Update: Developer shared first screenshots. The game might just be called Pisces now instead of The Lost Pisces. They have also decided to drop Kinect support as they needed to reimagine the game in order to secure funding.
Lots of things were revised in @UnrealEngine 4.9 for 2016. First screenshot of the new Pisces in-game for @ID_Xbox pic.twitter.com/AobVDM4PhX
— PISCES indie game (@SirenumPISCES) January 15, 2016
Yeah we’ve invested in a lot of scanned models and they work beautifully in @UnrealEngine for @Indiegogo campaign pic.twitter.com/mfeN3J411u
— PISCES indie game (@SirenumPISCES) January 15, 2016
@UnrealEngine 4 is pretty insane… allowed us to up the visuals for Pisces. Amazing engine for @oculus rift too… pic.twitter.com/9Du0KMHqH1
— PISCES indie game (@SirenumPISCES) January 15, 2016
@Talxn still making figures, but it will be of the revised version of Pisces… pic.twitter.com/oGbdTZig7B
— PISCES indie game (@SirenumPISCES) January 15, 2016
Developer Sirenum Digital is looking to bring their game The Lost Pisces to the Xbox One. The Lost Pisces is meant to give gamers an entirely new experience so that they can better relate to the characters and story. To do this, they plan on using the Kinect sensor to measure the players emotions.
In a recent tweet from the games official Twitter account, they expressed that fun things are ahead in 2016.
Happy New Years everyone! Fun things ahead in 2016! New look… new feel… #OculusRift #XboxOne #indiegogo pic.twitter.com/L7aNLeYcXv
— PISCES indie game (@SirenumPISCES) January 2, 2016
The game originally launched a failed Kickstarter back in June 2015, and it seems that the developers will now be trying to crowdfund the game again on Indiegogo in 2016. According to the tweet, it will be developed for Oculus Rift, which is now available for pre-orders, and Xbox One. There is no word of a PlayStation 4 release.
The tweet also suggests that this game may have been given a new look from its earlier conception, but it still seems very similar to their original idea.
The Lost Pisces was inspired by Hans Christian Anderson’s “The Little Mermaid.” Sirenum Digital won’t be using a “mythical mermaid” in their story, but they wanted to create a synthetic character that was looking for a soul, much like a human being.
To create such a deeply emotional game, not only do the developers want you to connect with Pisces, the main character, but they also want Pisces to connect with you. Utilizing the Kinect, Pisces will be able to respond to emotional queues that the player gives her. She will have a memory and will be able to use them to learn more about her world and connect with the player.
You can read more about the game and view some of its stunning artwork on its website here, as well as watch a conceptual gameplay video from back in June.
The Lost Pisces looks to be an incredibly beautiful game. It is great to see developers make games that rely on more than just good gameplay. Creating deep and meaningful stories and characters that players can connect with is so important for a lot of people. Sometimes it is even the reason that we play games. I look forward to seeing what 2016 will bring for The Lost Pisces.
Jennifer is a games journalist, former games journalist and PR Manager at Gearbox. They contributed 234 articles to ICXM between 2015–2017, focused on opinion pieces, game reviews, Windows and PC, and Xbox news: went on to write for Windows Central and later managed PR for Gearbox Software.