Gaming News It is the French GTA, this open world video game is one of the forerunners of the genre …
Although there are more and more open worlds over the years, you should know that one of the forerunners of the genre is a French game developed by none other than the CEO of Quantic Dream. We return to this video game nugget in our latest JV Legends podcast format.
One of the first open worlds is French!
Nowadays there are open worlds everywhere, the genre has become popular over time with titles like Red Dead Redemption, Skyrim or even The Witcher 3. However, if I ask you to tell me which was the very first open mode where you can visit a city in 3D? Some would say GTA III or even Shenmue. Before these two famous titles, however, a French game was the origin: The Nomade Soul. Released back in 1999 and invented by David Cage (the father of Quantic Dream). This game will see a pretty unique evolution that a group of friends envisioned back in the day on the PS1.
In 1996 the group of friends completed a demo. David Cage then pitched the game to several publishers, all of whom declined. Although disappointed, The man decides to create his own studio, this time focusing 100% on PC games. That’s why he created Quantic Dreamnow known for titles like Beyond: Two Souls and the popular Detroit: Become Human. After 6 months the second demo is ready, And finally, the British video game publisher Eidos Interactive is convinced and signs a contract.
A futuristic and dystopian open word
In 1999, The Nomade Soul was released and players were finally able to discover the city of Omicron, a futuristic and polluted metropolis divided into several distinct and varied districts. A title that also focuses on “multi-gameplay” with exploration on foot or in a car, unarmed combat, FPS, Multiple choice dialogues as well as the game’s flagship mechanic: body swap. In fact, the game gives you the opportunity to swap bodies with other characters who have their own identity, apartment, etc.
A title that is inspired by the readings of its creator, for example by SF novels from the 30s to 50s and 60s to 70s such as Dune by Frank Herbert, Hyperion by Dan Simmons or 1984. But we also find musical inspiration. Well, to be precise, It is the late David Bowie who will be responsible for the title’s soundtrack and who will even invest 100% in the project, to the point that characters inspired by him and his wife will appear in the game.
To learn more about the game’s history and anecdotes about its design, visit our dernier podcast JV Legends Available in all podcast applications (Spotify, Apple Podcast…). Yes, JV is now entering the podcast space by adapting JV Legends to a 100% audio format. Of course, remember to subscribe so you don’t miss any of the craziest stories from the world of video games!
