July 10, 2008 doesn’t seem like it was that long ago; we’re only talking three years. But when you consider it as the launch date of Apple’s now ubiquitous iOS App Store, it feels like a lifetime. In that same year, London-based independent developer HandCircus was born.
“[iOS] seemed like the perfect platform to get started on,” the studios founder, Simon Oliver tells me, “with the unbelievably low barrier to entry and huge opportunities for innovation.”
The studio’s early experiments with multi-touch and the iPhone’s accelerometer eventually led to its first game, Rolando. The little title quickly turned heads with its one-of-a-kind visuals and slick, addictive play. Arguably, Rolando was one of the titles that helped solidify the iOS as a legitimate platform for gaming, for both casual players and hardcore alike.
With a successful mobile title and a sequel under its belt, the studio is setting its sights on consoles for the first time. The result is the upcoming PlayStation Network title, Okabu, a charming cooperative experience that oozes HandCircus’ now distinct style.
In the skies above the land of Okabu… among an ancient race of Cloud Whales, a tragedy unfolds. The once pure air has spoiled, as dark clouds rise from the ground. The pollution strikes the people of the sky and a dreadful malady quickly spreads.
As the darkness draws near, two brothers fly forward on a quest to find the source of this sickness. But as the pollution surrounds them, a sickness grabs hold. Their powers of flight clipped, they plummet to the surface
Yes, that says “Cloud Whales.” In Okabu, players can take control of two of these “Cloud Whales,” Kumulo and Nimbe. For all intents and purposes, it seems as if the brothers are equal in every way, save for their wardrobe: Kumulo wears a stylish red hat, Nimbe an orange, ’80s sweatband across his head. Playing alone, you’ll be able to swap between the two on the fly with the quick press of a triangle button. Invite a friend along, and each gets control of one of the two brothers in a local-only cooperative experience.
In one stage (called “Lake Waka Shores”), I move the analog stick to drift the cloud whales swiftly about, gliding them just inches off the ground. Pressing the X button above a body of water, the cloud dips down and sucks up the liquid. I can then use that water to rain down on and give life to plants, or spray streams of water at dirty, evil robots.
It’s not long before I meet Monkfish, a gnome-like fisherman who reaches out to me for help and to lend his own assistance. I press X while hovering near him, and he hops on my back, giving me the ability to utilize his harpoon (which, as it turns out, is just a toilet plunger on a rope). I first use the harpoon to drag a boat that’s been stranded in a lake back to a pier. Later, I’ll find myself using it to drag contaminated barrels out of water, flipping switches, and more.
In a later level, I meet another helpful little gnome, one that can use a flute to “charm” other characters in the game into following him. In one instance, I use the flute to draw a path for an NPC to flip a switch; in another, I trace a path for a wild goat to smash through a blocked path. Tied with the other mechanics — picking up water (and later, other liquids), moving objects — there are countless opportunities for clever, physics-based puzzles. What I’ve seen is obviously just the beginning.
Visually, Okabu has a hand draw, cel-shaded look. The comparisons to Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker are almost impossible to ignore. Still, the game is characteristically HandCircus, with an aesthetic that has many parallels to Rolando.
“[Our artist Mikko Walamies’] got a really distinctive style with the characters and environments that he creates,” Oliver tells me, “and we’ve had a lot of fun taking those designs into 3D and building a world around them for Okabu.
“I think we might have got a bit carried away with Okabu, we keep thinking of new creatures, machines, puzzles and mechanics to add and it’s been hard to say no,” he continues. “I think around 95% of all ideas have made it in. The difference in sheer amount of content when compared to the Rolando games is enormous!”
While the world of Okabu is magical in nature (remember, folks: Cloud Whales), HandCircus was heavily influenced by West and North African cultures.
“One of the influences of the game was the natural history show, Planet Earth,” he admits, “and more specifically an episode that focused on the Okavango delta in Botswana.”
Okabu may have a very eco-friendly message with its focus on cleaning up pollution, sending a message isn’t necessarily HandCircus’ goal.
“We’re not intending to make a statement, Okabu is pure entertainment,” Oliver says, “but nature is the core theme of the game. We wanted to create a game that was very much about the power of nature, about the creatures, the environments, the elements themselves and how they all tie together.
“It’s important to us to create a world that people really care about and naturally want to save, so putting all those little details in that draw people into the world has been really important.”
As for whether or not this turn towards console gaming means HandCircus is going to forget its mobile roots… not a chance.
“The iPhone has been a great platform to work with,” Oliver tells me, “we had a ton of fun creating the Rolando games, and we’re definitely not moving away from iOS. We are a very small team still though, so at the moment can really only work on one project at a time.”
Okabu, HandCircus’ third game, is set to hit PlayStation Network this year.
