D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die, which is an Xbox One exclusive was briefly showcased during Microsoft’s press event yesterday. Although Microsoft did not released any gamesplay footage, they did revealed a few new screenshots from the game. You can check them right below the article.

D4 is an episodic video game by Hidetaka Suehiro for the Xbox One and was first announced during Microsoft’s E3 press conference last year. The game features David Young, whose wife has been murdered. As you can guess, David also happens to be an investigator and must travel through time to undo the murder of his wife. The game uses time as one of its gameplay mechanics  and Kinect motion controls to further enhance gameplay.

The game does not have a release date. For more on the game you can read our D4 wiki here or read our interview with Hidetaka Suehiro here. Stay tuned for more news and updates.

• 1. Development
• 2. Gameplay
• 3. Story
• 4. Characters

Development

D4 is being developed exclusively for the Xbox One and is currently being worked on by Access Games and Hidetaka Suehiro who previously worked with Access Games on his popular title, Deadly Premonition. The games title (D4) represents the alliteration of, “Dark Dreams Don’t Die” but also represents the 4th Dimension.

The 4th dimension is somewhat specific to the study of Physics as it represents any mathematical model that combines space and time to represent a single continuum (a sequence with similar elements, but separate extremes, hence the space time continuum). This lead to some fans speculating that the game will feature elements of time travel that aid in solving the games primary mystery, this was later proven true by the games director. The game makes use of the Kinect sensor for the Xbox One requiring both physical gestures and voice commands, but Suehiro has said “”We don’t want you standing up swinging your arms around”.

Speaking in an interview with Gaming Bolt’s Ravi Sinah (which you can read here), he elaborates on how the games control scheme will be much more relaxed than other Kinect related titles, saying “All of the basic elements of gameplay can be performed with one hand. You can select different objects and people onscreen by placing your open hand in front of the screen. By closing your hand, you can pick things up, talk to people, and interact with things. This interaction is done by inputting simple commands in the same way you would normally use these objects in real life – for example, opening a door – and it provides the player with feedback in the form of realistic senses and feelings of actually performing these actions.”

It’s worth noting though, that this game can be played with the Xbox One controller which is likely to be the primary means of control given that the Kinect One is soon to become a non-essential Xbox One peripheral.

Gameplay

As mentioned above, the gameplay will come in episodic instalments and is designed around a Kinect interface, but isn’t limited to motion controls thanks to the inclusion of controller support. Players will be taking control of a private investigator recovering from his wife  being murdered. Using the many commands available to the player, you must manipulate the world around you to help uncover the traumatic mystery.

Players can trigger certain time travel events by interacting with certain objects in the world called Mementos. These Mementos are what allow the player to jump back in time to a specific time to better understand and thus solve a mystery.

Story

What we know of the story thus far is that the players character, Young, travel through time in an attempt to unravel the mystery of his murdered wife. The twist being that the ordeal was so traumatic that he can’t remember the events himself and thus, must discover what happened via the Mementos that serve as a time travel mechanic.

Characters

Although the episodic nature of the game all but guarantees more characters to be revealed as time passes (no pun intended), at the moment there is one character that we can say with certainty.

Young – Young is the player’s character, he is a private detective trying to solve the mystery of his wife’s murder. The complications in solving a murder are compounded by his apparent amnesia, having been so traumatized that he has forgotten what happened.

Note: This wiki will be updated once we have more information about the game.

Speaking to Suehiro, we asked what inspired the premise behind D4, which aspect of the Xbox One excites him most and how the episodic format of the game will play out.

"Looking back at the original plans, there are some parts which have changed greatly a lot, and some parts which haven’t changed a bit."

Ravi Sinha: After Deadly Premonition, what various ideas did you eventually cycle through before settling on D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die?

SWERY: After producing Deadly Premonition, I started work on production of the Lord of Arcana series right away, and during that time I was already working on the planning and pre-production of D4. So you could say that I’ve been working on D4 for about the past 2~3 years or so. Looking back at the original plans, there are some parts which have changed greatly a lot, and some parts which haven’t changed a bit. At the same time I was also working on the sequel to Deadly Premonition and the framework for the Director’s Cut.

Ravi Sinha: Time travel plays a big role in the game, but it is connected to different objects within rather than used on the fly. Could you give us an example of this and how it affects gameplay overall?

SWERY: We call the items used to trigger time travel “mementos”. By touching these “mementos”, the main character – Young – is able to actually dive back into the world of the past to experience a particular time and solve mysteries. For example, in Episode 1, he uses a “bloody marshal’s badge” to dive back into the time a certain incident occurred on an airplane. Put really simple, the “memento” is basically like a key used to advance the story.

Ravi Sinha: Will there be multiple options for different outcomes using time travel in D4? In essence, does the game allow for branching paths or is there only a fixed linear outcome?

SWERY: At the core of the story is the theme of “you can’t change the past”. In other words, the flow of time is singular. The story depicts the inner workings of a main character who is trying to tweak this flow… It also contains the antithesis of “if you try as hard as you possibly can, you may actually be able to change the past”.

So as for your question of whether there is “more than one ending”, I can’t really say right now. I’d prefer to have you enjoy the game itself and get a firsthand feel for its mysteries.

"How do we get people to understand that this is D4 simply by glancing at some screenshots? After a process of trial and error, we decided to use the current shading."

Ravi Sinha: With the Xbox One and its power, especially in the form of an eight core CPU and 8 GB DD3 RAM, what influenced the decision to go with a cel-shaded style in D4? Was it a counter-response to the constant pushing to make games like more realistic?

SWERY: How do we make this one game stand out among all of these other graphic and realistic games that are out there?
How do we get people to understand that this is D4 simply by glancing at some screenshots? After a process of trial and error, we decided to use the current shading. However, on top of that, since D4 is an episodic game, if this game goes over really well then it may turn into a long-running series, or there may be new episodes added.

Because of this, we had to use the sort of style that would be easy to keep consistent from the first episodes through the later ones. I really like the style we’re using now – it’s a sort of crossover between Japanese anime and Western cartoons.

Ravi Sinha: Tell us more about the controls for D4 using Kinect. How does the player utilize gestures and voice commands to traverse through the game, and how does this differ from using the controller?

SWERY: This’ll probably get a bit long, but I’ll answer as best as I can. All of the basic elements of gameplay can be performed with one hand. You can select different objects and people onscreen by placing your open hand in front of the screen. By closing your hand, you can pick things up, talk to people, and interact with things. This interaction is done by inputting simple commands in the same way you would normally use these objects in real life – for example, opening a door – and it provides the player with feedback in the form of realistic senses and feelings of actually performing these actions.

You can “push” selected objects by thrusting your open hand out in front of you. You can use this to move objects and get people’s attention and stuff like that. The camera angle can also be adjusted by moving your hand to the edge of the screen and swiping it like you do on a smartphone. Also, basic gameplay is mostly made up of elements like striking a “Lasso” pose with two fingers to operate auxiliary controls, using voice commands to have conversations, and changing your position to look around in order to explore the 3D environment.

"With regards to controller support, all of the controls mentioned above can also be performed using the controller."

Putting it in writing like this makes it sound really complicated, but I think you’ll find that once you actually try it out it’s really quite simple.

Also, for the action scenes, you can advance the story by doing things like moving both hands, repositioning yourself, and using your voice. This is another thing that sets it apart from traditional QTE, in that the way it’s made really easy for anyone to have fun and get really into the game.

Additionally, with regards to controller support, all of the controls mentioned above can also be performed using the controller. So basically, the user can decide based on their mood whether they feel like playing using Kinect or the normal controller.

Ravi Sinha: D4 is designed to be an episodic mystery. Could you go into more detail about how this would work?

SWERY: The biggest reason we’ve made this an episodic game is that by splitting up a single story and distributing it episode by episode, as the story continues users from all over the place can find out what happens almost simultaneously. That is to say, no one will be able to the ending – which is the most important part of a mystery – until the final episode has been released. Because of this, I feel that we’re able to not only avoid spoilers, but also provide users with time to try to figure out how things will turn out on their own.

Ravi Sinha: What feature about the Xbox One – besides Kinect, of course – has you most excited for the console’s potential?

SWERY: This would be an “evolution in style” with regards to how the game is played. It would be awesome if this new device could help to start a new generation in the way that tablet PCs, cellphones, portable audio players, wireless controllers, and the PC mouse and keyboard managed to change our lifestyles over the past few years.

"Also, if we developers continue to update the cloud – as opposed to retail goods – then it should be possible for us to continue to provide users with new features."

Ravi Sinha: How was development on the Xbox One easier or more streamlined compared to development on the Xbox 360? Did it make certain aspects of gameplay easier to implement, or allow for things you previously wouldn’t have thought popular?

SWERY: Of course, it has evolved in a number of ways. However, in order to maintain confidentiality, I’m afraid I can’t really answer that.

Ravi Sinha: From a development perspective what are your thoughts on Microsoft’s claim about cloud making the Xbox One more powerful in the future? Do you think we can have better graphics and physics using the cloud?

SWERY: I think that as the infrastructure evolves, the time may come when most resources and processes can be handled by the cloud. Also, if we developers continue to update the cloud – as opposed to retail goods – then it should be possible for us to continue to provide users with new features. If that happens, then as a creator there would be more and more things I’d want to do… Uh-oh – I just don’t have enough time or hands to do it all! What do I do?!

Ravi Sinha: How long can we expect the single player campaign to be?

SWERY: For each episode, I’m thinking it’ll be about 90~120 minutes for the main parts. We’re working hard to include meta-games and side quests on top of that.

"Please don’t expect to be able to play D4 on any platform besides the Xbox One. Please understand that “D4 is not a sequel to Deadly Premonition”."

Ravi Sinha: How are you making sure that the game will have sufficient replay value?

SWERY: In addition to the side quests mentioned above, there are also a bunch of Easter eggs hidden in the game. I want to make it so that in order to find them all you’d have to play the game multiple times, and not only that but by finding them you’d also attain an even deeper understanding of the world of the game and come to love the characters even more.

Ravi Sinha: If there’s one thing you could tell players to NOT expect in D4, what would it be?

SWERY: 1: Please don’t expect to be able to play D4 on any platform besides the Xbox One.
2: Please understand that “D4 is not a sequel to Deadly Premonition”.
3: This is not what you think about with Kinect. This game is something the core will be able to enjoy and see why Kinect is a great enhancement to gaming as a whole.

We’re working hard on the production of this new title – D4 – by setting up the foundation of “emotional involvement” and “realistic senses and feelings”. I feel that we are basically creating a kind of game that’s really the first of its kind. We’re aiming to create the sort of game that will truly become an “experience” in the players’ lives, and I really think you’ll like what we have in store. That’s all, I love you all!

Now, we’re firmly focused on the games and services that Microsoft will be offering in the next generation. What can we expect when the company takes to the stage at this year’s Gamescom in Cologne? Here are our top 10 picks for the same.

Halo 5

It’s a long shot. Heck, it’s more than a long shot – consider that when Microsoft and Bungie first teased Halo Reach at E3, it didn’t show any gameplay footage until a full year later. It would be smarter to hype Halo when the Xbox One is out there and in the hands of consumers (and why take away immediate attention, no matter how meagre, from Halo The TV Series?). Regardless, if there was something about Halo at this year’s Gamescom, it wouldn’t be the worst thing to happen.

Quantum Break’s TV Series

It’s Microsoft. It’s the Xbox One. And this is television. However, it should be a bigger point of interest than Halo The TV Series given how it actually intertwines with the game itself. It might not be the hottest, most unique announcement, but it will allow us to see just how good (or bad) the television connection will work out for the Xbox One and Quantum Break.

Indie Titles

After Sony has been trouncing Microsoft again and again with its indie acquisitions, look for Microsoft to get some measure of revenge following its reversal of no self-publishing for indie games on Xbox Live for the Xbox One. Minecraft: Xbox One Edition could make an appearance along with Below, but is it too much to expect some new games to be announced?

D4 Details

We’d say that not much is known about D4, but the truth is, there are actually quite a few details that help us understand what we’re getting into. However, this is Hidetaka Suehiro’s game and if Deadly Premonition was any indication, things aren’t what they seem. Perhaps D4 will get some more details at Gamescom. Considering that it’s an exclusive but not quite in the AAA league, it wouldn’t hurt Microsoft to build it up now in preparation for a Q1 2014 release.

Zoo Tycoon Release Date

Hell yes! Who doesn’t want to be able to manage their own zoo, bring in the customers and research new inventions with which to keep your animal population satisfied? We’re not quite sure at this point, but we are sure that Zoo Tycoon will get a release date at Gamescom (earlier reports indicated it would be out by Fall 2013 anyway) seeing as it’s exclusive to the Xbox One and Xbox. Look forward to gameplay footage as well.

Kinect Titles

The May reveal for Xbox One was all about television and mass appeal games along with, of course, the console. E3 2013 was about the games. Could Gamescom be the event where Microsoft finally reveals what Kinect games it will be bringing to the Xbox One. We already know about one (see below), but what about the usual Kinect Sports, Kinect Adventures and Kinectimals sequels? We don’t expect them to be far behind. Perhaps Microsoft is waiting until the Xbox One has enough market penetration before revealing its Kinect titles? We’ll soon find out.

Backwards compatibility

Rumours indicated recently that Microsoft is still up in the air regarding whether the Xbox One would have backwards compatibility or not. There’s a good chance this will be made possible using Azure, similar to how the PlayStation 4 will use Gaikai for backwards compatibility. This is due to the use of a Blu-ray disc drive rather than the typical DVD drive. There will at least be some clarification on the same come Gamescom, but we don’t necessarily expect to be able to use our Xbox 360 discs with the Xbox One.

Xbox One Release Date

You didn’t think Sony would be the only one to announce a release date for its next generation console, did you? We fully expect Microsoft to provide details on just when we can expect the Xbox One to release this November, which should be around the first week. Sony could release the PlayStation 4 earlier, as early as October 21st if rumours are to be believed. Gamescom 2013 certainly looks to be the last stop on the way to the next console war.

What do you expect to see Microsoft announce at this year’s Gamescom? Let us know in the comments below.

Deadly Premonition was regarded, when it was still exclusive to Microsoft’s console, as one of those “so bad it’s good” games who’s immense cheese and shockingly effective dynamics actually resulted in a rip-roaring good time.

D4 appears to do something a bit different, as we follow a detective who must solve his wife’s murder and prevent it from happening by diving back in time.

Not much is showcased except the ability to use Kinect to perform different Quick Time Events using gestures. Hopefully the final result is a lot less complicated than it sounds. See how it goes down above and let us know in the comments if it floats your boat.

Update: Screenshots added.