We interview CRYENGINE community member Alessandro Guzzo about the Land of Pain Remaster, available now!

Lovecraftian indie horror game The Land of Pain was released by one-person-development team and member of the CRYENGINE community Alessandro Guzzo in 2017. When something strange and mysterious appears in the woods, you must learn how to survive, fend off a dark and disturbing evil, and unravel a sinister ancient mystery that's befallen the world. The game is on sale on Steam, now remastered for an even better experience. And if you own the game already, dive back in for your free upgrade! We interviewed Alessandro to find out more.

Hey Alessandro! Why did you decide to remaster The Land of Pain?

The Land of Pain has just celebrated the fifth anniversary of its launch. To mark the event, I decided to make some improvements to the game. In the years since it was first released, gaming technologies have taken a big step forward, and I chose to make a gift to the community with an enhanced version. Players can experience improvements in both graphics and gameplay. Those who already own The Land of Pain will get this enhanced version for free! 

Another reason I decided to improve the game is that The Land of Pain will launch on the Epic Games Store by the end of the year! The store page is already live, and you can wishlist the game now. 

What can players expect in the remaster? 

One of the major changes is the enhanced graphics. I worked on the lights and fog and added new natural elements with photogrammetry. This technique allowed me to import objects from reality into the game, resulting in a very atmospheric and immersive world! 

The gameplay has been improved with reworked puzzles and some key changes to the level design. Exploration is even more gratifying now, and I have also added new secret collectibles to reward the most tenacious explorers! The update also includes text visualization improvements for a better reading experience.

How did CRYENGINE help you improve the experience for players?

CRYENGINE is a very dynamic tool, and I easily managed to implement much more complex assets with more polygons and bigger textures. I used global illumination, an awesome technology that allowed me to obtain remarkable results with the game's lighting. Flowgraphs and the Material Editor are powerful features that helped me quickly achieve fantastic results. 

Your last game was Alien Cube. Did any learnings from that game that helped you with The Land of Pain remaster?

While developing The Alien Cube, I learned a lot of new techniques that were useful for this update. For example, I could implement more complex mechanics and other exciting features that allowed The Land of Pain to make a leap forward in quality.

The feedback for Alien Cube is very positive. The game was praised by players and prominent personalities such as David Scott Jaffe, the game director of God of War on PS2, and Shirley Curry, the Skyrim Grandma. I'm really proud of the results, and I feel honored!

Why did you choose CRYENGINE for your projects?

CRYENGINE is an awesome engine for me as a one-person team, as it helped me to optimize my time while developing, which is very important. The first time I used CRYENGINE, I felt immediately comfortable creating the environments I had in mind. It allowed me to achieve high-quality graphics and create vast natural areas with strong performance. 

Another important aspect is the high technical quality that can be reached. I used all the available features in my games to achieve the best possible result.

What are you working on next?

I'm working on my third game, a first-person mysterious horror adventure with connections to The Land of Pain and The Alien Cube. Like in my previous games, the focus will be on the narrative, and the atmosphere will play an essential role with realistic graphics, large natural environments, and powerful sound design. 

I like building environments of different kinds, so there will be many areas to explore, like dark forests, abandoned buildings, and other mysterious places. The story's protagonist will be a university student with a passion for ancient mysteries who must unravel the truth behind an old legend. I can't reveal more for the moment, but soon I will share news on my socials!

I want to thank the CRYENGINE team for their amazing support for my projects.

The pleasure is all ours! Thanks, Alessandro!

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