The Forgotten City: Interview with Creator Nick Pearce

Xbox Game Pass subscribers can now explore the depths of The Forgotten CityThe time loop. It is a unique story, but Nick Pearce was able to share his insights and explain the inspirations behind this game. The Forgotten City Xbox Game Pass

XW – Can you give us some more details about the history of? The Forgotten CityWhat is the best way to get started?

NP The Forgotten City was originally a mod for a popular RPG, in which you had to solve a murder case and travel through time via a time loop, just like in the movie “Groundhog Day.” This mod was downloaded more than 3.7 million times but also won a National Writers Guild Award, a first in history for a mod. So, I decided to make a game out of it, and that’s what I spent 4 and a half years working on.

XW: But you weren’t a full-time video game developer at the time the mod was designed, right?

NP My 10 year tenure as a legal professional was very rewarding. Although it was an excellent job, I longed for a better future. That’s probably why I had enough energy to devote time to this project. Although it was a hobby for me, I found that it excites me more than any other thing in my life. It was my dream to be able tell stories, and make it my full-time job. After the mod had been successful, I made the decision to jump. This game was my passion and I quit my job to create it. I knew there was no turning back, it was very exciting, but it also felt like jumping out of a plane in the air while having to learn how to use a parachute before hitting the ground… Looking back on it now, it seems like it went well: the game got great reviews, the players like it… So, I hope to continue designing games in the years to come!

XW – How is this game different from the one that was inspired by it?

NP While the game’s original premise is intact, it’s now about time travel. However, this is a story about the city of Ancient Rome. The game will allow you to explore an authentic historical place. You will need to make use of the time loop and find solutions in order to advance your investigation.

XW – Why have you chosen this specific period of history?

NP I’ve always been fascinated by that era, I have a bookshelf full of books on the subject. I think, like a number of people do, that I’ve always had this fantasy of traveling to that period, walking those streets, admiring the art, feeling the culture shock… This idea of recreating all these sensations inspired me from the beginning. The historical context is also perfect for telling the story that I was writing. It’s all about “The Golden Rule”, which says that if anyone commits a sin, everyone dies. It’s a kind of collective punishment, something that the Romans practiced a lot. There are also other reasons, one of the main ones, but I can’t talk about it without spoiling the game for you… let’s just say that when you get halfway through it, everything will become much clearer!

XW: How did you think about the implementation of the time loop?

NP Avoiding repetition is the real problem. If I take the example of “Groundhog Day,” you can see Bill Murray go through the same scene ten times very quickly, thanks to the editing. You can’t get the same result in a game… well, that’s what I thought. I’ve found a way around that and that’s the ability to delegate quests. Once you’ve figured out the best way to give an antidote for a poisoned person, you can then go to the next loop and another character will wait for you at your exit from the portal. They will take over the quest. After that, you may give him multiple tasks to allow you to concentrate on the rest.

XW: What prompted you to include action phases into a title that has a strong narrative focus?

NP It’s primarily an investigation game where you have to talk to people, but the original mod already had some action in it. This gameplay feature is called the golden bow and allows you to transform any living thing into gold. For example, when you get stuck in a cave with a hornet’s nest, you can shoot the hornet’s nest so that it turns into gold and falls down and creates a passage in the ground. You can also shoot it to make platforms if you need to cross a plank of water with vegetation floating on it. A lot of the puzzles rely on the use of the bow and I think it’s a unique mechanic that provides a different pace, a nice alternative when you’re not actually investigating.

XW. Any advice you can give to those who are working on a mod that could one day be a fully-fledged game?

NP I don’t think it’s a good idea to go into a mod thinking that it might be successful and turn into a real game later on. It’s a good gateway to learn how to develop: if you can create something you like to play and the community follows you, then maybe the opportunity will come. But be careful with the time invested, I spent about 1700 hours on my mod, that’s the equivalent of a year of full-time work. If I hadn’t enjoyed those hours of development, if I had only hoped that one day I would be able to create a game with this mod, it might not have been worth it. Beyond that, this hobby can be very exciting, addictive, and it allows you to learn so much about the development process. I recommend it to anyone who feels that they could get that level of fulfillment.

XW – What is your favorite thing about Xbox Game Pass for gamers?

NP What I like about Game Pass is that for me it’s a solution to a terrible problem… Sometimes, on Saturday morning, I go to an online store, determined to use the weekend to play. And then, faced with the size of the thing, I can spend three hours looking at the list of new releases, without finally knowing which game I’m going to play, only to give up and go out for a walk. With Game Pass, I can download three games I’ve never heard of and try them out. Because there is so much entertainment, it’s important that the service offers a variety and doesn’t fall into analysis paralysis.

XW: As a developer?

NP I like the idea that a lot of people can discover my game, when they wouldn’t have even tried it without the Game Pass. Especially since I honestly think that people who usually don’t like this kind of games will like The Forgotten CityYou can download it here. This game is a must-have for any player.

We are grateful to Nick Pearce, who took the time to answer all our questions. See the video. The Forgotten CityToday with Xbox Game Pass