Introducing Quantic Dream’s Kara
In 2005, Quantic Dream unveiled The Casting, a short tech demo that explored the possibilities of the then nascent PlayStation 3. A short performance by a single actor that slowly increased in intensity and darkened in tone, it hinted at the new, expressive power of Sony’s console, of how this generation could enable the kind of human drama that’s typically been the reserve of non-interactive medium. It’s a drama that, to an extent, 2010’s Heavy Rain delivered upon, and it’s a path that Quantic Dream has largely travelled alone. The digital theatre of Team Bondi’s LA Noire was strangled by awkward performances, while Naughty Dog’s Uncharted games, for all of their technical achievements, were more concerned with matinee thrills than raw, adult drama. Not that Heavy Rain was perfect, of course – for all of its cinematic pretentions it often felt more like a straight-to-video thriller, while its stars found itself at the foot of the uncanny valley. Read more…
