“We work well together as a team”
This remake of [i]Amerzone[/i] – a faithful update that promises some new features – is in the hands of Microids Studio Paris. Formed in October 2021, the team has been built around former developers from the studio Koalabs, maker of [i]Syberia 3[/i] and [i]Syberia: The World Before[/i]. Today, it includes more than 60 members, working at the headquarters of Microids in the 19th arrondissement of Paris. “[i]Being on the same premises as our publisher is a plus point,[/i]” Antoine Babary, Audio Director, told us. “[i]It helps us communicate more smoothly and make decisions faster.[/i]”
According to the team members, the human size of Microids Studio Paris creates a close and supportive environment. “[i]When we have an idea to improve the game, we can talk about it and reach a decision pretty fast, without having to deal with layers of hierarchy,[/i]” Édouard Bourgeat, Principal Sound Designer, stated. “[i]We work well together as a team; most of the members have already delivered at least one game together,[/i]” added Grégory Chicoine, Level Designer. “[i]Delivery is a high-pressure stage in development, which proves the ability to work together.[/i]”
Experts in Sokal-esque adventure games
Through its work on the [i]Syberia[/i] series over the years, Microids Studio Paris has developed expertise in the adventure game genre. “[i]Working on [/i]Syberia [i]allowed me to level up my skills, particularly with camera angles: what do we want to show, and how to show it?[/i]”, Grégory explained. “[i]This experience with [/i]Syberia[i] helped me a lot with [/i]Amerzone[i]; we started out on a solid basis.[/i]” The studio's background with [i]Syberia[/i] means that it masters the world of Benoît Sokal better than anyone. “[i]From the music to the visuals and the mechanics, there are many similarities between [/i]Syberia [i]and [/i]Amerzone[i]. By understanding one, we can enhance the other,[/i]” Antoine pointed out. “[i]What’s more, our creative leads have a long history of collaboration with Benoît; they know his work inside out,[/i]” added Édouard. “[i]This means we can produce a remake of [/i]Amerzone[i] that’s as close as possible to what Benoît would have wanted.[/i]”
Furthermore, Microids Studio Paris has been honing its skills with its tool of choice, the Unity engine, achieving ever greater performance. “Syberia [i]and[/i] Amerzone [i]share a lot of technologies,[/i]” Grégory explained. “[i]The foundations were already there, allowing us to focus on improvements and new features, like the point-of-view and sequence shots.[/i]”
