Meet our team! We are very proud that women are a significant part of the Fort Solis family. They are the ones behind setting the world we create in motion, the main song being the spirit of the game, and one-third of the acting trio, carrying the cosmic story on their shoulders. We wanted to present them to show how important their work is for us!
First we would like to present - Milena Skornik-Nogalska - Senior Animator at Fallen Leaf who answered questions about working with Unreal Engine 5 and Fort Solis experience.
Q :You're the person who works on one of the first games coming out on Unreal Engine 5. How would you rate working on this engine? Does it really give the possibility of creating better then ever experiences for players ?
A: I am trully amazed at how Unreal Engine contributed to the creation of our game. Thanks to it, we are releasing a realistic, technologically advanced product at an almost record-breaking pace. The possibilities we gained through this engine allowed us to create a game whose quality would have required much more effort and significantly longer deadlines just a few years ago. Realistic graphics bordering on photorealism have existed in the gaming market for a long time. Today, we are pushing the boundaries of what we call realism in games, thanks to the use of advanced and continuously evolving technology.
However, the difficulty in achieving such effects has always been a problem. Epic reaches out to people, providing them with a tool that is within their reach - after all, Unreal is available to everyone, with extensive official documentation and countless unofficial tutorials available, including on Youtube. This engine is a fantastic bridge for both junior creators and senior experts. Unreal Engine has become the framework in our studio, the thread of communication between each department, our thread of understanding with Black Dakkar Studio collaborating with us. It is also an excellent tool that allows us to start and finish a project using it exclusively for work. I believe that Fort Solis, along with other projects emerging in UE5, is paving the way for a new standard for creators who expect high quality from their working environment. All of this together is the true "Unreal" - what was unreal in the market just a few years ago.
Q: Do you play video games yourself? What are your favorite titles? The market is now undergoing huge changes and is constantly growing. Do you think games will ever replace movies or series in the field of telling engaging stories?
A: I have been in touch with video games since my early childhood. I didn't play much myself, I spent a lot of time observing my older cousin playing on the first Playstation. Although I can't quite recall what games he played, the moment he handed me the first dualshock controller was a life-changing experience. Back then, I had no idea that I would be creating animations for games, but it was the moment I bonded permanently with Crash Bandicoot and Spyro. Now, even after hours, I sometimes disappear into gaming, whether it's on Nintendo or PC. The majority of my life has been spent playing Don't Starve, Stardew Valley, The Legend of Zelda series, or The Witcher 3. However, when it comes to multiplayer, my husband and friends prefer playing Overwatch or Apex Legends together. During quarantine and isolation, like probably everyone else at the time, I spent my time on a private island in Animal Crossing, trying to decorate it with a cottagecore style.
The gaming market is undoubtedly changing, but what excites me the most is the technology constantly striving to enhance immersion, which sets video games apart from other forms of media. Games allow players to chase their dreams, immersing them in the role of the hero much more deeply than other cultural works. Players grab their favorite controllers and, in addition to the narrative and audiovisual values reminiscent of films or series, become decisive in the face of the events surrounding them. That's why I believe that video games are, in their own way, on par with movies and TV shows by offering immersion as their ace in the hole. This is starting to be recognized even at more serious artistic events, such as the Cannes Festival, where immersive art works are now being awarded. Fort Solis is a game that captivates players with its story and raises the bar by introducing high-quality audiovisual assets. Therefore, I think it's another step towards associating engaging narratives not only with movie screenings or good books.
Thank you for your support! Stay tuned for our next Women in Gaming news!
Meet our team! We are very proud that women are a significant part of the Fort Solis family. They are the ones behind setting the world we create in motion, the main song being the spirit of the game, and one-third of the acting trio, carrying the cosmic story on their shoulders. We wanted to present them to show how important their work is for us!
First we would like to present - Milena Skornik-Rogalska - Senior Animator at Fallen Leaf who answered questions about working with Unreal Engine 5 and Fort Solis experience.
Q :You're the person who works on one of the first games coming out on Unreal Engine 5. How would you rate working on this engine? Does it really give the possibility of creating better then ever experiences for players ?
A: I am trully amazed at how Unreal Engine contributed to the creation of our game. Thanks to it, we are releasing a realistic, technologically advanced product at an almost record-breaking pace. The possibilities we gained through this engine allowed us to create a game whose quality would have required much more effort and significantly longer deadlines just a few years ago. Realistic graphics bordering on photorealism have existed in the gaming market for a long time. Today, we are pushing the boundaries of what we call realism in games, thanks to the use of advanced and continuously evolving technology.
However, the difficulty in achieving such effects has always been a problem. Epic reaches out to people, providing them with a tool that is within their reach - after all, Unreal is available to everyone, with extensive official documentation and countless unofficial tutorials available, including on Youtube. This engine is a fantastic bridge for both junior creators and senior experts. Unreal Engine has become the framework in our studio, the thread of communication between each department, our thread of understanding with Black Dakkar Studio collaborating with us. It is also an excellent tool that allows us to start and finish a project using it exclusively for work. I believe that Fort Solis, along with other projects emerging in UE5, is paving the way for a new standard for creators who expect high quality from their working environment. All of this together is the true "Unreal" - what was unreal in the market just a few years ago.
Q: Do you play video games yourself? What are your favorite titles? The market is now undergoing huge changes and is constantly growing. Do you think games will ever replace movies or series in the field of telling engaging stories?
A: I have been in touch with video games since my early childhood. I didn't play much myself, I spent a lot of time observing my older cousin playing on the first Playstation. Although I can't quite recall what games he played, the moment he handed me the first dualshock controller was a life-changing experience. Back then, I had no idea that I would be creating animations for games, but it was the moment I bonded permanently with Crash Bandicoot and Spyro. Now, even after hours, I sometimes disappear into gaming, whether it's on Nintendo or PC. The majority of my life has been spent playing Don't Starve, Stardew Valley, The Legend of Zelda series, or The Witcher 3. However, when it comes to multiplayer, my husband and friends prefer playing Overwatch or Apex Legends together. During quarantine and isolation, like probably everyone else at the time, I spent my time on a private island in Animal Crossing, trying to decorate it with a cottagecore style.
The gaming market is undoubtedly changing, but what excites me the most is the technology constantly striving to enhance immersion, which sets video games apart from other forms of media. Games allow players to chase their dreams, immersing them in the role of the hero much more deeply than other cultural works. Players grab their favorite controllers and, in addition to the narrative and audiovisual values reminiscent of films or series, become decisive in the face of the events surrounding them. That's why I believe that video games are, in their own way, on par with movies and TV shows by offering immersion as their ace in the hole. This is starting to be recognized even at more serious artistic events, such as the Cannes Festival, where immersive art works are now being awarded. Fort Solis is a game that captivates players with its story and raises the bar by introducing high-quality audiovisual assets. Therefore, I think it's another step towards associating engaging narratives not only with movie screenings or good books.
Thank you for your support! Stay tuned for our next Women in Gaming news!
Fort Solis is locked down. You have to get out of here!
Time to uncover the dark side of the red planet.
Message from the developers
Hello everyone! Fort Solis will be available in three weeks. We can't wait to make every moment of this game shine as brightly as possible. The entire trailer you are about to see is 100% gameplay from the game build.
We are a new indie studio with a small development team, so we have always worked within our means and focused on quality every step of the way. As new storytellers, we are always cautious not to overcomplicate or over-extend the experience at the risk of losing immersion.
We love how immersive the experience ends up being, the moment-to-moment gameplay is straightforward enough that pretty much anyone can pick it up and easily binge their way through to the end. It is so easy to become invested in solving the mystery of Fort Solis, even if you already know exactly what’s going on!
So yes. Time to put on your detective hat, pay attention to detail, and survive both the Martian weather and encounters with its inhabitants!
As Fort Solis goes gold and launches on the 22nd of August, come and sign up to our Dear Villagers newsletter for all the latest news, exclusive wallpapers, and to take part in our regular giveaways to win game keys from our catalogue!
I'm Terry, the Community Developer from Dear Villagers, and my favourite character in Fort Solis is Jack Leary! How about yours?
Today, I am with Fallen Leaf Studio, an exciting new independent game developer based in Warsaw and Liverpool, to discuss our thoughts on Fort Solis!
Without any delay, let's dive right in!
Greetings from Fallen Leaf
Who are we?
As mentioned, we are a team of veteran independent game developers based in Warsaw and Liverpool.
The story of Fallen Leaf began with two individuals who founded the studio: James Tinsdale, the Game Director of Fort Solis, and Fallen Leaf CEO Piotr Kurkowski. Currently, our studio consists of fourteen members!
Why Fort Solis?
The ideas for Fort Solis began to develop during the period of COVID-19 when the shows on streaming services such as Netflix were becoming popular. Inspired by the best shows, we were ready to take a TV-quality story in the other direction.
Instead of aiming for a typical 30/40-hour game, we set out to create something visually immersive, dense, and profound. Our goal was to provide players with a unique and fulfilling experience by telling a human story with authentic-feeling characters.
What do we think of Fort Solis?
Let's ask some of the team members and see how they think about the two questions below!
Who is your favourite character and why?
We believe that each character in Fort Solis brings their own intricacies and elements to the story, all of which work together to create a harmonious chemistry and a fantastic experience.
Seeing each character start out as a conversation or an idea in our minds to being created and animated, then brought to life with our incredible and fantastic actors has been a privilege.
Let's have Matthew Tinsdale from Quality Assurance and Sound Design to answer this!
My favourite character is Wyatt Taylor, played by Troy Baker. Wyatt is a family man and a doctor stationed on Mars with genuine compassion for his friends and colleagues. When people on the base start getting sick, he tries to find the cause and investigate. Frustrated by his lack of clearance, he begins to believe that people aren't taking his warnings seriously. Wyatt is a complex character whom you begin to understand and empathise with as the game progresses. You start to think, "Is he right? The dilemma is thought-provoking, and we hope it resonates with players.
However, our 3D Animator Milena Skornik-Nogalska seems to have a different opinion:
With each animated scene I created, I became aware of how close Jessica Appleton and I actually are. We both work in a team where the men outnumber the women every day. Jess would never miss an opportunity to playfully tease Jack, and for me, that means that positive relationships dominate her work.
Jess also has an artistic soul that she tries to express wherever she can - with pins on her suit, a nose piercing, and a helmet decorated with her own drawings.
She is sympathetic thanks to the fantastic work of the art team and Julia Brown, who played her role brilliantly, providing her voice and playing her movements in motion-capture footage. This duo makes her a resourceful woman who wins the hearts of the audience with the power of friendship, all the while maintaining her laid-back attitude. How can you not love her?
What do you like most about the game?
Tough question for the team! Let's have more people to answer it!
First, let's listen how our 3D Animator Damian Sewerynski say about it:
The Story! It’s the thing I love the most in our game! Thrilling and not obvious. Even after you find the answer to the question "who/what?”, there’s still "why?”. And this “why” erases the gap between great movies and our game in terms of story quality and depth. It treats the player seriously. To get the most out of it, put on your detective hat, pay attention to details and survive both Mars’ weather and encounters with its inhabitants.
For Rob Green, our Senior Concept Artist, he thinks the same!
What I love most about Fort Solis is how immersive of an experience it has ended up being, the moment to moment gameplay is straightforward enough that pretty much anyone can pick it up and easily binge their way through to the end. It is so easy to get invested in solving the mystery of Fort Solis, even as a developer who already knows exactly what is going on!
Is Fort Solis a walking simulator?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions by players in the community!
Fort Solis is a very narrative-driven experience that aims to tell a character-driven story through an interactive medium. It features puzzles and exploration but doesn't include traditional combat or stealth mechanics.
One of the unique aspects of Fort Solis is the in-game key sequences, where the player's choices significantly impact the entire story. Players have the freedom to move around the entire base location, whether on the surface or through underground tunnels, without being confined to a predetermined path.
We hope that you enjoyed reading the DevBlog! For feedback, suggestions, and questions, don’t hesitate to share with us here on Steam or in the Official Dear Villagers Discord!
Wishlist Fort Solis and see you soon on 22nd August (PC & Mac & PS5).