Hello, that is Emeric Thoa, artistic director at The Sport Bakers, and I’m joined by Artwork Director and Author Mathieu Bablet. Right now, we’d prefer to let you know a bit concerning the story of Cairn and its major character, Aava.
To this point, we’ve been highlighting the ultra-realistic climbing simulation in Cairn — a very new climbing system that’s simple to choose up however creates stunning rigidity while you enterprise onto the partitions of Kami, the mountain nobody has ever reached the summit of.
However Cairn is greater than only a climbing sport. As you climb Kami, you’ll additionally should survive within the mountain — discovering meals, water, and locations to relaxation. It’s additionally a human journey: the story of a decided alpinist, and maybe greater than that — a mirrored image on mountaineering itself, on what drives folks to push themselves past their limits to climb mountains.
Cairn tells the story of Aava, an skilled mountaineer decided to do the unimaginable: attain the summit of Kami, alone.
Emeric: How would you describe Aava — her character, her motivations?
Mathieu: Aava is a climber with a thoughts of metal, solid via years of climbing which have demanded rather a lot from her as she stored breaking information. She’s demanding, perfectionist, and may’t stand failure. And when she conquers a troublesome route, when she pauses for a second on a ledge with a panoramic view, she feels free. It’s for moments like these that she climbs — that’s her major drive.
Emeric: What I like about Aava is feeling her dedication — regardless that it typically makes her a bit robust. Was it intentional to make her considerably solitary?
Mathieu: After watching lots of documentaries about climbers and mountaineers, one clear sample emerged: this self-discipline, as liberating as it’s, comes with its share of sacrifices and trade-offs. It’s a must to harden your physique, harden your thoughts, and typically set your feelings apart. Such particular person feats usually go away marks on the folks round these athletes.
Emeric: That mentioned, not all climbers are the identical. In Cairn, Aava crosses paths with a sure Marco — who’s he?
Mathieu: Marco can be a climber, youthful than Aava. In truth, he’s a bit like Aava earlier than she turned the achieved mountaineer she is within the sport. He’s carefree, somebody who climbs purely for the enjoyment of it, not for the delight of reaching the highest. Via him, Aava rediscovers a little bit of the straightforward pleasure of climbing.
Emeric: And there are different characters and encounters Aava can have alongside her ascent?
Mathieu: Cairn is a real journey sport, with an emotional and significant story. Regardless that it’s a solo ascent, Aava will meet folks on the mountain and reveal extra of her private story. This occurs via exchanges with these she’s left behind — Naomi, who often checks in on her, and her agent Chris, who’s continually chasing after her! But in addition via encounters with different climbers on the mountain — these alive like Marco, and people who by no means made it again down. After which there’s the troglodyte civilization, or what stays of it — unbelievable climbers and rock carvers who lived in seclusion excessive within the mountains. Cairn is the story of Aava and her ardour for the mountains, instructed via these encounters and locations to find — displaying what drives people to transcend their limits to succeed in new heights.
Emeric: We may have made Cairn only a climbing simulation, however for the entire Sport Bakers staff it was vital to go additional — to inform a narrative that strikes us. Mathieu, for you, what’s a very powerful a part of this story?
Mathieu: For me, Cairn is about Aava’s obsession — a type of relentless drive that retains her from fascinated by something however the ascent of Kami. That feeling of dedication is what I need gamers to expertise all through the sport, together with all the implications that include such a quest for absolutely the.
Emeric: That’s additionally what made me wish to create a sport like Cairn. I used to be fascinated by that very tangible sense of dedication you discover in mountaineering tales (like in Taniguchi’s manga The Summit of the Gods). It made me marvel — what would I be keen to offer the whole lot for? What’s my summit? And what’s yours?
Prepare for the climbing thrill when Cairn hits PS5 on January 29!
