Award-winning Myst creator Cyan has finally
shed light on their new interactive
experience, ZED. Published by new publishing
arm, Cyan Ventures and developed by indie dev
Eagre Games, ZED is a new exploration tale of
an artist suffering from dementia and trying to
uncover enough memories to leave a lasting
legacy.
According to the development studios
founder, Chuck Carter, 'the experience is quite
personal'. “I had a dear friend and mentor pass a
few years back. He suffered from dementia in
those final years and my visits to him became
the inspiration for ZED. This is not his story, but
a broader cautionary tale of not waiting till the
end to examine your life.” With the level of VR
interactive experimentation running high
throughout the industry the studio believes now
is the time to experiment and explore the new
possibilities in VR storytelling.
Chuck’s very emotional exploration of an
artist’s struggle to examine the meaning of his
life through the fog of dementia is a provocative
approach to narrative gameplay. “We’re very
excited to have a part in bringing ZED’s moving
and inventive narrative to VR and PC.”ZED is the
story of an artist suffering from dementia -
desperately trying to reconnect fragmented
memories. The player explores the dreams of
the artist’s crumbling mind in hopes of helping
him assemble enough meaningful images to
leave behind a loving memento and final legacy
for his granddaughter. The experience blends
adventure, a rich narrative, stirring sentiment,
and fanciful world exploration.
ZED is the vision of Chuck Carter, developed
in association with Skymap Games and co-
written by Joe Fielder (Bioshock Infinite, The
Flame and the Flood) and David Chen (Metal
Gear Solid series, Narcosis). The game features
compelling voice over work from an outstanding
cast, including a riveting performance from
veteran voice actor Stephen Russell (the Thief,
Skyrim and Fallout series).
ZED is scheduled for release spring of 2019
and will be available for PC, Rift and Vive.