Directed and conceived by Armature Studio co-founder Todd Keller (Lead artist for Metroid Prime), Where the Heart Is developed by all-star industry veterans like Beth Foster (senior artist for Metroid Prime) and Scott Eaton (art manager for God of War).
Here is a short game description from the game’s press release:
On the kind of fateful stormy night that changes a man’s destiny, an enormous sinkhole opens in the middle of Whit Anderson’s farm. As thunder rumbles and rain lashes the Andersons, Casey—their curious Golden Retriever—ventures too close to the gaping maw and tumbles in. Desperate to save Casey, Whit descends into the darkness, but emerges in a realm beyond his imagining.
In this strange world, constantly shifting like the stops and starts of a dream, Whit bears witness to the story of his life and gains the power to change it.
Experience a lifetime in hazy, ethereal spaces made manifest by Whit’s memories. As they come into focus, explore his childhood, learn about his family, and uncover his greatest joys and regrets. Connect with others who’ve shared in Whit’s life, from his eccentric, misunderstood brother Sege and high school sweetheart Rene to the children they raise.
At pivotal moments in Whit’s dreamlike reflection, at the points in time and space where lives change forever, make new choices or stick with the decisions which helped form his family. Answer, for Whit, what life would have been like. If he’d stood with his brother. If he’d stayed behind. If he’d taken the leap. If he’d said ‘Yes.’
Behold surreal environments and structures that defy reality. Soak up an ambient soundscape befitting a dream. Discover what gets left behind, and what’s worth returning to, across a selection of intimate vignettes. Make hundreds of choices on the journey back home, where dozens of possible endings await.
“Our lived experience is like a dream—lying somewhere between the material facts of the moment and how we perceive that moment in our minds. Where the Heart Is makes the dream lucid, inviting players to reflect on their lives as they walk through Whit’s. Perhaps they’ll find the grass really is greener, or that ‘home’ was inside them all along.”
Todd Keller – Director, Armature Studio
Where the Heart Is is set for release exclusively on the PlayStation 4 coming winter 2020.
