Figure of Thrones: the largest story game in the history of the Russian Federation will rethink the images of Moscow

The highest-budget game in the history of the Russian Federation will be dedicated to the national culture and architecture of the capital. For the first time, the authors of Distortion will present a project that reinterprets the images of modern Moscow, Soviet constructivism and brutalism. The game shows a possible future where Russian traditions are combined with European and Asian cultural practices. Izvestia was the first to try out the new product and figured out how the current result corresponds to the ambitious plans of the developers.

A game about Moscow in the future

The presentation of the project will be one of the key events of the second Moscow International Video Game Week, which takes place in the Moscow Cluster of Video Games and Animation from October 29 to November 1 with the support of the Agency for Creative Industries (AKI) of the capital.

The visual concept of Distortion is based on a rethink of architecture. Developers do not copy real buildings entirely, but use individual elements and architectural ideas.

"We are indeed inspired in many ways by Soviet constructivism and brutalism, but we are not limited to them," said Sergey Aleksashenko, production Director at Game Art Pioneers.

Among the sources of inspiration, the team names the Shukhov Tower, Zaryadye Park, Rostov Flour Mill No. 2, Uralmashzavod, the Aviastar high-rise building and other facilities.

— It is important for us not to copy reality, but to convey its character. The player should feel the familiar aesthetics, but see it in a new, reinterpreted way," said Sergey Aleksashenko.

In 2023-2025, the authors of the project have repeatedly stated that its minimum budget will exceed $100 million. Now the developers have abandoned this figure, however, in an interview with the editors, they clarified that the game is still one of the highest-budget in the history of Russia. According to independent experts, investments in the project have already exceeded 10 billion rubles.

— Distortion is in the pre-production stage. As with most projects at this stage, the main investments go into the development of technologies and proprietary tools. The cost structure will change when we move to full-fledged production. We are already paying great attention to the technical base: the right tools will allow us to develop efficiently and at reasonable cost, without sacrificing quality," studio CEO Artemy Bolshakov told the editorial board.

A project without Russian folk tales

The game takes place many hundreds of years after the modern era. The world has survived — or rather, has not survived — World War III, and the survivors are trying to build a new civilization. The player will have to unite disparate factions and tribes to face a common threat.

The visual image of the future, according to the authors, combines Russian, European and Asian motifs. The images of a bygone civilization are inspired by Soviet constructivism, brutalism and the architecture of modern Moscow, while the appearance of the cities in which the survivors live is inspired by Byzantine architecture.

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According to Gleb Kadomtsev, director of development at Game Art Pioneers, the developers are trying to show not the preservation of familiar images, but their transformation under the influence of new circumstances.

"We are not just dusting off old and understandable images, we are designing new ones, born from mixing with other cultures and new circumstances, including the development of technology, AI, conflicts, wars, space exploration and natural disasters," he said.

The authors of Distortion deliberately refused to directly transfer Russian fairy tales and folklore plots into the game.

— The world of Distortion is based on the traditions of the peoples of Russia. But we are not reproducing them literally, but thinking about how they could develop and transform in the society of the future," said Gleb Kadomtsev. — The team finds this approach more convincing than using a set of recognizable national symbols.

The developers consider the game not only as entertainment, but also as an opportunity to introduce Russian culture to a foreign audience. In their opinion, video games have greater reach and affect people more deeply than cinema and theater.

However, architecture alone is not enough to create a modern image of Russia, says Oleg Dobroshtan, an independent expert in the gaming industry.

— It seems to me that visual alone is not enough to form a recognizable image of our country. I think that, if possible, other narratives related to modern Russia should be integrated into the game, for example, references to modern Russian culture, including music, actors and famous cultural figures," he said.

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The expert also stressed that the appeal to the cultural codes of individual countries has already helped to create successful games. He cited Ghost of Tsushima, Ghost of Yotei, Black Myth: Wukong, and Atomic Heart as examples.

"If the visual of Moscow is recognizable and effectively used in the game, I think there is every chance that the world will begin to recognize the appearance of modern Russian cities, albeit in an exaggerated form," Oleg Dobroshtan said.

At the same time, according to him, according to the screenshots provided, it is still difficult to understand what role Moscow plays in the project, why these particular architectural styles were chosen and how they relate to the gameplay.

What will be shown to the players in the end

The studio has a chance to create a world-class game and show that the Russian gaming industry can develop without government funding, says Viktor Zvyaginsky, CEO of Terrabyte Games and a resident of the Moscow Cluster of Video Games and Animation.

The project combines a large-scale action movie with elements of a role-playing game. This approach resembles the "musou" genre, in which the player fights with large groups of opponents. Famous representatives of the genre include Dynasty Warriors and Hyrule Warriors, recalled Alexander Semeniv, producer and founder of WinCondition.

— According to the alpha build (pre-demo version), it is difficult to judge what the final game will turn out to be. However, the developers have already laid an interesting foundation," he explained.

Gaming expert Andrey Melekhin noted that the project has repeatedly exceeded the stated release dates for playable versions and has been restarted. He also recalled the ambitious promises that the developers made in 2023-2025. According to him, to earn the audience's trust, the authors need more than a presentation of an early technical version of the product.

The early playable version will be available to visitors of the second Moscow International Video Game Week, as well as others who have applied on the project's website. The developers expect to collect feedback before the start of full-fledged production.