M'sian studio's debut game explores the eternal goodbye through a child's eyes

The Star

2 days ago

If you could go back in time and see that person you loved again, what would you do? What would you say to them? Everything good must come to an end, and all love ends with grief.
We've all dealt with loss in our lives, making the central premise of Once Again universally ­relatable.
The young protagonist of this short but sweet visual novel is a boy named Sia, whose mother has passed away. On his 10th birthday, he awakens from a nap to discover a birthday cake in his room. Making a wish, he finds himself mysteriously transported to the past.
There, he miraculously encounters his mother as a younger woman, who teaches him to develop photographs.
Sia's mother teaches him about photography, and he in turn develops an equally strong interest in the craft. The story is mainly expressed through short sentences, all told from the point of view of the main protagonist Sia.
From then on, on each of his birthdays, the boy is transported to the past, reuniting with his departed mother for one ­precious day each year.
The pain of farewell
Once Again is the debut game from Malaysian developers RB Wolf Games, and was conceived by producer Yee Weng Hong ­during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown. Yee, 36, comes from an advertising background, and this was his first foray into a purely creative project.
'That was a time when I realised how fragile life is,' he says. 'The game's story is also based on a real-life story. One of the main characters is inspired by one of my relatives, a woman who dreamed of becoming a mother, but unfortunately passed away two months after giving birth due to a heart condition called PPCM.'
(Also known as peripartum ­cardiomyopathy, the American Heart Association explains it as an uncommon form of heart ­failure which can happen during or after pregnancy, when no other cause of heart failure can be found.)
'This story had always been in my mind, and during Covid, I thought I could try to make a video game.'
His mind made up, Yee set up RB Wolf Games and managed to win a grant from MDEC (Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation) which really helped the fledgling company during the developmental stage.
The melancholic colours and composition of Once Again informs the player of the sentimental tone of this quiet tale of ­goodbyes and second chances.
Throughout the course of the game, Sia repeatedly travels to the past, spending time with his ­mother, who is revealed to have a strong interest in photography. She teaches Sia about her ­passion, and he too develops an equally strong interest in the craft.
'I love photography,' Yee says. 'I think it's a beautiful way to freeze time, and turn moments into lasting memories. I think in the game, photography helps to tell the story of the differing ­perspectives of mother and son.'
Artistic influences
'I think the biggest influence on my game was actually music,' Yee shares. 'A lot of inspiration for the story, visuals, and soundtrack came from lo-fi music. It was more about ­capturing the vibe.'
If you have spent any time on YouTube listening to lo-fi music, perhaps that would have ­conjured up a certain aesthetic. Manga-style, hand drawn character art, combined with soft pastel clouds draped over the sunset. Yee would often play instrumental lo-fi or Ryuichi Sakomoto's piano music while working on the ­visuals and art direction to infuse his work with the intended ­feelings.
'Instrumental music only,' Yee says. 'If there's a person singing lyrics it might distract me.'
Other than music, the indie game Florence, developed by Mountains and published by Annapurna Interactive was a big influence. Yee says, 'It inspired us in developing the interactive aspect of the game. Interaction is very important because you need it for the player to truly immerse themselves in the story.'
Once Again is Yee's first time telling a narrative story. — YEE WENG HONG
The gameplay in Once Again, like Florence, is understated and simple. For example, some sequences task the player with adjusting the exposure and focus on a camera to take beautiful shots of the landscape or Sia's mother, much like Florence's gameplay loop of touching ­certain areas of the screen to ­perform mundane tasks or ­convey interactions with the main character's loved ones.
Once Again is the first work of fiction Yee has created. 'It was a big personal challenge,' Yee remarked. 'I don't come from a writing background, I worked in advertising. I'm an art person. This is my first full narrative story. It was quite fun!'
The text in Once Again is minimalist, unconcerned with using fancy words, instead trusting to the emotions the simple dialogue and narration evokes. The gorgeous visuals combines with the beautiful music to create a truly sentimental and timeless atmosphere, putting one in mind of the idle holidays of one's youth.
A chance to say goodbye
Yee emphasises the importance of closure in his game. In life, there are a lot of continuous or unresolved experiences, or experiences that are 'commas', as Yee describes. 'When you are able to say goodbye properly, it turns those commas into full stops, full sentences. You need to be able to properly say goodbye to everything, not just people, but memories, relationships, and ­different phases of your life. The core of this game is exploring the meaning of farewell. How we face it and learn to let go.
'Cherish the moment and appreciate every chance you get to meet the people you love. I hope that's something players can take away from their journey in Once Again.'
Indeed, the protagonist Sia has the chance to do something that many people never get to do: say goodbye on his own terms.
Photography serves as a gameplay mechanic and vehicle to express the point of view of the characters. — RB Wolf Games
As a newcomer to the gaming industry, Yee and his company RB Wolf Games met with their share of challenges. He had no contacts or experience. 'When we started out I watched a lot of case studies, joined some game festivals, and learned from others in the industry,' Yee says. 'I met many developers and producers and they shared their experience.'
Yee and his team of four to five people, mostly freelancers, gave their all to make their vision a reality. He employed Chinese and English writers to help finetune and translate his manuscripts as he had no writing experience.
The positive response this game has received is a source of motivation for Yee and his team to keep going. 'Sometimes I still receive thank you messages from players,' Yee says. 'It means a lot to us. It has become a strong foundation for us to build something even better in the future.'
RB Wolf Games is working on their second project now, with an even bigger scale and emotional story. 'We just kickstarted it this year, so there's nothing much we can show at the moment. I just completed the script end of last year, and now we're working on art direction and characters.
One of the many idyllic yet bittersweet panoramas in the game.
'We also plan to enhance the gameplay and make it more engaging, we're in the process of trial and error with the gameplay mechanics. We're trying to get the gameplay rhythm to match the story and make sure the player won't feel bored. Hopefully we will have more to show people early next year.'
Once Again is available on Steam for RM11.50, as well as on the PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store and Nintendo eShop for US$5.99 (RM25).