Stranded 2 Developer Diary: Part 1
Glu explains the themes behind its upcoming sequel
Stranded 2 features a brand new story, cast of characters and island setting. The game sits in parallel with the events of the original, but unfolds on a nearby island with a fresh set of surprises.
Stranded 2 introduces a new hero, Dr Alex Howells, and the gameplay follows his journey through time triggered by the sinister events that occur within a genetic research facility on the island. Alex will take on dinosaurs, uncover conspiracies, perform important research and eventually, save the world in this new adventure in the series.
The features that made the original Stranded a success have been retained and in most cases improved. Stranded was a game that you could happily play for 60 seconds, or for a significantly longer period of time.
There was always something to keep you occupied, whether this was fishing, gathering food, sowing seeds, hunting animals or performing specific tasks to further the storyline. These manageable game play portions are great for mobile play and when combined with a fast-moving plot they ensure the gameworld remains engaging.
With the sequel, our aim is to avoid alienating gamers who haven't tried the original; knowledge of the previous plot is not required. However, we hope they're inspired to try Stranded and discover what they've missed.
Similarly, we want existing Stranded fans to be comfortable with the basic elements of the game, whilst experiencing a fresh and exciting game that pushes the latest phone technology.
Both games have a common theme of 'being stranded'. Previously you were stranded on a remote island environment, this time you will be stranded in time. Hunting and outmanoeuvring dinosaurs will definitely prove more exciting and engaging than taking on the odd chicken!
The first change you'll notice when you see Stranded 2 is the scale and diversity of the environments. As the plot spans multiple periods of time, it's important to differentiate these visually.
Not only do you have a prehistoric wild island environment, but this is complemented by a sprawling contemporary research facility plus there's the dystopian future to contend with.
The original Stranded included real-time tides, and certain animals that would only emerge at particular times. We're taking this one stage further with night and day cycles that dramatically alter the look and feel of the game.
The system has undergone a complete overhaul to ensure players have a better chance of encountering these changes. Players can now sleep to pass time and awake at night to uncover different animals, items and events.
Oh, and did I mention that we've also got a 3D version planned? We'll look at this version in detail in a later article.
The most obvious game play change is the ability to time travel. We don't want to give away too much of the plot at this early stage of development, but I will say that its implications extend far beyond exploring the different environments.
One of the key themes is using the flora and fauna of the past to save the future. Item collection plays a tactical role in this, and we're aiming to integrate this in a more ambitious way.
Time travel cunningly allows us to switch between a range of environments that each offer unique game play. For example, the prehistoric environment presents the best opportunity for action-packed hunting and chase sequences.
The contemporary environment features deeper character interaction and puzzle solving. The future hints at what might be, and how you should shape your behaviour in the past. Each environment plays an important role in shaping the overall game and we'll be taking a sneak peak at these in a future article.
Next time round we'll be delving into the design of Stranded and taking a detailed look at how the team create the characters, environments and plot before finally integrating all these components into the game. As we progress further with development, there will be more to show, so stay tuned and I'll see you next month!
