"We wanted to create a story that everyone could enjoy, so Bumblebee was the perfect starting point."

Given how many fan-favorite characters the massive cast of Transformers has featured over the years, what was behind the decision to shine the spotlight on Bumblebee in particular for this game?

Bumblebee is an iconic character that has been prominent in so much Transformers media over the recent years. He is instantly recognisable to both the new, younger generation of fans and by those who’ve been fans of the franchise for decades, and acts almost like a link between the generations. We wanted to create a story that everyone could enjoy, so Bumblebee was the perfect starting point. We also felt there was a lot to explore within Bumblebee’s character and backstory, so we’re looking forward to seeing seasoned fans discover new things about this heroic Autobot.

For fans of the Transformers IP, will EARTHSPARK – Expedition feature plenty of references and easter eggs?

Absolutely! We have plenty of recognisable characters that will appear alongside Bumblebee throughout the game, including Optimus Prime of course, as well as Grimlock, Skullcruncher, Nova Storm, and Skywarp. The in-game card collection features a number of illustrations and descriptions of fan-favorite characters from across the Transformers universe, and astute players will also notice a few subtle easter eggs throughout the game…

How heavily will the game emphasize exploration, especially given the game’s inclusion of Metroidvania design elements?

The game has a very big focus on open exploration, with plenty of secrets, detours, and side missions dotted about the biomes for players to discover. The side missions link closely to the main story, so there’s a lot of incentive there to find and complete them. Players are also able to backtrack to previous biomes in order to access new areas that may have originally been inaccessible the first time around.

 What can you tell us about the three biomes that will be available, and how much they will differ from each other?

The three biomes work as separate maps that must be completed in order to access the next one. The first is Road Canyon, the second is Jungle Temple, and the third and final is the Glacial Mountain. As can be inferred from the names, each biome boasts a new type of environment with unique threats, challenges, and twists that keep the game exciting.

"Bumblebee’s racing car form can be used to travel around the world more quickly, but it can also be incorporated into powerful combo attacks in battle too. There are lots of possibilities here for players to explore."

What kind of depth and variety can players expect from the game’s combat systems, and the abilities that will be available in Bumblebee’s arsenal?

We’ve developed a dynamic hack and slash combat system that utilises combos to create exciting action sequences. New abilities and combos can be unlocked as the game progresses, with abilities like the Charged Shot and Grapple allowing access to new areas, and others like the Ultra Attack allowing huge amounts of damage to be done to enemies.

How expansive can players expect the game’s progression mechanics to be?

Players can expect to gradually unlock new game mechanics throughout their playtime. While the list of new combos and upgraded abilities is expansive, many players will likely gravitate to a few that they enjoy using such as the Charged Shot or Nitro Boost

What sort of an impact will Bumblebee’s vehicle form have on different aspects of gameplay, from movement to combat to exploration?

Bumblebee’s racing car form can be used to travel around the world more quickly, but it can also be incorporated into powerful combo attacks in battle too. There are lots of possibilities here for players to explore.

With TRANSFORMERS: EARTHSPARK – Expedition being a game that’s designed for all ages, what are the biggest challenges of crafting an experience like that? How do you look to strike the right balance between complexity and accessibility?

The most important thing for a game like this is to keep the core mechanics simple enough for young players to grasp, while providing optional additional features that appeal to older, and more experienced players (for example, our fully-fledged combo system). By identifying challenges young players typically have with open world games, and implementing solutions that helped solve those problems, we were able to create a solid foundation. We then added a lot of side missions, collectibles, and other optional content that provides rewards for those who are up to the challenge.

"We’ve developed a dynamic hack and slash combat system that utilises combos to create exciting action sequences."

Roughly how long will an average playthrough of the game be?

TRANSFORMERS: EARTHSPARK – Expedition will take many hours to complete the main story campaign and then even more to find every collectible and hidden easter egg within the game.

Since the reveal of the PS5 and Xbox Series’ specs, a lot of comparisons have been made between the GPU speeds of the two consoles, with the PS5 at 10.28 TFLOPS and the Xbox Series X at 12 TFLOPS. How much of an impact on development do you think that difference will have?

Working on a title for both older generation consoles at the same time as a current console requires that there be some concessions, because of modern development tools. However, the smaller TFLOPS difference between both console generations doesn’t have a huge impact on our development perspective.

The PS5 features an incredibly fast SSD with 5.5GB/s raw bandwidth. How can developers take advantage of this, and how does this compare to the Xbox Series X’s 2.4GB/s raw bandwidth?

The PS5 and XSX SSDs are without a doubt, much faster than older generation consoles. One opportunity is to take advantage of the loading times, and to use them to develop seamless transitions between maps.

The Xbox Series S features lesser hardware compared to Xbox Series and Microsoft is pushing it as a 1440p/60 FPS console. Do you think it will be able to hold up for the more graphically intensive games as this generation progresses?

1440p/60 FPS is still an ambitious goal from a performance perspective, so it is possible that many incoming games are going to target 30 FPS on Xbox Series S because of those hardware restrictions.

"The game has a very big focus on open exploration, with plenty of secrets, detours, and side missions dotted about the biomes for players to discover."

What frame rate and resolution will the game target on the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S?

In PS5 and Xbox Series X, TRANSFORMERS: EARTHSPARK – Expedition will have 4k resolution and 60FPS. The Xbox Series S edition will feature 1440p resolution and a frame rate of 60FPS.

What frame rate and resolution will the game target on the Switch in docked and undocked modes?

For undocked mode, the dynamic resolution will be between 480-720/30FP, whereas docked Switches will have dynamic resolution between 720-1080/30FPS.

What are your thoughts on the Steam Deck? Do you have plans for any specific optimizations for the device?

It is an incredible portable console, I think people are very happy with how it is handling games. However, TRANSFORMERS: EARTHSPARK – Expedition won’t have any specific optimizations for the Steam Deck.

In a recent interview with GamingBolt, Julio Romacho Hipólito, producer at Outright Games, revealed that Transformers: Earthspark – Expedition will run at 4K and 60 FPS on PS5 and Xbox Series X, while on Xbox Series S, it will run at 1440p and 60 FPS.

Meanwhile, on the Nintendo Switch, when played in handheld mode, it will target a resolution between 480p and 720p while running at 30 FPS. When being played in the dock, on the other hand, it will render at between 720p to 1080p, and run at the same frame rate. What performance and resolution it will be targeting on last-gen consoles remains to be seen though.

Transformers: Earthspark – Expedition is set to launch on October 20 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Stay tuned for our full interview.

"We saw that most VR experiences were in a fantasy setting and were always other-worldly, offering experiences that you could not get in real life (visiting hell, fighting skeletons, riding a dragon, etc). So instead of offering something that you couldn’t get in real life we decided to offer something that you wouldn’t want in real life."

How did the idea for Intruders Hide and Seek come about, conceptually speaking?

We came up with the idea in 2016, when there were very few games for VR, just “experiences” and “experiments.” We saw that horror worked great on VR, but there were already too many horror experiences. At the time we decided 3 things: Narrative and immersion were the strengths of VR, and we had to use them intensively; that the game shouldn’t be just an “experience” nor should the player have a passive role, we wanted to make a video game where the player’s actions mattered; and we decided we didn’t want fantasy horror or jump scares; we wanted a more realistic approach.

We saw that most VR experiences were in a fantasy setting and were always other-worldly, offering experiences that you could not get in real life (visiting hell, fighting skeletons, riding a dragon, etc). So instead of offering something that you couldn’t get in real life we decided to offer something that you wouldn’t want in real life. No one wants to go through that in real life, but if it happens in a safe environment (VR), people would dig it. There’s a little masochist in every one of us.

About how long is Intruders Hide and Seek going to be? Are there branching paths, collectibles, or perhaps some other things that would promote replay value in the game?

The story is 3 – 4 hours long and progresses at a good pace. There will be collectibles and some minor branching, but don’t expect a “choose-you-own-adventure” kind of game.

In spite of being a non-supernatural concept, Intruders Hide and Seek seems to have a very strong psychological horror bent- how does the game balance those two aspects, without ever having to sacrifice one in favour of the other?

Well, psychological horror doesn’t have to be supernatural, so balancing that wasn’t really a problem. We think humans can make great monsters. So we always thought “how messed up can a situation get? How twisted can a person become? Let’s do that”. We tried to focus on the darkest sides of human psyche (envy, revenge, sadism, selfishness, etc).

What tools will the players have at their disposal as far as stealth mechanics are concerned?

Very few. The player can hide in cabinets and can crouch to be less noisy. There’s also a flashlight that is very convenient to move around in the dark, but using it makes you easier to be spotted. We tried giving the player more tools, but it really didn’t work. Some items would make the game too Home Alone-esque (slapstick comedy) and others would destroy the feeling of total defencelessness we were looking for, so we got rid of them. Also, first person stealth is always tricky to implement, so we thought that the easier the system, the better for the game.

"We made the game VR compatible because we thought the story was good enough to be enjoyed even without VR. But this is definitely a much better experience with VR. The atmosphere really works and peeking around corners or over furniture feels great."

Looking at the concept of Intruders Hide and Seek, it seems like it would be suited to an asymmetrical multiplayer mode, where one player plays as the boy and the other players play as the intruders- is that something you ever considered, and might it be added into the game some time down the line?

It’s definitely something we considered! We ultimately decided to utilize our resources towards the core gameplay, and while it’s an interesting concept, we decided that online features likely wouldn’t be a part of the game.

How much do you feel VR adds to the experience? Is there a significant gulf in the experience without VR?

Yes! We made the game VR compatible because we thought the story was good enough to be enjoyed even without VR. But this is definitely a much better experience with VR. The atmosphere really works and peeking around corners or over furniture feels great. There are no jump scares in the game, but people who play it on VR are so tense that the slightest sound makes them scream.

Motion sickness is a potential pitfall that VR games have always had to contend with- is that something that you’ve been mindful of in particular during development?

We tried a lot of things when we first started, lots of different controls. We came up with some cool ideas that eventually have become a standard on VR game (turning by degrees, very fast crouch animations, tunnel-effect). Frames per second and consistency in the game environment have a major role in motion sickness too. We were always aware of those.

Do you feel there is potential for experiences like Intruders Hide and Seek to occupy a larger space in the VR market?

We don’t know about that. Anything can get old if you see it too often. We think there really is a market for more “horrible-real-world-experience-simulations.” How many variations of those are there? Good question. There’s always market for new things, but if you want to sell things in VR, make sure they take advantage of VR strengths.

"VR offers a different experience, and people like options. Will VR become as popular as traditional video games? Yes, most likely. Will VR replace traditional video games? No."

VR has been growing as a medium and showing an increasing amount of potential, but in your view, what sort of experiences can push it even further? Have there been any recent examples that have stood out to you?

Well, best-selling VR games (Robo Recall, Moss, Superhot, Beat Saber, Lone Echo) have stood out to us, but each in its unique way. Not so much anymore, but at first we were impressed of how good third person games work in VR. We also love games that make you feel overpowered. We would love to see something like the last Prey in VR. Also, of course, simulators.

Do you think VR is something that will become an integral part of how we play our games any time in the near future?

If we take integral in its literal meaning (essential, needed to make something whole), then no, at least not in the near future.

Traditional games are here to stay, at least until screens get out of fashion. VR games (or apps) will permeate, and will become more and more mainstream. Eventually they won’t be niche anymore, but they’ll be their own market.

VR offers a different experience, and people like options. Will VR become as popular as traditional video games? Yes, most likely. Will VR replace traditional video games? No.

They are different things, why walk away from one of them?

Do you think Microsoft not investing in VR technology is missed opportunity and furthermore do you think they will make the next Xbox VR compatible?

Good question, no matter how much I ask, I never get any news on Microsoft VR. Just some rumors about HoloLens 2. It seems like they don’t have much interest on VR. On one hand, it looks like right now they won’t include VR features on their next console. On the other hand… that sounds really risky. Maybe the next Xbox will be HoloLens 2 compatible? It might be, but we don’t think the console/marketing will make HoloLens the core of it all.

Do you think VR will be a defining feature for the next Xbox and PS5?

I don’t know about Xbox, but Sony for sure. PSVR is an add-on and PS Move is 9 years old already. It worked great and it doesn’t seem like they had it planned from the beginning. Sony knows VR/AR is the future, so I think VR will have a much more important role in PS5. We think the console has been designed with VR in mind from the very beginning, so it probably won’t be an add-on anymore, though that doesn’t mean it’s going to be a VR gadget exclusively. So yes, VR will be very important in PS5.

"Intruders was made by students, more with love and stubbornness than with resources."

Is there anything else you want to tell us about the game before we let you go?

Intruders was made by students, more with love and stubbornness than with resources. We really hope you like it (it means a lot to us, we put a lot of hard work in it), and we really hope it allows us to keep working as an independent developer. There are more and bigger things we want to make.

Virtual reality is a burgeoning pocket of our industry, but clearly, it’s one that holds a lot of potential. Sony has been making strides with PSVR, and it goes without saying that that is an area they will continue to focus on by the time the PS5 rolls around. What about Microsoft though? In spite of them expanding their horizons in streaming and subscription services, VR is one area that they have been roundly ignoring, and many feel that that is what they will continue to do.

Pablo Lafora of Tessara Studios, the developers of the PSVR horror title Intruders: Hide and Seek, is among those people. We reported recently on how he feels Microsoft seem to have no interest in VR, and following up on that, Lafora says that though he is unsure about Microsoft, he feels confident that Sony knows that “VR/AR is the future”, and that as such, VR will be something they will focus on even more with their next console.

“PSVR is an add-on and PS Move is 9 years old already. It worked great and it doesn’t seem like they had it planned from the beginning. Sony knows VR/AR is the future, so I think VR will have a much more important role in PS5,” Lafora told GamingBolt when asked about whether he thought VR could be a defining feature of next generation consoles. “We think the console has been designed with VR in mind from the very beginning, so it probably won’t be an add-on anymore, though that doesn’t mean it’s going to be a VR gadget exclusively. So yes, VR will be very important in PS5.”

PlayStation boss Shawn Layden recently spoke about the growth of PSVR, and how he foresees even greater growth for it in the coming years, which is something that Sony themselves will be looking to play a role in. Read more on that through here. Meanwhile, if reports are to be believed, Nintendo, too, might be looking into adding a VR option for the Switch.

Intruders: Hide and Seek is out now on PS4. Stay tuned to GamingBolt for our full interview with Lafora.

Sony’s investment in VR technology this generation has been laudable, and it’s likely that they’ll be looking to take that even further with the PS5, while recent reports have suggested that Nintendo, too, could be looking to bring VR to the Switch eventually. Microsoft, however, have been sitting out the VR race as the one notable absentee, and based on their practices and their plans, it seems like VR might not be something they’ll look to focus on anytime soon.

As per Pablo Lafora, game designer at Tessera Studios, developers of the PSVR horror title Intruders: Hide and Seek, it’s likely that Microsoft will be sitting out VR next generation as well, with maybe HoloLens 2 functionality – potentially – figuring in somewhere for the Xbox Scarlet (or whatever Microsoft chooses to call the next Xbox).

“No matter how much I ask, I never get any news on Microsoft VR,” Lafora told GamingBolt in an exclusive interview. “Just some rumors about HoloLens 2. It seems like they don’t have much interest in VR. On one hand, it looks like right now they won’t include VR features on their next console. On the other hand… that sounds really risky. Maybe the next Xbox will be HoloLens 2 compatible? It might be, but we don’t think the console/marketing will make HoloLens the core of it all.”

Though Microsoft’s focus on services such as Game Pass and xCloud has been clear to see already, and undoubtedly will be even more at the forefront of their strategy in the coming years, the one major thing they have been noticeable silent on is VR. While that doesn’t completely rule out the possibility of them doing something in that space down the line, their silence on the front has certainly not gone unnoticed.

Stay tuned to GamingBolt, our full interview with Lafora will be going live soon.