March 2018 - 0°N 0°W

0°N 0°W is the debut title from Colorfiction that focuses on relaxation and exploration and is the digital equivalent of a brisk constitutional into the virtual space that surrounds us. This time however, it's time to take off your boots, get comfortable and let your mind do the wandering.

A cross-country road trip leads you to a mysterious town in the great wild west. Drawn to a lone storefront and entering through its door, you unknowingly embark upon a 'fantastical multidimensional walkabout through space and time'. Here's a quick preview:

Beyond initial introductions, 0°N 0°W quickly let's go off the player's hand and leaves them to freely explore randomised worlds. There are no enemies, there is no danger and gameplay is stripped down to bare essentials. To pinpoint exactly how 0°N 0°W could or should be defined is somewhat difficult, is it a game or is it an experience? Colorfiction describes 0°N 0°W as follows:

A minimalist reinterpretation of modern gameplay mechanisms that eliminates loading screens, user interfaces, inventories, skill trees, stats, quick time events, puzzles, etc. This is gameplay distilled to its very essence with the sole objective to explore in wonder!  

Colorfiction's website also questions: Are you ready to escape reality? 

Videogames as a medium have long been perceived as an outlet for players to escape into. Want a rich narrative to lose yourself in? The ability to do things beyond your physical limitations? No problem, the latest AAA title has you covered for the next 1-4 hours of playtime. So, what is it that sets 0°N 0°W apart? 0°N 0°W feels more intended for a meditative experience than the idea of escapism usually associated with video games. The worlds within 0°N 0°W are abstract, separate places ranging from cityscapes to rudimentary shapes for the player to draw from personally. It encourages players to sit back and relax as a variety of landscapes, colours and sounds wash over them, to search their horizons and begin again someplace new. The repetitive randomisation in 0°N 0°W is beautifully artistic in it's own right and Colorfiction as a company are passionate in investigating the space between art and technology via visual auditory software. No surprise then, that 0°N 0°W has already been a success at the Children's Museum of the Arts NYC.

Whilst first impressions will likely draw attention to the striking visual presentation within the game, there's also 7 hours worth of continuous music which was recorded for 0°N 0°W, coupled with field recorded natural and urban sounds, synthesisers and instruments. 0°N 0°W is certainly a game to fully immerse yourself in, headphones and all. So what are you waiting for, it's time to open the door. 

Future plans for 0°N 0°W include console, VR and mobile release, further exploring the boundaries within which  Colorfiction engage with the concept of space. 

Released today for £6.47 on Steam (Windows), it's time to escape reality with 0°N 0°W.