Linger in Shadows
Bear in mind that Linger in Shadows is an interactive audiovisual art, but not a game (though Playstation Store exclusive). It’s a surrealistic digital dream with a fantastic musical score and secrets for you to discover. Though you can find the rendered video on internet for free, but for a symbolic fee (consider it as art support) you’re getting much more- easy trophies, timeline control, photographing, hidden items and even an easter egg.
First of all, what is Linger in Shadows? To be precise that’s a demoscene- the underground digital art that experiments audiovisual capabilities of various platforms. It evolved in the late eighties and started on such platforms as Atari, Amiga, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, Sinclair ZX Spectrum and others. Basically by now demoscenes are available on all possible platforms- including Playstation 3. In most cases these demos are available as free downloads on internet. The most famous such site would be www.scene.org, a non profit organisation run by volunteers committed to promote the demoscene culture. You can download video only version of Linger in Shadows from scene.org for free
So what’s the sense to pay even a little for Linger in Shadows on Playstation Store? The point is that project Linger in Shadows evolved from a demoscene to an extensively interactive art that explores not only audiovisual features of PS3 but also other system possibilities. That includes Playstation Trophies, time and space control, vibration and motion sensors of PS3 Sixaxis controller, screenshots, interaction with the environment and exploration. Quite a list of features for a ‘fancy video’, isn’t it? And one of my favourites here is ‘photographing’ (making screenshots). With little efforts you could capture awesome screens in lossless quality and use them as custom wallpapers. Nice!
Art-wise there could be no objective opinion (as always)- some will love it, others maybe not. However everyone would agree that it stands out with its painterly visual filters (real-time, if you ask) and amazing fur shaders. I’m not sure if 1080 HD resolution was so necessary here, but the whole concept of demoscenes is pushing the limits, isn’t it?
Musical score earns my special praises here- it’s just top class. Think about the best epic films or games and you’ll get the picture. It’s pleasing to learn that Sony Entertainment has no limits in supporting their developers and bringing high production values to their products. On other hand, such talented team as Plastic, the developers of Linger in Shadows, deserves nothing less.
Linger in Shadows even has its own easter egg! It’s unlockable in the menu by pressing down both analog sticks L3 & R3 on Playstation controller. The new menu item takes the viewer to an ‘old school’ demoscene- rotating squares and balls with a starfield in the background. More interesting are the text messages there- especially the top one from Polish developers Plastic. For instance, the lead programmer Michal “Bonzaj” Staniszewski says: “This beast took us 2 years to develop but we survived and we will eat your brains with this old school interlude”. Hehe:)
And don’t be afraid, Linger in Shadows won’t jam your hard disk- it’s 101MB only. And that’s an achievement too, considering that the rendered video in full HD is 400MB in size- and that’s excluding any interactions!
All that said, I have to mention that it’s not a perfect experience though. There are some slight problems with controls and the control scheme itself isn’t intuitive as well. Also I wish that the 3D models were more detailed, but possibly that the real-time painter filter puts some limitations. However, for a product that came out of the underground movement, it’s a sound achievement. Keep up the great work, Plastic!
Such art experiments are more than welcome. In the end, they even have an educational value by familiarising audience with modern arts. I’m very curious to see Plastic’s next project ‘Into the Pink’ as promised in the easter egg.
Links:
Download video only version of Linger in Shadows
Official Linger in Shadows site
Plastic
Scene.org