!