A self-taught Bahraini game-developer has released an original ‘boss rush’ epic that has gaming enthusiasts at home and abroad praising its quality and playing prowess.
Humans Connect takes place in a universe filled with chimerical creatures, created through an infusion of magic and science.
Four years in the making, the game was developed from scratch by Omar Al Shaiji, who learned to programme and build 3D models throughout the challenging creative process.
“The most difficult parts of creating the game were animation and lighting, but coding was easier than expected,” he said, adding that he used the computer programmes Unity and Blender to make his masterpiece. “It may be a short game, but what matters to me is that I finished it and that it is now out into the world,” he added.
The three-level independent video game belongs to the ‘boss rush’ category, a genre of gameplay in which the storyline can only progress by the player defeating in-game enemies.
Its mysterious storyline slowly unfolds in each level and features the three enigmatic characters Violet, Nightwolf and Inpu the Jackal. “Humans Connect follows a woman called Julia and two warring, other-worldly beasts,” said the recently graduated 26-year-old who lives in Sanad.
Julia fighting Inpu
Mr Al Shaiji leaves the game’s narrative intentionally vague to enhance a feeling of intrigue and following the positive reviews since its launch last month he is hoping to develop Humans Connect into a full-length game.
“Securing investment is the priority right now, as I want to put together a proper team of game developers to add features to the game and introduce new styles,” he told GDN.
“I believe Bahrain has many skilled and creative individuals who can achieve a lot by collaborating with one another. This could be one of those projects.”
The former Bahrain Polytechnic web media student says he was inspired by games he played growing up like Kingdom Hearts and Devil May Cry. “Games are a form of interactive media, unlike film,” explained Mr Al Shaiji, discussing his bid to pursue game development instead of filmmaking.
“When someone plays my game, they are interacting with me and my imagination. Players are accessing my vision, which I see as a kind of psychic connection.”
Furthermore, the Bahraini programmer views the creation process as a form of self-discovery and self-reflection. “I learned a lot about myself as I worked on the game, and poured all my feelings into it,” he said. “Prior to that, I did not really consider my goals or think about my identity.
“The title, for example, Humans Connect, addresses when a person feels they have not reached out enough to other people. On the other hand, the character Julia, is as much confronting what is within her as she is confronting the creatures in the game.”
American video game commentator Charles White Jr, better known by his online moniker ‘Cr1TiKaL,’ and boasts 3.6 million subscribers, played through the game on his streaming channel.
He played ‘Humans Connect’ in front of 13,000 live viewers on the online livestreaming platform Twitch, and a video of the stream has already garnered more than 235,000 views. He is known for taking the mickey out of recent independent releases, so the odd word of praise is noteworthy.
Mr Al Shaiji says he was ‘honoured’ to have his game featured by the professional critic.
Locals liked it even more. “The game’s unique atmosphere and mechanics made every battle feel fresh,” said Ehsan Ali, who works as an information technology analyst. “It kept me on my toes and challenged me to try new gameplay styles,” added the 25-year-old, who is an active member in the Bahraini gaming community.
“Mastering each character moves, combos and defensive options made replaying the fights enjoyable.”
Humans Connect can be purchased on video game website Steam to play on the PC for $4.99, under BD2.
zainab@gdn.com.bh
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