Pinay’s creative vision helps shape upcoming VR game

It’s said that Filipinos are among the most creative people in the world. When you combine a rich imagination with a passion for video games, the results can be remarkable.

Though the Philippines is underpublicized in the international gaming scene, there are a select few whose extraordinary vision and dedication to their craft have, on more than one occasion, put Filipinos in the spotlight.

One such individual is Edi Torres, the Creative Director of Mixed Realms’ “Sairento VR.”

^{The Sairento VR team. From left to right: Robin Cua, Joshua Chan, Ngo Chee Yong, Gary Lim, Aldric Chang, Edi Torres, Chalit Noonchoo}

Virtual reality (VR) game “Sairento VR” is an action RPG in which you’re a deadly cyber ninja warrior who can slow down time Matrix-style, slice up enemies with a whirlwind of katana strikes, or perforate targets with a hailstorm of bullets. You can leap 15 feet into the air, run across walls, and parry attacks. And as missions take you to the exotic locations of futuristic Japan, you’ll confront dangerous foes such as mutant samurai, gargantuan sumo wrestlers, and robotic ninjas.

According to Aldric Chang, the CEO of Singaporean company Mixed Realms, Torres played an integral role in the collaborative effort to conceptualize the game.

“We all chipped in different ideas and molded them until they melted to become Sairento,” he said. “Edi is in charge of defining the lore structure with our game writer.”

Bursting with ideas

A University of the Philippines Diliman BroadComm graduate, Edi Torres has been working in Singapore for 9 years. In 2009, she first experienced working on games. As a “Storyteller” – which was like an Assistant Creative Director position – she helped produce “The Travels of Wiglington and Wenks,” a multi-awarded massive virtual world for children. Then, in 2011, she became the Creative Director of chart-topping mobile game “Lamebo VS. Zombies.”

Securing the “Sairento VR” Creative Director role came with a slew of challenges.

“I have no formal training in design,” admitted Torres. “I cannot draw well and I definitely cannot model 3D assets to save my life. All I had was a brain bursting with ideas. Convincing my bosses to let me lead the art and creatives was the first hurdle. Once I landed the post, I had to spend a lot of time researching, preparing very detailed creative briefs, finding the right talents to work with and communicating my ideas as clearly as possible to our team.”

Now, as the Creative Director of “Sairento VR,” Torres is “in charge of the general creative direction and theme of the game – mostly the art direction, lore and user experience.”

She described her job as fulfilling yet challenging:

“Throughout the production process, there is always something new to learn as none of us had prior experience working on VR content.  I have to solve problems as quickly as they surface. Having a great and supportive team helps!”

In case you’re wondering, Torres is a gamer – one of the reasons why she’s such a good fit for her current role. “The Last of Us,” “Metal Gear Solid V,” and the “Tekken” series count among her favorite games.

Anime such as ‘Rurouni Kenshin,’ ‘Ghost in the Shell’ and ‘Evangelion,’ and movies like ‘The Matrix,’ ‘Kill Bill’ and ‘Shaolin Soccer!’ also inspired her work on “Sairento VR.”

Creating the experience

Torres shared some of the challenges she’s faced as “Sairento VR’s” Creative Director.

“Budget is small, timeline is tight, yet our dreams are big – your classic indie game developer story!” she said. “On the creative side, the main challenge is creating an out-of-this-world experience with as much realism as technically possible. VR is still a relatively young technology so creativity has to fill in the gaps that technology is yet able to support.”

Some interesting design choices worked in “Sairento VR’s” favor.

“While most other games avoided drastic in-game movements to prevent motion sickness, we introduced ‘double jumps,’ which became a huge hit among our fans,” Torres explained. “And although robots, which didn’t require a high level of realism, were the popular choice of villains among other developers, we decided to use partially human enemies because… what is a samurai and ninja slash fest game without blood and a healthy level of gore?”

Torres explained the appeal of “Sairento VR.”

“It makes players feel darn good,” she said. “I’m about as athletic as a shoe rack. I can’t jump high, I can’t run fast. But on ‘Sairento VR,’ I’m a cyber ninja doing double jumps two stories high, dashing across spaces in split seconds, running on walls, wielding katanas and guns with both hands and slaying hordes of evil cyborg samurai in movie-perfect slow-mo fashion.”

She added: “The VR experience is totally different (from traditional games). It’s as close as a gamer can get to being really IN the game… and when that happens, it becomes more than just a game. It’s an immersive experience that makes you feel more like an actor than a gamer.”

At the end of the day, all that hard work is worth it.

“Reading the encouraging comments and reviews from the VR gaming community has always been the most rewarding part after the gruelling production process,” Torres expressed.

A success story no one imagined

Creating a VR game was a gamble for Mixed Realms.

“It is difficult to find programmers and animators who can easily or readily transit to doing work in VR,” shared Chang. “Also, it is harder to get coverage on media as most game sites are still covering general PC games. VR is still considered a niche and not widely covered by the big gaming websites.”

He did, however, feel that it was a risk worth taking.

“We felt that the mobile games market is saturated and wanted to try out a market that is not yet crowded,” he said. “Also, VR is exciting in that it allows us to explore new exciting ideas to give gamers an immersive experience.

Now, “Sairento VR” is an early access game on Steam,  where it has garnered extremely favorable reviews.

“Within 10 days after the early access launch on Steam, ‘Sairento VR’ hit ‘break even’ and was profitable,” Torres stated. “Positive reviews started pouring in from VR players all over the world. Our mailbox was suddenly full of emails from companies offering opportunities for collaboration. It was crazy. It was a success story none of us imagined.”

The game’s success has allowed them to expand their team to include two more Filipinos: experienced 3D artists Marion Reyes and Anshelle Banzon, who are working on new enemies that Torres described as “looking awesome!”

“Sairento VR’s” popularity has even gained the interest of local virtual reality arcades. It’s now available for play at Fantasy Amuse in Robinson’s Manila.

Of course, resting on their laurels isn’t an option for Torres and her team.

“We have new challenges to face and higher expectations to meet,” she said. “We are reinvesting what we earned from the early access and arcade sales and pumping it into the production of the full version which we’re planning to launch third quarter of this year.”

The full version will boast a story campaign, additional gameplay options (such as the ability to use stealth), enhanced graphics and animation, original music, better sound effects, and a multi-player arcade mode. Other future plans include introducing more enemy variety, improved enemy A.I., a decapitation module, extra locations including procedural levels, and new moves for the hero.

Keeping the fire burning

Torres believes Filipinos can make substantial contributions to the gaming industry.

“Filipinos bring not just the creativity that starts the fire but also the resilience that keeps that fire burning,” she said. “When most people think of game development, they usually only imagine the fun side – that it’s about games and it’s a freaking cool job! But game development can be very stressful due to tight timelines, long working hours and a lot of unforeseeable changes in the creative direction and production pipeline. To survive in this industry, you need people who can laugh and stay creatively sane under extreme pressure.”

She has a special message for Filipinos aspiring for creative lead roles in the gaming industry:

“Grab every opportunity that will bring you closer to your career goals and expand your skillset. Immerse yourself in content and experiences that inspire you and catch trends even before they become mainstream. Finally, grow old and wiser but don’t grow up. It’s all about designing an experience that reminds players how to have fun.”

For more information about “Sairento VR,” check out its official website, blog, and Facebook page. — TJD, GMA News