When We Made... Paradise Killer
actually look at you. And even with that little bit of work, with the help of the animation and really smart designers and engineers, with everybody working together, you could tell from the very beginning that Chris Wallace takesshea was look behind scenes a character thatthe people would really gravitate of Paradise Killer,toward.” a surreal murder mystery really a fully fleshed out that takes inspiration Quill from itsbecomes predecessors to character with the help of the game’s strong world-building. As an create something truly unique interloper in Quill’s world, the player experiences it not through her eyes, but as an observer watching as she lives her life in her familiar setting. It’s a strangely intimate feeling, and one which gives way to joint apprehension as both the player and Quill enter new, unfamiliar areas. “When you go through Mousetown and you see Quill run through thereKiller, and you she has a hometown, aradise the see first that title from Kaizen Game the feelingWorks, of her is leaving it, of that town maybe being in a game that immediately invites danger, gives you moretoofother a bond,” “If comparisons titles,Alderson and yet says. somehow that partentirely was left out, you wouldn’t feel like there was feels unique at the same time. muchWith to fight for. Everything thatawe’ve done, the mood its island setting, and murder-mystery settings, Quill from one to the characters, next and letting plotlinetaking populated by out of area this world the you rest and take in this environment… It’s all supposed immediate comparison is to Danganronpa series, or the to Phoenix exaggerate andgames accentuate that mood that you’re Wright to a lesser extent – particularly feeling. all ties back into where how you connecting with in theItgame’s final trial, theare player is tasked to Quill and her world.” explain whodunnit. Above: Phil Crabtree, But this familiar groundwork does nothing to help the technical director SAME EIGHT playerQUESTION get a foothold in thisWAYS bizarre world. Paradise Killer Collaboration was key during the development is an open-world murder mystery game, yes. of But Moss it’s a, notweird just within one – profoundly the team itself, and but gloriously with the strange help of– external filled with playtesters. mysteriousPeople goat gods, were human often brought sacrifice in and to feedback the warm on mechanical arms of a sexpot called Dr Doom Jazz. The player steps into the shoes of Lady Love Dies, who is recalled from a three million day-exile from Paradise Island for one last job. Paradise’s ruling council have been massacred, and it’s Lady Love Dies’ job to find out how. It’s... certainly a lot to take in. But much like the mysterious murder at the game’s core, the world around Above: Oli Clarke, it is also best left to be experienced than explained. creative director
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the game and asked questions about their experience – even if most of these questions were actually very similar. “External playtests were mostly about ‘Okay, how do people feel when they play? Do they like it or not like it?’,” Alderson explains. “At the end of playtest we would ask the same question eight different ways. The question is really ‘What didn’t you like?’, but we would ask it differently: ‘What pulled you out of the experience? What took you out of the headset? If there’s one thing you could change what would it be? If you had two weeks to finish the game, what would be the thing that you’d fix?’ “Those help bring a playtester into their comfort zone, because no one wants to play something that people put a lot of care and love into and then turn around and say ‘This is what I didn’t like TELL about it’. So it takes a little while EXPERIENCE, DON’T to get theKiller playtester comfortable, and we found that Paradise may wear its influences on its sleeve, finding different to ask thethe same question but it’s not afraidways to break with traditions left means by its you eventuallyand get move the really stuff after the fourth or predecessors in agood new direction. fifth you ask it. Astime technical director Phil Crabtree and creative “I don’t anyone our studio made a director Olithink Clarke Smithinexplain, thehas pairever aimed to use gamethe likegenre’s this, sohistory I think and it’s important you trustinthe both their ownthat experience the industry process.toYou telltrust a new playtesting kind of detective and you story make–sure making that you use allow ofyourself the game’s some open timeworld and freedom to give the to try player something the freedom and thentokeep investigate going. Try however something they new wanted. and branch out, but “The alsoDanganronpa use your experience connection from was games definitely that you’ve intentional,” made beforeClarke and you’ll Smith bebegins. fine. As“Ilong loveas games you’relike having Danganronpa, fun too! We enjoyed Flower, playing Sun and Moss Rain throughout and Silverthe Case. entire That process wasand the Ikind thinkofthat direction really helps.” that I wanted to take it in. “Both Phil and I are both very into very heavy worldbuilding games, and exploration based games. I’ve previously worked on Until Dawn, which is kind of a non-linear drama, but not as freeform and as open as we wanted to do with this. “I thought: ‘there’s a different way of doing interactive stories. What if we just blow the whole thing wide open, and just let the player tackle it in any order under their own direction?’ I love Danganronpa, but it’s so linear, You go to a crime scene, and you’re only allowed to
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