Update #16 - Úyanga Bold and Backerkit confirmation
over 6 years ago – Thu, Jun 07, 2018 at 10:20:15 PM

Hi everybody! We've got some really exciting news to share with you today from Andi. We're immensely proud to say that critically acclaimed ethnic vocalist, Úyanga Bold, will be performing on the soundtrack for Sense. 

Born in Mongolia and now based in L.A., Úyanga has lent her awesome voice and skills to scores for League of Legends, Overwatch, and the Boston Ballet. Nominated for "Best Female Singer of the Year" by Cosmopolitan Magazine, with a voice that "harkens back to ancient civilizations" (Forbes Magazine), she has also appeared on stage as a featured soloist in Hans Zimmer's The Dark Knight Suite, and at Boston Symphony Hall for the League of Legends eSports World Championship Finals. You can see and hear her in action below!

Backerkit Confirmation

We've had a lot of interest from people in Backerkit lately, and we can confirm that a Backerkit will be in place by the end of the campaign, for people who wish to purchase additional items or upgrade pledges later. It will likely run until the point at which Sense is released.

Update #15 - The Horror of Japan
over 6 years ago – Wed, Jun 06, 2018 at 11:43:03 PM

As of today, we're slowly but steadily heading towards our “Japan 1975” stretch goal. We're still about 3k off from the goal, but we're well positioned to hit it, even if it's in the eleventh hour. Thank you all so much for how far we have come. The idea that we will get 400% funding is a dream come true for me and everyone on the team.

As Japan 1975 is the next goal, I actually wanted to talk about how important the world of J-Horror was to developing and writing Sense. Consider this a tease for the reveal we're readying for the next few days. If you haven’t heard, or read, Sense originally took place in Japan and had the original, real life inspiration moved to a city near tokyo. After a lot of back and forth with the wife we realized making the game unique and exciting in japan would be a different type of challenge. I did not want to fall into the “japanophile being a japanophile” trap, and with a challenge from the wife, we decided that a better inspiration could come from outside my comfort zone.

All that said, Sense would not be what it is without a clear respect and love for Japan and Japanese ghosts.

Youkai and the Hyakki Yagyo

For nearly a millenium japan has had a strange and wonderful cultural element that few know explicitly, but we have all come into contact with. If you have ever played Pokemon, watched anime, or seen a japanese horror movie, you've seen a media representation of a youkai. The term encapsulates every kind of supernatural or unexplainable force, phenomenon, or entity. From that feeling of something rushing by your feet in the dark (Sune Kosuri), to the iconic long disheveled black hair of Sadako (Onryo), if it spooks or scares it belongs in what's called “The Night Parade of 100 Demons”.

I discovered the world of youkai through Shigeru Mizuki’s GeGeGe no Kitaro around 15 years ago, and ever since I've been completely fascinated by the strange creatures and incredible ghost stories. In fact, Mizuki’s work was probably one of the largest factors in me becoming a japanese horror junkie. From his beautiful and intricate ink work in his Kitaro manga and countless illustrations, to the brilliant “Youkai Monsters” film series which paid direct homage to his work, Mizuki’s influence is paramount.

Of all the youkai though, my favorite is absolutely the Onryo.

Japanese Ghosts

In Japan, ghosts are actually broken down into many types. We spoke about shinrei - haunted photographs - but that's barely scratching the surface. Each type has an ocean of information and “lore”. To quickly summarize, Rei/Ryo (霊) is translated as spirit, the most common type being “Yurei” or dim/faint spirit, but you also have “Borei” or ruined/desecrated spirits, “shiryo” or dead spirits, and “Onryo” - wrathful or vengeful spirits. There are many more types, but these are the key and most notable ones. Sadako and Kayako of the Ringu and Ju-on series respectively are the go to examples of Onryo. The details are hard to forget; long disheveled hair, typically covering the face; a white burial kimono, or a more modern take with a white dress/night gown, perfectly contrasting against the hair, and of course an unbridled rage and hatred for whoever is linked to their untimely death, or the victim of their curse.

The japanese idea of ghosts is heavily rooted in buddhism and shintoism. As such, the way spirits are tied to the earth after death is heavily rooted in the way they died, and the emotions they had during their death. Those emotions and circumstances determine the type of spirit they become, and in a way the amount of “spiritual power” they have as ghosts. For Onryo, the more anger and rage at the moment of death, the stronger the curse will be.

Urban Legends

Japan’s unique history and “openness” to the supernatural provides a one-of-a-kind world of urban legends. Be it generations old or a more modern take sourced from 2chan, there is no shortage of spooky stories that can be neither confirmed nor denied. When you consider the way youkai were “born”, mostly as explanations of strange events or as warnings for children for various behaviors, the legends of Tokyo take on a very different level of life.

Kuchisake Onna - Arguably the most famous is Kuchisake Onna, the slit mouth woman. In 1979 a series of attacks on children were reported in Nagasaki. In 2007, actual reports were found of a woman in 1979 chasing children and getting hit by a car. The autopsy showed that she had an ear to ear scar across her face. From there, the legend took off. So it goes, a woman with long hair, a red trench coat and a “sick mask” will approach her victim and ask, “Am I beautiful?” Depending on how you answer you will be killed as the Kuchisake Onna removes her mask revealing her slit open mouth full of razor sharp teeth and slashes your face with a pair of long shears.

Hachishaku Sama - Denizens of the internet familiar with some of its more special corners may have seen an erotic variation of this urban legend, but the real version is one of my favorites for the way it manifested so organically. In 2008, an anonymous poster on 2chan began to post about a strange encounter he had with an odd woman that seemingly stalked him on his way home from work. He described her as being around 8 feet tall, having long and strangely proportioned legs and arms, and having her face hidden with a wide-brimmed straw hat. Despite her abnormal size she was able to hide and slip between or behind lamps and fence posts relatively easily. The most unsettling detail is the sound she makes from afar: a soft, faint “po” continuously into the night. Variations on the legend say that the closer she is to you, the louder, faster, and more aggressively she shouts the strange noise.

Media 

Obviously, Fatal Frame and Clock tower are HUGE inspirations for the game. I love these titles and Sense is my love letter to the creators. Of course, Silent Hill, Resident Evil, and Siren have their places in my mind as well, but you may be surprised to find out that movies and manga played a much bigger part in building my “horror vocabulary”. Gakkou no Kaidan, Youkai Monsters, Ju-On, Noroi, 100 tales of terror from tokyo: Japanese film-makers have mastered the craft of horrific visuals and terrifying storytelling. Takeshi Shimizu, director of the original Ju-On films has a such a keen understanding of the genre that even Legendary director Sam Raimi has sought to emulate him in several films, including the american remake, “The Grudge”. From his first credited film “Gakkou No Kaidan G” (with 2 short films ‘Katatsumi’ and ‘4444444444’) to his more iconic and brilliant pieces Rinne and Marabito, Shimizu brought a new level of horror to film. His clear influences from Hideo Nakata (director of the Ring and Dark Water, among others) only serve to bolster Shimizu’s own style and work. As much as I love Shimizu’s films, I would be remiss If I did not say that the greatest horror movie, and greatest japanese horror director of all time, is in fact Shiro Toyoda, whose incredible career is mostly one of romance and slice of life. But his few horror films are absolute masterpieces of the genre. More on him later though;

In manga I already spoke of Shigeru Mizuki, but you're most likely aware of Junji Ito. He is absolutely THE master of horror in ink. His stories have been turned into nearly a dozen films in japan, and have influenced games, comics, film, tv, and american comics in a way that few others have. His influences from Gojin Ishihara and Go Nagai are definite. But Ito almost instantly became a legend on his own merit and style. Not much needs to be said about him, honestly. I only hope that I learnt enough from him to capture the sense of dread and discomfort in my art!

The Origin

With everything above out in the open, there is one single story that is more important than probably any single influence. A single ghost story from Japan serves not only as my personal favorite story of all time, but as the centerpiece and root cause of all of the horror that will come to Mei Lin Mak. With this in mind, I think it'd be best to wait a few more days before divulging this detail. I will leave you only with this image which, which the eagle eyed amongst you may have seen before…

Oh, but before we leave you for today, we're pleased to announce another VA working with us on Sense!

Voice Actor, Aleks Le

Aleks will be joining the voice crew of Sense, lending his talents to the character of Tony Nyugen. Aleks has previously voiced characters on projects such as Heroes of Newerth, Wartide and Final Odyssey, and we're pleased to have him aboard!

Update #14 - Hong Kong Horror
over 6 years ago – Tue, Jun 05, 2018 at 02:01:46 PM

We're moving quickly towards our first "expansion" stretch goal, and thank you very much for that! We'll be updating you on what Japan 1975 means very soon! 

Today, as promised, I want to talk about how Hong Kong's unique culture and "mythology" has impacted the narrative for Sense. Obviously, the overt connections are pretty clear, but those of us from outside the culture will miss a lot. I'm hoping to be able to show many of the cultural aspects respectfully and in a non-hamfisted way, but some of these things are just too cool not to share! 

Spiritualism and Ghost Month 

In Traditional Chinese spiritualism, which is rooted in Taoism and Buddhism, the spirits of the dead are far more restless and abundant in daily life. The spirits of your ancestors are a very real part of everything you do. From weddings, business, and large family decisions, to less important daily tasks, the souls of those no longer with us are key factors to your success or failure. My wife, though not a big believer in these aspects, still shudders a little whenever she things about making a decision that her ancestors would dislike. And of course, we still light 3 joss sticks (special funerary incense) for the departed every day. The biggest part of the spiritual culture in Hong Kong is "Ghost month", a month long "celebration" for these ancestors every July/Seventh lunar month, wherein you burn offerings, joss sticks, and "hell dollars". Offerings of fruits and foods are also left for the spirits - only the highest quality acceptable. 

Ghost month culminates on the 15th day with the "Hungry Ghost Festival", or Yulan / Zhongyuan Yui Jie. This is a massive festival full of giant bonfires of offerings. The smoke from the burnt offerings is said to carry a real version of whatever it is you offered to the spirit in Hell. So, if you burn a joss paper iPhone (I'm serious) your ghostly great great grandma can start trolling twitter. 

There's even entire stores just for joss paper offerings! Sam Shui Po, one of the older and more authentically Hong Kong areas, has one of the larger stores I personally saw. 

Urban Legends and Real Hauntings

Hong Kong is unique in that it is an entire nation of big cities. There are few rural areas where "ancient" local myths can propagate. Instead, like any big city you have very famous and widespread urban legends that take on various "regional" forms. Many of these are also variations on stories from other asian countries, but thanks to the japanese occupation during WWII, and the fact that Hong Kong was a british colony for the better part of its existence, you have a very unique mixture of cultural influence. 

The Hello Kitty Murder - this one's a little rough due to the fact that the murder surrounding the haunting is real. In 1999, a young woman was kidnapped due to holding a HKD 20,000 debt (roughly 3k in USD). The police only became aware when a woman admitted to her involvement in murdering the young debtor due to apparently being haunted by her ghost. When the police investigated, they did in fact find the severed head of the debtor sewn into a large hello kitty doll. For years since the murder, the Granville Road 31 apartment building was home to dozens of reports of paranormal activity, including  CCTV footage capturing an apparition of what many believe to be the ghost of the murdered woman. Eventually the numerous reports caused EVERYONE, including businesses, to leave the building in fear, and it sat empty until it was demolished in 2012. To this day, nearby residents claim the ghost haunts the grounds and sightings of her are not uncommon. 

Nam Koo Terrace - Built in 1918 and used as a brothel during the Japanese occupation, this beautiful mansion is home to hundreds of ghost stories and sightings. Sightings which, due to the grizzly nature of the many deaths that occurred during the occupation, became infamous. In 2003, reportedly, several young students attempted to stay in the abandoned mansion overnight. According to police reports, the 3 young girls became emotionally unstable during the night and had to be taken to hospital for psychiatric treatment. Since that day in 2003, Nam Koo has been a hotspot for those interested in the paranormal. 

During my first visit to Hong Kong, the area surrounding the terrace was under heavy construction, but my wife and I did manage to peak at the alley stairs behind the famous building. Maybe it was the fact that the sun had gone down and construction had shut down power to the surrounding block, but staring up the stairs at the tiny portion of the house visible from behind the large protective barrier fence gave me an intensely uneasy feeling. To note, my wife had not told me any details of the house, only that it was a famous haunted spot in Hong Kong. 

Jiang Shi

My own favorite aspect of Chinese horror is definitely one that Hong Kong has done more for than it's birthplace has. Jiang Shi or "Hopping Vampires" may be getting more love thanks to a certain hero-based-FPS, but Jiang Shi have been in the zone of awesome for decades. From Darkstalkers/Vampire Saviour's Lei Lei to the classic Hong Kong horror comedy series Mr. Vampire, you've definitely seen Jiang Shi somewhere before. 

Jiang Shi are a strange mixture of Taoist dark magic, vampires, and zombies. When a taoist dark wizard wants an army of undead he digs up the rotting corpses, performs a voodoo-esque ritual imbuing them with black magic and giving them a thirst for your life force, delivered via blood. However, due to their recently deceased nature, the Jiang shi are still caught in rigor mortis, making their elbows, neck, and knees unable to move. Sometimes, due to various takes on the mythos, the Jiangxi's legs are tied together at the ankle or their bodies are weighed down by a coat made of ancient Chinese coins woven together in thin chains. Due to any or all of these circumstances, the bitey monsters are forced to hop towards their prey, giving them their famous nickname. 

More modern takes on the Jiang shi have been decidedly comical outside of Juno Mak's 2013 film Rigor Mortis, leaving the topic ripe for re-exploration as a horror genre. That said, as much as I personally yearn for a more horrific take on hopping vampires, last year's "Vampire Cleanup Department" was a hilariously entertaining romp through the concept.

So how do these things effect or play into the development or narrative for Sense? Well, it'd spoil way too much to go into details and specifics. But rest assured, I deeply care about the horror genre, and exposing the world to the amazing paranormal culture of Hong Kong. So much so, that I want to take this time to announce that after SUZAKU is settled in after our relocation to Hong Kong later this summer, we'll be uploading a series of youtube videos all about Hong Kong's paranormal culture and history! From exploring haunted locations, to asking natives about their favorite urban legends and ghost stories, we'll be building a bridge for those not capable of visiting one of the coolest, and spookiest, places on earth. 

When the time is right, we'll be very excitedly shouting about it all over the internet, so make sure to follow our twitter and stay current with updates right here on kickstarter! 

As well as any other necessary updates, the next will be about the Japanese influence on the story, so yoke and yuri fans won't want to miss it! 

Thank you again to all those who've backed so far! 

Update #13 - Audio Boost Achieved & Mystery Stretch Goals Revealed
over 6 years ago – Tue, Jun 05, 2018 at 09:34:00 AM

Absolutely phenomenal! Just earlier, we hit the 35k stretch goal for the audio boost, which allow us to bring both voice acting and live instrumentalists on board the project. Thank you everybody for your continued trust and support - it's been mind blowing and truly humbling. You may already be familiar with some of the major members of our voice cast, which you can see in our previous update post. But what about the music boost? We've been quiet on that front so far, but Andi's been toiling away heavily behind the scenes to secure some of the best talent available. We can now very proudly begin to reveal some of the details.

Master Ling Peng, Erhu virtuoso

We are immensely proud to announce that Andi has secured the services of virtuoso Erhu soloist, Ling Peng. Described by The Times of London as a "fine musician", Master Ling Peng was the youngest ever graduate of Erhu studies at the Sichuan Conservatory of Music, where she also remained as a professor of Erhu performance for 8 years. Since basing in the West, she has performed with the Luxembourg Sinfonietta and the London Chinese Orchestra, and has also been the recipient of several awards from Arts Council England. Master Peng is an artist in the truest sense, and we are grateful that the mystic, haunting tones of her Erhu will now ring throughout the hallways of Neo Hong Kong.

Stay tuned for information on more featured performers to follow! They will be revealed very soon.

Mystery Stretch Goals Revealed!

The cat's finally out the bag! Many of you have been wondering what the two hidden stretch goals at the end were, and they've now been revelaled! The first is an additional, free post-launch DLC detailing Maiko Mak's search for answers in the cursed Chong Sing building. This goal is set at $50,000. The final stretch goal, at $100,000, is for animated, anime-style cutscenes for major events, replacing the current 'comic-book' paneled effects.

Once again, thank you for your support everyone! It has truly meant the world to us. With 10 days left, we're excited to see where things go!

Update #10 - Vita & Other Physical Editions
over 6 years ago – Sat, Jun 02, 2018 at 05:18:13 AM

Hello everybody! Top Hat Studios here again with another quick update.

As you may have heard, earlier Sense was teasing an important announcement regarding the possibility of having physical copies produced for the PS Vita release. It's been one of the things our supporters have been the most vocal about - and we've heard you very loud and clear on that! Originally, we were blindsided by Sony's announcement that they plan to discontinue physical Vita production in the west. Almost immediately, we began searching for alternative solutions. 

We're happy to say that we've been working very hard to get things worked out, and thus there has been good progress on this front. We're very glad to say that we have reached a tentative understanding with EastAsiaSoft to produce physical copies for PS Vita, provided we are able to demonstrate the game functioning well on PS Vita hardware. Needless to say, it has been our plan from day one to make this happen, so we do not anticipate any significant problems there. This is an amazing development, and we want to thank EastAsiaSoft for being so understanding with us.

As such, we should be able to fulfill vita physical editions for those who pledge for physical copies.

Regarding other console physical editions, we're still working on it, but there's certainly nothing barring us like there was for Vita! We do not foresee any issues with producing these copies, but we're still getting stuff worked out. As usual, we'll keep all of our backers updated and continue to be as transparent as we can.

-Top Hat Studios