Moss: Book II
Developer Polyarc reveals its tiny heroine Quill’s next escapade.
One of the first things we did for an interaction actually was just petting her.
Our tiny mouse companion, Quill, hasn’t given up on us. In fact, the more stumped we find ourselves, the more emphatic her gestures become. We know the solution to this puzzle is staring us in the face but Quill’s guidance, communicated primarily through American Sign Language, makes it all click together.
Developer Polyarc’s first PSVR title endeared us with its pint-sized protagonist back in 2018 and, in news that’ll please many, Quill is set to return in Moss: Book II.
“We were really just blown away by just how much people emotionally connected with Quill […] The amount of emails and letters and things that were sent,” principal engineer and design director Josh Stiksma tells us. “And it wasn’t just Quill, it was the wonder, the whimsy of the world that really brought people back to almost their childhood. A few of the letters that we got were people referencing they haven’t felt this way playing videogames since they were a kid.”
Stiksma says continuing Quill’s story was, tentatively, part of the plan. He says, “It was always in the back of our minds. We, as an independent studio, [are] always like, ‘We sure hope that the game does well and people allow us to continue the story!’”
WORKING HER TAIL OFF
At the end of the first ‘book,’ Quill goes toe-to-toe with the fire-breathing metal snake Sarffog in a bid to save her uncle, Argus. Book II’s announcement trailer shows Quill looking plaintive over the felled Sarffog before undertaking a new adventure, venturing into the hexed castle of the Arcane and encountering frightening feathered foes.
Quill’s combat skills have been expanded for this followup. Rather than just getting to the point of fights with her trusty blade, she now has access to a selection of weapons, including a tiny hammer.
Stiksma tells us the sequel will also build “upon your interaction with Quill through both the emotional journey [and] also through physical interaction.”
Puzzles will also gain a new dimension. Stiksma tells us, “We’re just excited for new texture to interaction. […] In the first game, we had a lot of things that you would pull and push and rotate. And we asked ourselves, ‘What are other expressions that the player can do? What are other types of movement, or textures and movement, or feel of movement that would [be possible for the player?]’”
The team is excited to build on this, working hard to strike the balance between bringing realistic texture to interaction in VR and finding the whimsy. Stiksma also highlights the importance of keeping the world of Moss accessible.
He tells us, “Just a few of [the combat encounters in the first game] were maybe just a little too tough for some of our players […] We really need this to be an experience that everyone can have and we certainly don’t want to cut somebody off from an emotional journey with Quill because they didn’t have the dexterity. […] So that’s something that we’re paying close attention to.”
FURRY FRIEND
Stiksma sums up the appeal of Moss as a series: “You’re doing something to allow her to advance and she’s doing something to allow you to advance. And that’s where the game just has its magic.”
So it’s surprising when he tells us that early in development on the first game puzzles didn’t always have you working in unison with Quill. “At the beginning, we really started the project trying to build off the strengths of VR,” Stiksma begins, “and if you look at the core strengths of VR, it’s the presence, the immersion, and it’s the physical interaction.”
Before Stiksma joined Polyarc, he says the core team of about four developers spent time trying to understand what felt good “in terms of space, and scale” in VR.
“And that’s actually where they started, even before the idea of Quill even existing came out. It just happened that something about mouse size compared to me felt really good to control,” he explains.
He goes on to say, “Once we started really interacting with this character, I think one of the first things that we did for an interaction actually was just petting her. […] I came by and did a playtest because I was friends with some people at the studio and at that moment, I was like, ‘Wow, this is a thing! This is magical!’”
We’re looking forward to opportunities to pet Quill too, so watch this space.
You can find out more about Moss and developer Polyarc at polyarcgames.com