Bientôt l’été is designed the way it is because we felt it was the best way to address the themes we wanted to explore. The work is inspired by the novels and films of French author Marguerite Duras. It deals with love and loneliness, desire and despair, coyness and cruelty. We feel videogames provide an excellent medium to address such intricate and ambiguous subject matter.
Bientôt l’été is an interactive program that uses realtime 3D videogame technology. In one part of the program you control an avatar —man or woman, the choice is yours— who walks on a simulated beach among some lively gulls. Poetic phrases about love and loss roll in on the waves. These phrases are then taken inside, in the second part. Here you meet another player in a café to exchange moves on a chess board with another person on the internet, presumably playing your lover. You don't know who they are as the system matches you up automatically. Next you discover another layer to the reality you inhabit and it becomes clear that you are interacting with a simulation. Indeed, when you walk far enough, you will find the sky torn apart to offer a view of the stars and the planets of a solar system you seem to be in orbit of.
Tale of Tales is a small independent studio run out of Belgium by Auriea Harvey & Michaël Samyn.
For more information, follow the Development blog, or browse through their reference material.
Words: Michaël Samyn
Video & Voice: Auriea Harvey
System requirements
Recent Mac OS X or Windows computer with decent 3D hardware acceleration.
Mac computers should be of the "Pro" type, or iMac. Windows computers should have a videocard suitable for 3D (Geforce 7600, Radeon X1600 or better).
Processor.- 2Ghz or faster.
Memory.- 2 GB or more. Extravagant: 4 GB or more.
Disk space.- 500 MB. Extravagant: 1.5 GB.
Bientôt l'été OFFICIAL GAMEPLAY VIDEO
