Aftermath Revealed, Official Website

I’m not sure if the game ever had an “official” announcement, but we now know what Scott Campbell has been up to since co-founding WhiteMoon Dreams. Described as “Diablo II with guns”, meet Aftermath:

WhiteMoon Dreams Releases New ‘˜Aftermath’ Demo) (Or, How I Learned to Love to Play ‘˜Diablo 2 W/ Guns’))

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Jun 19, 2009 The folks over at WhiteMoon Dreams, a game developer based in Pasadena, CA have just released a demo of one of their games, titled (Aftermath). In conjunction with this release, the studio has also created a slick new website that showcases much of the art, and even some gameplay video to show us what they have been up to. We were able to catch up to the lead designer on Aftermath, Mr. Scott Campbell, to get the lowdown on this game.

Scott, so tell us a bit more about this game, Aftermath.

SC: Well, the best and simplest way to describe this game is to say it’s (Diablo 2, with Guns!) We wanted to make a fun retro-style shooter (ala Robotron or SmashTV) with some light RPG elements (like leveling up your characters, upgrading your weapons, skill trees, etc).

Unlike most retro-style shooters, we wanted to keep the art quality to next gen standards. (But we still love you Geometry Wars!) Also, we wanted to focus on cooperative multiplayer, so you and your buddies can shoot up the place either gathered around the same console or over the ‘net.

So you guys are big fans of Blizzard?

SC: Never heard of .m. What, are you kidding? Absolutely! I mean, we love everything that those guys put out. They put a lot of love and design thought into building their games, and we definitely were inspired by the Diablo series for our game Aftermath.

The story behind Aftermath concerns a group of 4 Wanderers who exist in a post-apocalyptic Earth. They are tasked to save humanity from hordes of mutants, domineering military forces, and murderous robotic entities. Ok, so I shouldn’t really tell you much more. More of the story can be found on our website for those fans who are interested!

We did catch the site, and it definitely looks great. I love the art-style you guys have going on there.

SC: Yeah, thanks! So for the art style, our original inspiration believe it or not, came from Burning Man, which is the annual art festival held every year in the Nevada desert. All the crazy, funky clothing, art, and music was a direct influence to how we wanted to present the characters and environments in Aftermath.

So, all you guys are (Burners)?

SC: Heh! I think 80% of our studio will be going to the big event this year. We are a pretty tight knit crew, and we all enjoy listening to new music and seeing bizarre and wondrous art. Our studio, in fact, lends itself pretty well to a creative space. By the way, every Wednesday we hold industry dinners where we cook some good food, drink some wine and listen to some good music. Any and all other dev houses are encouraged to come by any time and hang with us!

Ok, don’t make me take you up on that offer! I will bring our whole crew!

SC [Laughs] No problem man! The more the merrier.

So I know you were one of the lead designers on the original Fallout. How much has that game influenced Aftermath?

SC: Well no doubt I have a strong fascination with nuclear wars, and what happens to mankind after such an event. I also am intrigued with mankind’s search for meaning when their history of themselves has been cut off in some tragic way. How do we make the right decisions in face of catastrophe? Are our instincts correct in determining a particular course of action. What makes us human? Just what would we do to survive? Would we destroy ourselves or rise above to rebuild? I mean those types of questions are definitely ones that I love to explore in designing games.

Of course, that’s not all that I am interested in! Quite a few of our designs are completely different and touch upon a wide range of genres.

Oh great, when will we be able to see more?

SC: All in due time! Our first goal right now is to get Aftermath a publishing home. We are releasing this demo for people to get a glimpse about how cool this game could be if it is picked up by a willing publisher. We think it will be a blast to play on XBLA & PSN! Check it out for yourself!

Alright, well we wish you and the rest of the team the best of luck in this endeavor!

SC: Thanks! Make sure to check out our website at www.whitemoondreams.com/aftermath

ABOUT WHITEMOON DREAMS INCORPORATED:
Founded in 2006, WhiteMoon Dreams is an interactive digital entertainment development studio based in Pasadena, California. WhiteMoon Dreams provides full game development services that cover all facets of game design, engineering, conceptual art and audio, focusing on Xbox 360, PlayStation3, and Nintendo Wii. Primarily, WhiteMoon Dreams creates and develops its own intellectual properties, but also seeks partnerships with publishers in need of development services. Comprised of game industry veterans with decades of combined experience, WhiteMoon Dreams offers refreshing and innovative gameplay experiences that engage players’ minds and hearts, as well as their hands. For more information about WhiteMoon Dreams, please visit www.whitemoondreams.com.