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Showing posts with label The Town of Light. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Town of Light. Show all posts

7 Feb 2020

The Town of Light: Deluxe Edition is Out Now on Nintendo Switch from Wired Productions


Watford, UK – February 7, 2020 – Award-winning publisher, Wired Productions and leading Italian studio LKA, are delighted to announce the arrival of the highly celebrated psychological adventure The Town of Light, launching globally today on Nintendo Switch. This new Deluxe Edition of the game on the popular handheld console features exclusive making of content and documentary footage of the real Psychiatric Hospital of Volterra, never before seen on other platforms.

I reviewed The Town of Light when it was released on Xbox, you can check out that review HERE

Check out the Nintendo Switch launch trailer here:


Created through the desire to tell the stories of those held within psychiatric facilities through the mid-twentieth century and create wider conversation around mental health, Wired Productions and LKA are delighted to continue to support positive mental health awareness with 10% of net proceeds from sales to be donated to Safe In Our World (http://www.safeinourworld.org).

“We’re excited for Switch gamers to finally be able to get their hands on The Town of Light today,” said Leo Zullo, Managing Director, Wired Productions. “We’d like to thank gamers for their patience while we worked to create this edition. We recognize the road has been long, but we truly believe Renée’s story, and the history of the hospital at Volterra, is a powerful message that deserves to be shared; so we're delighted we're finally able to bring this compelling experience to Nintendo Switch.”

The Town of Light was originally developed for PC, which came out in 2016, followed by the PlayStation and Xbox One launch in 2017. In development since 2018, the Nintendo Switch edition is out now. The Town of Light: Deluxe Edition is available to purchase now on the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch with an SRP of $9.99/€9.99/£7.99. The game is rated ESRB M for Mature.

For more information, visit http://www.wiredproductions.com

1 Feb 2018

The Town of Light: Deluxe Edition Coming to Nintendo Switch this Spring


Watford, U.K. — February 1, 2017 — Wired Productions, a leading games publisher and developer, and LKA, a leading Italian games studio, are pleased to announce The Town of Light: Deluxe Edition will be released at retail and digitally only on Nintendo Switch this Spring.

The Town of Light is an evocative and historically inspired exploration of mental health and its treatment in the mid-20th century.  Played through the fictional eyes of Renée, a 16-year-old girl who suffers from symptoms of mental illness, players must search for answers to the many questions of her past, while exploring and uncovering the place where she spent most of her youth. What happens next is a dark and emotional journey where the lines of interactive entertainment, storytelling and reality frequently tend to blur.

The Deluxe Edition builds on The Town of Light’s 2017 console release with a collection of documentary content, allowing inquisitive players to learn about the hospital at Volterra and the lives of its patients, for the first time within the game’s release.

“We’ve been overwhelmed by the support The Town of Light has received around the world,” said Leo Zullo, Managing Director, Wired Productions, “we are delighted to continue our journey with LKA and to bring The Town of Light, a game which has provoked valuable discussion around its subject matter, to an even greater audience.”

“We created The Town of Light to talk about mental health,” said Luca Dalcò, Studio Head at LKA, “bringing the game once again to an all new format allows us to continue that mission. Our relationship with Wired continues to go from strength to strength.”

In September 2017, Wired Productions and LKA embarked on the ‘You Are Not Alone’ campaign, with the aim of raising awareness of mental health both inside the games industry and with its players. During the campaign $10,000 was raised for Take This, Inc, a non-profit charity who help to provide basic mental health care for those who can’t afford it as well as ‘AFK Rooms’ at some of the world’s most prominent video games events.

For more information and to stay up-to-date on the latest news for The Town of Light, please visit the official website at www.TheTownOfLight.com, Like the official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/TheTownOfLight and follow the official Twitter account at https://twitter.com/TheTownOfLight

Check out my exclusive review of The Town of Light Here

19 Jul 2017

Discover How Award-Nominated Developer Brought a Crumbling Psychiatric Asylum to Life for Psychological Thriller, The Town of Light


Navigating the corridors, rooms and grounds of Italian psychiatric asylum the Ospedale Psichiatrico di Volterra today elicits a very different atmosphere to when it was still fully operational – right up until the late 1970s. Its walls have succumbed to nature and its roofs no longer protect from the elements, yet remnants of the pain once suffered on its grounds are still palpable in the air.

In the haunting behind the scenes video ‘Building The Town of Light,’ game developer LKA.it explores the asylum, its surroundings and the emotional scars it left upon its inhabitants, highlighting how LKA digitally restored it for the award winning, first-person psychological adventure game, The Town of Light. Other discussion points include the challenges of development, the endeavor’s jarring subject matter, and how the importance of the narrative meant LKA.it were determined to overcome anything to deliver one of the most compelling stories of recent times.

Watch ‘Building The Town of Light’ below



Winner of the indieDB Editor’s Choice 2015 award for “Best Visuals” and Game Connection Paris 2014 award for “Best Narrative,” The Town of Light is a first-person, story-driven adventure game set in the Volterra Psychiatric Asylum. The asylum was shut down in the late 1970s due to an Italian law that instructed all asylums to close completely and give back patients their civil rights.

Developed by LKA.it and co-published with Wired Productions, The Town of Light is out now on PlayStation®4, Xbox One, and Windows PC in physical and digital formats for SRP £15.99/€19.99/$19.99. The Town of Light has been rated PEGI 18.

You can buy The Town of Light from Amazon UK at the links below.
The Town of Light - (PS4)
Town of Light - Xbox One

You can buy The Town of Light from Amazon USA at the links below.
The Town of Light - (PS4)
The Town of Light - Xbox One


6 Jun 2017

EXCLUSIVE REVIEW: The Town of Light - Xbox One


"Play through the eyes of Renee, a 16-year-old girl who suffers from the symptoms of mental illness. She is searching for answers to the many questions from her past, whilst exploring the place where she spent most of her youth. Guide Renee through a dark and emotional journey where the lines between entertainment, storytelling and reality blur.

Based on extensive research and inspired by real events, The Town of Light is a first-person psychological story adventure game set in the Volterra Psychiatric Asylum. Based in Tuscany, Italy, the asylum was shut down in the late 1970's by a law from the Italian government instructing all asylums to close and give back patients their civil rights. Explore the asylum as it stands to this day and uncover the good and bad in human nature."

This is a really hard game to review, mainly due to the fact I cant really call it a game, and by that I mean it is more like playing a book, a life simulation whereby you don't really have much control, you just go through the motions.

This is a game you simply do not enjoy playing, you endure it, but it is hard to turn away.
There is no real jump out moments, no scares, but it does leave an uncomfortable imprint on your mind.

I have never quite played a game like this, and before I started I expected it to be a bit like Xbox One game Life Is Strange which was an incredible game, and there are a few similarities in that certain actions you take can affect the story, but these are limited compared to Life is Strange.

The biggest problem with The Town of Light is that if you are playing this without any real knowledge of the game, you will either find yourself walking about for hours having no idea what you are supposed to do, where you are supposed to go or you will just turn it off and thing it is rubbish. But I almost think that you are more likely to get something from this "game" if you play it with a walkthrough in your hand, a few maps of the locations and a general idea of what you are supposed to do. Yes you will end up finishing the game much quicker, but like I said this is not really a game, there is no real replay potential outside of the few storyline choices, and trying to get your gamerpoints (or trophies on PS4), so think of it like a book you will read through, and once you have finished it, it will make you think, and you might even go back and re-read a chapter just to understand it better.

The game itself is a remake/port of a PC game, so there is already plenty of information on the game out there, and other than a few Graphical improvements, the game as far as I can see is pretty much the same.

When you do finish the game, you do feel like you have achieved something, but not necessarily in a good way. I finished it last night, and then found myself thinking about it throughout the night. It didn't give me nightmares, but it did really make me think about the experiences of people who lived in these types of Asylums, the mental illnesses they had, how they were treated etc.

This is an adult experience, but very much in a psychological respect. It is hard to judge the game, because it is not really a game. I can see many people playing it for 10 minutes then never touching it again, but I can also see people playing it through to the end, and then playing some of the chapters again so they can see some of the different paths that are taken.

This is possible the most bizarre experience I have ever had on any console. And it has left me confused, befuddled, and unsure of what I actually experienced.


Lets take a look at some of the good and some of the bad points of the game from a technical viewpoint.
Some of the memory sequences are stunning to watch, some incredible artwork is featured during the game and it really draws you in. But then the general graphics of walking about can be a bit clunky at times, and then there is that viewpoint cursor on screen, it is almost impossible to see, so you have no idea if something you are looking at can be interacted with or not. Sometimes everything seems too bright, and then moments later you are struggling to see anything because it is too dark.

There is no onscreen map, which means you can really struggle at times to get your bearings, and like I mentioned earlier, it is easy to get lost and just walk about for hours having no clue where you are.

One chapter involves you being outside and after a cut scene it is suddenly in the middle of the night, and even with the little torch activated, it is almost impossible to have any clue where you are, and I found myself walking around in circles, and that is despite the fact I had the map printed out in front of me, as I had no idea where I was on the map.

There are minimal actual puzzles in the game, and perhaps if they had more of these it would make it a more enjoyable experience.

So do I recommend this game or not?
I honestly am not sure if this was excellent or awful.
I felt a need to finish the game, to see everything, and when I did I felt thoroughly satisfied that I had achieved something. But damn it was hard work.

If you have an interest in the history of Asylums, the story lines of games, and perhaps feeling more like you are watching an event as opposed to being part of the event then you will probably take a lot out of the game. If you like puzzles, actions, quick results etc, then this is not a game for you.

If you play it without any help, I don't think you will give it more than an hour before giving up.
But if you prepare yourself, then I think you can take plenty from the experience.

Personally I will give this "experience" 7/10
It is not a game, you wont enjoy any of it, you will endure it, and you will want to finish it, it will make you think.

You can purchase this game from Amazon using the following links (Open in a new window)
The Town of Light (Xbox One)
The Town of Light (PS4)

24 May 2017

The Town of Light Video Game Illuminated By Stunning Photographic Exploration In Partnership With Leading London University

Watford, U.K. — May 24, 2017 — In partnership with developer LKA.it, leading independent games publisher Wired Productions is thrilled to confirm today that it has teamed up with London South Bank University to unveil a new website which explores, through a series of stunning imagery and video footage, the real location that inspired The Town of Light video game.


Wired Productions flew filmmaker, writer, and student at London South Bank University, Alexandra Furssedonn Howard to Volterra, Italy to document the now defunct ‘Ospedale Psichiatrico di Volterra’ complex and surrounding area for a three-day shoot. Inspired by the peeling paint, abandoned furniture, and ominous mannequins, Alexandra looked to her love of gothic horror and the psychological when creating the Volterra art film and accompanying photographic galleries.

Set within the sleepy Tuscan village of Volterra against picture-perfect, rolling countryside, the ramshackle remains of the asylum have been expertly captured through a series of breathtaking photographs and videos – all available to view on this specially created website, link below:

www.explorethetownoflight.com

The website, produced in association with the game, has been specifically created as a companion guide for urban explorers and fans of the game alike. Allowing visitors uncompromising access to many of the asylum’s most inaccessible nooks and crannies including the Charcot pavilion, in which The Town of Light finds its setting. This digital exhibit provides a thrilling, often jaw-dropping accompaniment to the player’s in-game experiences.


Leo Zullo, Wired Productions, said: “It’s incredibly important to develop the next wave of young talent and give opportunity to creative minds. This is something very close to us and we’re delighted to support.”

Ricardo Domizio, Film Studies Course Director at London South Bank University, said: “This was a fantastic opportunity for Alexandra to build on what she is learning at LSBU in terms of theory and practice. Her knowledge of film, combined with her practical expertise is exactly what adds value in working for a company like Wired Productions. Getting out into the field is something that is highly encouraged at LSBU and no doubt this will be a great launch pad for greater things for Alexandra. We are very proud of her achievement.”

In the Town of Light, players explore the Ospedale Psichiatrico di Volterra through the fictional eyes of Renée, a 16-year-old girl suffering from the symptoms of mental illness, players must search for answers to the many questions of her past while exploring and uncovering the place where she spent most of her youth. What happens next is a dark and emotional journey where the lines of interactive entertainment, storytelling and reality frequently tend to blur.

Developed by LKA.it and co-published with Wired Productions, The Town of Light is headed to PlayStation®4, Xbox One, and Windows PC in physical and digital formats on June 6, 2017 for SRP £15.99/€19.99/$19.99. Existing owners of the digital Windows PC version will receive an update and acquire this enhanced release free of charge. The Town of Light has been rated PEGI 18.