Hey, old friends!Remember Harlan Superman Kyle Crane?He is back!On September 19, he will return strongly in "The Deserted Light: The Hidden Beast".We know you can't think about him, so this time I put a lot of effort into image, sound and gameplay, striving to add a new sense of layering while making him the hero in your memory.This time, he is not only the hero you are familiar with, but also an "old" superman who has experienced transformation and has a more exciting journey.

Great appearance transformation: Time is unforgiving, but heroism lasts forever

When we begin to conceive Crane more than a decade later, the biggest challenge is how to show his age and not let him lose that heroic spirit.We have tried white hair and baldness, but the effect is...it's hard to describe.He looked like he had become a different person, completely losing the heroism we imagined.So, we gave up these "rough" plans and focused on subtle changes.

His model was overturned and remade several times until he looked real enough.

Our goal is to keep his face and body full of traces of imprisonment and torture for more than ten years.His body was covered with scars left by experiments, and these were not casually drawn.We carefully designed every scar to think about what kind of experiments he might have experienced and what kind of marks he would leave.(Spoiler warning!) Even the scars left by the ultimate showdown with Rice in the early generation of "The Deserted Light" are clearly visible.

In a first-person game, it is not easy to show the appearance of a character, after all, players can only see their own hands.So, we put a lot of effort into this.We recreate the hands of the first generation, but with new scars and traces, as if silently telling the pain he suffered in the Baron's lab.It was these experiments that allowed him to gain the power of wildness.To allow players to witness this transformation, we have created a unique visual language: dark, threatening black blood vessels that perfectly reflect Cran’s physical condition and the world he sees after he transforms into a beast.

The vicissitudes of his hands also climbed up his face.Years of pain and anger turned into wrinkles, and the unique eyes of trapped beasts told his heavy past.

This part of the design is inspired directly from the ending of DLC's Believers.In order not to spoil, we can only say that some...special encounters occurred between Cran and the Virgin, which caused him this change.Instead of making some weird mutations or "monster" characteristics that can be seen at a glance, we chose the hard-to-observe but powerful part.Inspired by Night Demon, we made his eyes extremely recognizable and full of predator breath.This kind of Crane is not only unique, but also emphasizes that he is no longer a simple human...

It's also human, it's also beast: two forces intertwined in his body

Cran’s visual design perfectly interprets the two sides of his character.

The left half, the side close to the heart, represents the humanity and survivor side.On his left wrist, he was still wearing the watch that was crucial to the first generation.The iconic "drip" sound seems to remind you that the night is coming.We even retained the sound in its original flavor, striving to be as good as the player's memory.

More importantly, Jade's necklace was wrapped around this arm.Where did he get it?We specifically leave this puzzle for fans to guess.It is an emotional little easter egg, waiting for everyone to interpret it.

The right half looks darker and more ferocious.This is his wild beast side: a scar crosses half of his face, his eyes seem to be rotten, and his arms are wrapped with thorny marks.These marks remind him that he is trapped between two worlds, both beasts and humans.

Even his clothing and equipment were carefully designed.Whether it is radio, clothes or accessories, they have been carefully selected, and nothing is put on casually.For example, his intercom has a small immersive detail: the battery was full at the beginning, but by the end, there was little left in the battery.We believe that it is these small details that allow players to immerse themselves in it better.If you can notice it, it will be the biggest compliment for us.

The gameplay is upgraded: the collision of strength and anger

In order to prevent Cran from feeling strange to players, we have re-adopted the battle-style animation of the first generation of "The Deserted Light" and adjusted it to reflect his evolution.We hope that his fighting style is undecorated, cruel and ruthless, and can directly reflect his inner anger and desire for revenge.

Our animation goals are clear:

●Inheritance: The animation should be inspired by the first generation of Crane, reflecting his muscle memory, personality and fighting style.

●Evolution: Some animations should be different, showing the significant changes in the character after more than a decade of imprisonment.

●Comparison: There must be obvious differences before and after the activation of the wild force - Crane of the wild force: cruel, uncontrollable, conceited; Crane of the usual state: pragmatic, meticulous, and confident.

Marcin Bahryn - Kamiński explains how we tuned weapon animations:

"I compared the melee weapon animations of "Distressed Light" and "Distressed Light 2" and found that the most important thing is that every attack has to have a "strike" and a "satisfactory" when hitting the enemy. I speeded up the wielding speed, but made a brief pause when the weapon hits the target. This combination is very effective, perfectly fitting the violent aesthetics of "Distressed Light: Sleeping Beast". For the same reason, we also made the weapon animation a little longer than the first generation. Kran is older and the game has higher tactics requirements, so we must find the best balance point in weapon animation and reflect these two design directions at the same time." Firearms animation is another key point.The gun animation in the first generation is relatively simple, which gives us more room to play.The anime in "The Falling Light 2: Staying at Humanity" has a lot of recoil, and the weapon shakes very hard when shooting.This makes sense in Aiden, because he is not familiar with guns.But Kyle Crane can't do it.He was a former agent and knew guns well.Therefore, the weapon must be more stable in his hands.

“I tried to reduce recoil and make the weapon feel more stable, but it didn’t work well,” Marcin said. “Although Crane’s gun is more stable, the stiffness actually ruined the gameplay.” In search of inspiration, he even went to the shooting range in person to observe how professionals control and compensate for recoil.Finally he concluded: "The weapon should have a greater recoil at the beginning, and then slowly stabilize it. This will not only make the player feel that Crane has completely controlled the gun, but also retains the fun and attractiveness of the game, and truly restores Crane's military literacy."

In addition, we have optimized the loading animation to make it faster, smoother and more responsive.We even reduced the model size of the weapon to make the gun appear more natural in Crane's hands rather than oversized.

New Parkour Experience: Heavy Body, Wild Power

The changes in the character are also reflected in parkour.We adjusted the physical effect of the jump, making Crane's movements feel heavier and calmer.In addition, we combine animations into different animation sets, which continues to change as the game progresses, so as to show that Cran's power is gradually recovering.We even reused some of the animations from the first generation, such as sliding and leaping, some retained as it is, and some adjusted to show how old he is.At the beginning of the game, you will feel the changes in his body after years of imprisonment - exhausted physical strength, heavy breathing, and difficulty in action.But as the game deepens, these weaknesses will be replaced by primitive power, the beasts in their hearts begin to appear, and the fierce roars erupt.

"They wanted to destroy Crane, but they created a beast..."

This line perfectly summarizes the essence of Cran in "The Deserted Light: The Hidden Beast".His story always revolves around transformation.In the first generation, he began to change from a mercenary sent to perform missions after seeing the horror of the doomsday and being saved by the people there.He learned to help others, find allies, and realized that in this world, unity can survive.Although the game has not always emphasized this, this transition from a mercenary to a real hero is deeply loved by players because the impact it produces when emotional bursts are huge.From the very beginning, we knew that Kyle Crane's emotional line was the hardest to grasp.

In "The Deserted Light: The Hidden Beast", Crane undergoes another transformation.He could have given up and surrendered for years in the hands of the Baron.But Kyle Crane will never bow her head easily.He escaped, with only one thought in his mind: revenge.All the anger and hatred are concentrated on the Baron.However, just like the first generation, he gradually discovered that a person could not do it.He began to form an alliance with others and formed a resistance force.This experience once again shapes him, and his personal mission of revenge is replaced by a more important goal.By the way, this is the first time that everyone can observe the Baron up close.Does he look...like someone he is easy to mess with?

Dubbing and performance: Use voice to tell pain and strength

Crane's voice needs to truly reflect his transformation, and there is only one suitable person: Roger Craig Smith.We are very happy that Roger is willing to return and speak for the role again.His performance is the key to capturing Crane's changes.The Chinese dubbing is made by Mr. Wang Yuhang of Haitian Studio.

At the beginning of the game, his voice was heavy and nervous, as if years of torture had left him physically and mentally exhausted.But as the plot develops, the voice changes, suggesting that Crane's body is recovering and her strength is increasing, and the real him begins to appear.Roger's performance was filled with subtle changes and strong emotions, and it was extremely exciting.

This emotional depth is also reflected in the cutscenes.We pursue reality—for example, in a scene, when Crane had a panic attack, you can clearly see his face sweating (see screenshots) and his breathing becomes rapid.These details are crucial because they can empathize with the players and experience Crane's feelings at the time.

For us, "They want to destroy Crane, but they create a beast." It's not just a line, but also the emotional core of the game.It was Crane who laid the foundation for the "Disappearance" series, and we can't wait to let players play him again, feel his anger, pain and strength, and experience the hero's beastly journey.

So, are you ready for his return?Come and check out our latest trailer!