Projection: First Light
Developer(s)Shadowplay Studios[lower-alpha 1]
Publisher(s)Blowfish Studios
Platform(s)Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS
ReleaseiOS
September 19, 2019
Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Switch
September 29, 2019
Genre(s)Puzzle, Platform
Mode(s)Single-player

Projection: First Light is a puzzle-platform video game developed by Australian indie developer Shadowplay Studios and published by Blowfish Studios.[1] A prototype of the game was created in Global Game Jam 2016; the developers then teamed up with another Australian Indie studio SweatyChair to create the game in full.[2] It was originally released on iOS through Apple Arcade as a launch title on September 19, 2019, and on Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch on September 29, 2019.[3]

Gameplay and development

The player controls two objects: the protagonist, a little shadow puppet girl named Greta, and a physical ball of light. Using the ball of light, the player can manipulate shadows which become solid and allow Greta to walk on. The length and angle of the shadows depends on the positioning of the ball of light. The game doesn't use any dialogue to explain the story, instead using characters' actions and visual cues.[4] The player explores four different time periods, Indonesia, China, Turkey, Greece, and 19th century England, each with its own unique style.[5] Every character is a shadow puppet, as is the rest of the environment. The characters and foreground are black while the background is in sepia, replicating the style of tradition shadow play canvas.[6]

Greta approaches the Shadow Theater at the start of the game

Head developer Michael Chu explained his inspiration was from playing with shadows on the wall as a child, and realized there were a lot of ways shadows could be used in game development.[7] After deciding on the shadow puppet style, they researched it by visiting puppeteer Richard Bradshaw, who gave them a tour of his workshop and gave them a demonstration of creating a shadow puppet as a reference for artist Yosha Noesjirwan.[8] Noesjirwan also gained insight for the Indonesian shadow puppets through his parents.[9]

Reception

Projection: First Light won a spot in the 2017 PAX Australia Indie Showcase.[12] From there it gained plenty of attention, and featured in many popular gaming news sites such as Kotaku[13] and Nintendo Life.[14] It was also on display at PAX EAST 2018, with high reception from gamers and journalists.[15] The game received mixed reviews, with Nintendo Life criticizing the gameplay but praising the visuals.

Notes

  1. ↑ Additional development by SweatyChair.

References

  1. ↑ "Projection: First Light on Steam". store.steampowered.com. Archived from the original on April 1, 2018. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Projection: First Light is a puzzle platformer with puppetry". VentureBeat. October 23, 2017. Archived from the original on October 24, 2017. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
  3. ↑ "Projection: First Light Brings Enlightened Puzzle-Platforming to Consoles". Gameranx. October 3, 2017. Archived from the original on October 5, 2017. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
  4. ↑ "'Projection: First Light' PAX East 2018 Hands-On | Marooners' Rock". Marooners' Rock. April 12, 2018. Archived from the original on March 15, 2019. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  5. ↑ "Projection: First Light Will Bring Shadow Puppetry to the Nintendo Switch". Nintendo Life. October 2, 2017. Archived from the original on October 4, 2017. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
  6. ↑ "Projection: First Light – An Interview with Michael Chu". Puppet Place News. February 13, 2018. Archived from the original on April 16, 2018. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Projection: First Light Brings Enlightened Puzzle-Platforming to Consoles". Gameranx. October 3, 2017. Archived from the original on October 5, 2017. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Projection: First Light – An Interview with Michael Chu". Puppet Place News. February 13, 2018. Archived from the original on April 16, 2018. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
  9. ↑ "Projection Plays With Beautiful Shadows Of The Past". Kotaku Australia. February 16, 2016. Archived from the original on March 13, 2018. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
  10. ↑ http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/switch-eshop/projection_first_light
  11. ↑ Velasquez, Sergio (October 10, 2019). "Apple Arcade: 'Projection: First Light' Review – A Dark, Cute Journey". TouchArcade. Archived from the original on March 10, 2020. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
  12. ↑ "PAX AUS Indie Showcase 2017". aus.paxsite.com. Archived from the original on May 7, 2018. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Projection Plays With Beautiful Shadows Of The Past". Kotaku Australia. February 16, 2016. Archived from the original on March 13, 2018. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
  14. ↑ "Projection: First Light Will Bring Shadow Puppetry to the Nintendo Switch". Nintendo Life. October 2, 2017. Archived from the original on October 4, 2017. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
  15. ↑ "PAX East 2018 | 'Projection' Shedding Light on Indie Games | The Young Folks". www.theyoungfolks.com. April 14, 2018. Archived from the original on January 13, 2020. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
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