Cygames recently sat down with Japanese publication CGWORLD to discuss the progress of its much-anticipated “first AAA project.” Known as Project Awakening, the title was first unveiled at Cygames NEXT 2016 as an “upcoming high-end console game,” with additional details, including a planned PS4 launch, shared during E3 2018.
Despite showcasing new gameplay footage at Cygames Tech Conference 2021, the project has remained relatively quiet in terms of development updates over the past few years.
In the CGWORLD interview, Kimihiro Tomino, manager of Cygames’ Console Design Team, confirmed that the team is dedicating its primary focus to Project Awakening. He noted that the core components of the game have been completed, marking a significant milestone. Tomino added that while there is still substantial work ahead, development has reached a point where progress will continue to accelerate.
Regarding the game’s visual style, Tomino emphasized Cygames’ pursuit of “hyper-photorealism.” He explained, “We don’t want it to be just superficially realistic. We also want to convey a sense of rawness, everyday life, and the grittiness of the characters.”
The characters underwent a complete redesign following the adoption of upgraded in-house 3D scanning equipment in 2019, which enabled the team to capture significantly higher-resolution data. To enhance the desired “rawness,” the characters are first scanned and then meticulously refined by sculptors.
Tomino revealed that the game is being developed around the theme of “translating the real world into the world of games.” To create a realistic open world inspired by 13th century Europe, Cygames enlisted specialized vegetation artists and geologists. The placement of terrain and vegetation is closely tied to gameplay mechanics, prompting level designers to collaborate with these specialists to ensure the game logic aligns as closely as possible with real-world principles, according to Tomino.
Notably, while Project Awakening was initially announced as Cygames’ first title to utilize the in-house Cyllista Game Engine, Tomino disclosed that the Console Design Team primarily relies on Unreal Engine 5. This suggests that the project may be using Unreal Engine 5. However, given that the CGWORLD interview doubles as a recruitment piece offering insights into Cygames’ internal processes, the adoption of a more widely-used engine could be aimed at creating a more familiar environment for new team members.
Project Awakening remains in active development.
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