Loath Nolder: Labores Solis
Set in a the fictional Hilltown in the not-too-distant future, Loath Nolder will blend elements of suspense, horror, and mystery into a panoramic first-person 3D thriller. Laboris Solis is the first of three planned installments and is scheduled for release in Fall of 2007. After playing the demo, I couldn’t help but feel that release date was very far away. I wanted the game in my hands now—and I’m sure many adventure/ horror games can feel my pain.
This is an ambitious and immersive story line, but that’s only one part of the equation when it comes to a successful adventure game. Zoetrope Interactive plans to flesh out the rest of it with beautiful and haunting environments, engaging puzzles, action sequences, and a few surprising plot twists. The brief glimpse I gained through the demo indicated that these goals are definitely achievable by the Turkish team.
Another goal the developer has for Loath Nolder is for clues and thoughts within the game to logically link with one another in order to solve the mystery. In that spirit, thoughts will have to be linked in the same manner as objects through the interface. I didn’t see an example of this in the demo, so I can’t say for sure exactly how it works. It does sound intriguing, however, if the developer can pull it off.
But unique gameplay elements aside, the main objective of the development team is to create an atmosphere of sheer suspense and horror. From what I’ve seen, they should have no problem making this a reality. Whether you’re a fan of Lovecraft or simply enjoy a good scare, you’ll want to keep an eye out for Loath Nolder: Labores Solis. In the meantime, you can visit the developer at www.zoetropeint.com. |
The work of H.P. Lovecraft has inspired many a creative mind, and lends itself particularly well to the world of adventure games. Lovecraft wove the threads of horror and dread like a master, but the cohesive world in which his stories took place is his true legacy. It’s a Lovecraft-inspired world such as this that Turkish developers Zoetrope Interactive are bringing to life with their upcoming game, Loath Nolder: Labores Solis. 
In the game world, players will first meet police detective Howard E. Loreid in November of 2011 as he receives a new case involving a fugitive murder suspect. This suspect is none other than Loath Nolder, a once successful private detective whose last case ended under mysterious circumstances. After abruptly cutting ties with family and friends, Nolder had embarked on a 5-year journey through the darkest recesses of Africa. What he learned about the world and himself during his studies with cannibals, shamans, and sorcerers, no one could say. What they did know was that the man who returned was not the same one who had left.
Nolder accepted one final case—that of the disappearance of Clark Field. But that ended with Nolder becoming a murder suspect on the run. Now Howard, a self-professed lucid dreamer who suffers nighttime terrors of his own, must delve into mysteries that have slept for aeons in order to solve this case.
One unique device the developers are using to bring a sense of immersion to the game is offering visual cues to your characters state of mind. When my character was frightened, for example, the first-person field of vision actually mimicked panting. This certainly drives home the fear element of this game, which is exactly what Zoetrope Interactive has in mind.
With that one unique exception, the interface itself is fairly standard. Loath Nolder uses the tried and true methods of clicking to interact, pick, leave, open, and combine, as well as dragging to move items and unify thoughts.
