In Hope in the City, a sketchbook holds more than drawings. It is where a teenage artist collects the observations that might explain why her parents have disappeared.
In a November 5 Xbox Wire feature, creative director Judith Cheung explained the thinking behind the notebook and the artwork inside it. Artist Calista Antonio created more than 100 hand-drawn sketches for the narrative mystery, which is scheduled to launch on November 11.
A page for every thought
Players follow 17-year-old Hope Song through Shenyang, China, recording clues and conversations as they investigate. Any two thoughts can be combined; successful connections lead to insights and breakthroughs, opening up new dialogue, locations and leads.
Hope's notebook turns observations into illustrated clues and breakthroughs. Sketches by Calista Antonio; image via Xbox Wire.
Project: Hope in the City
Production: Lofty Sky Entertainment / NAGA Games
Hope in the City imagery belongs to its respective rights holders, Lofty Sky Entertainment and NAGA Games. Separate editorial reuse permission unconfirmed.
Cheung says the writers created individual responses for combinations that do not move the investigation forward too. A failed connection can reveal something about Hope's personality or offer a subtle hint, giving experimentation a purpose beyond finding the correct answer.
That makes the notebook both an interface and a way to see the case through its protagonist's eyes. The illustrated clues sit alongside the game's angular 3D world, giving the player's reasoning a distinctly personal surface.
Building the sketches
According to Cheung, Antonio used the game's 3D models and assets to block out perspectives and pose characters, then developed the pages with linework and digital watercolour. The drawings were approached as quick impressions of what Hope notices and feels.
Cheung also points to a personal connection: Antonio, like Hope, has Chinese heritage and left Asia at 17 to pursue art in Canada. Some of Antonio's paintings appear on the walls of Hope's bedroom.
Lofty Sky Entertainment and NAGA Games list Hope in the City for November 11 on Steam. Xbox Wire says it is also coming to Xbox Series X|S and Xbox on PC, with day-one Xbox Game Pass availability.
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