Immersion Through Realism: The Making of WILL: Follow the Light
In WILL: Follow the Light, you take on the role of a lighthouse keeper on a relentless quest to find his family. Originally inspired by the art styles of Firewatch and INSIDE, we began with an isometric third-person view. But six months into development, we realized the narrative was outshining the visuals. This led to a bold decision: scrap everything but the story mechanics and start fresh.
This reset helped us strike a balance between realism and our team’s capabilities. The result? A visual style often compared to Alan Wake — a game we deeply admire for its atmospheric depth. To match this immersion, we drew inspiration from the harsh Nordic landscapes. Our team even traveled through Norway, Sweden, Greenland, and Iceland to capture the essence of these cold, desolate environments, bringing their raw beauty into our game.
WILL: Follow the Light isn’t meant for a casual popcorn-and-sandwich experience; it’s designed for a more immersive journey. We recommend playing with minimal lighting and high-quality headphones to fully appreciate it, as we’ve focused heavily on music and sound effects. We created our soundtrack from scratch, working with musicians Roman met in Ireland. From the haunting piano melodies inspired by a night in a Celtic cemetery to sounds recorded during Dublin’s first snowfall in a decade, every audio detail is crafted to pull you in. We even braved dog sledding and sailing expeditions to ensure every sound is authentic. This dedication to audio detail is important to us in creating a truly immersive game world.
So dim the lights, put on your headphones, and prepare for an unforgettable journey into the heart of desolation and hope.
This reset helped us strike a balance between realism and our team’s capabilities. The result? A visual style often compared to Alan Wake — a game we deeply admire for its atmospheric depth. To match this immersion, we drew inspiration from the harsh Nordic landscapes. Our team even traveled through Norway, Sweden, Greenland, and Iceland to capture the essence of these cold, desolate environments, bringing their raw beauty into our game.
WILL: Follow the Light isn’t meant for a casual popcorn-and-sandwich experience; it’s designed for a more immersive journey. We recommend playing with minimal lighting and high-quality headphones to fully appreciate it, as we’ve focused heavily on music and sound effects. We created our soundtrack from scratch, working with musicians Roman met in Ireland. From the haunting piano melodies inspired by a night in a Celtic cemetery to sounds recorded during Dublin’s first snowfall in a decade, every audio detail is crafted to pull you in. We even braved dog sledding and sailing expeditions to ensure every sound is authentic. This dedication to audio detail is important to us in creating a truly immersive game world.
So dim the lights, put on your headphones, and prepare for an unforgettable journey into the heart of desolation and hope.