Initial Thoughts On "Linger In Shadows"

I got home today and - with nothing else catching my fancy - splurged on Linger In Shadows. Here comes the science bit about this £1.99 PSN download: This is NOT a game. In the menu itself there is a section about the demoscene and the fact that this is considered to be interactive art designed to make you want to just look around and interact as things unfold around you.

Interactive art, it has to be said, has never looked so good! There is great brushed look to the whole thing with everything being 'drawn' around the field of view as you progress through the piece.

First I would recommend using the first option in the menu screen called "watch". This lets you simply watch the story unfold. Once done I recommend only then moving onto the "Linger" section, as this is some seriously screwy stuff.

Using the motion controls and face buttons you control various aspects of the scenes in sequence such as switching on a creature's 'eyes'.

This is not technically a game though I must say I found the experience to be cathartic in the same vein as Flow; you simply enjoy the experience and let it wash over you after some serious Call Of Duty fraggage.

Overall I really like the concept and execution of this piece. However be warned - this is not going to replace your latest LBP fixation. It will simply be a pretty diversion for an hour or so at a time.

The best thing about this groundbreaking purchase? A steal at £1.99 combined with trophy support for those silverware junkies out there.

If you have a spare £1.99 in your online wallet, I highly recommend showing Linger In Shadows some love. If you go in with an open mind you are unlikely to be disappointed.

Linger In Shadows Finally Emerges Tomorrow

You may not know it but tomorrow's PSN update marks something of a milestone. In amongst the usual melange of wallpapers, themes, DLC for rhythm games and perhaps even a PS1 game you probably didn't want ten years ago (and don't want now) will be Linger In Shadows. Described as an "interactive art" project from Polish demogroup Plastic, the "game" will see users influence and explore an abstract world that could exist comfortably inside the mind of David Lynch.

Demogroups have existed pretty much in parallel in what could be described as a symbiotic relationship with the more recognised gaming industry. As bone fide studios continue to create, amateur cadres of artisans, coders and musicians form projects that emulate, enhance and sometimes even surpass the output of people who do this sort of thing for a living. Of course, the amateurs of today become the producers of tomorrow. The likes of EA Dice for example (makers of upcoming PS3Attitude favourite Mirror's Edge) started off as "The Silents" - a prestigious demogroup in its day.

What makes Linger In Shadows so unique (and why it sets a precedent when released tomorrow) is its accolade of being the first demoscene project to be officially endorsed by Sony. Speaking in an interview to GameTrailers, SCEA's Rusty Buchert explains how Sony approached three such groups offering hardware and assistance to see what they could create. Linger in Shadows marks the emergence of the first of such projects.

The interview also shows some footage of the "gameplay" and the graphical aesthetic that has been described by some as "surreal", "a missing MGS4 boss battle" and even likened to a Team Ico project. Tomorrow we'll be able to download it ourselves and spend up to a half an hour interacting with flying dogs, haughty cats and ominous black smoke particle effects.

Check back later this week when PS3Attitude may have something exclusive from Plastic, the makers of Linger In Shadows. What's it like working with Sony? How powerful is the PS3 and will they ever work with it again? And, of course, the question on everyone's lips: Cats of dogs? Hopefully we'll have some answers.

UPDATE: The PSN updates for the US and EU stores have come and gone with Linger In Shadows pulling a spectacular no-show. What happened? Those shadows too impenetrable to leave for some reason? We're contacting our sources to see if any reason is being quoted for the strange "art piece" missing the PSN boat so check back and hopefully we'll be able to shed some light on this scheduling mystery.

Linger in Shadows; new game, or just eye candy?

Almost everything in the video you're about to watch reminds us of something that might be designed by Team ICO, with a nod towards elements of the 'real world' in The Matrix.

To say it is beautiful and awe-inspiring would be an understatement.

But what it actually is, no-one can yet say. Some people say it is a technical demo. Some say it has been given the go ahead to become a full game. It's true that SCEA's Santa Monica studios have worked on some visionary titles in the past, and this would be no exception.

Whatever Linger in Shadows is, or becomes, we'll be watching.