Earlier today, Montreal’s PLAYMIND celebrated the release of its indie game, The Inner Friend, on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Inspired by the work of Karl Jung and Stanley Kubrick, it’s a surreal horror game that has been dubbed experimental. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because it was first released onto PC back in 2018.
PLAYMIND’s The Inner Friend is an intense, mind-bending odyssey into the depths of one’s soul to restore the fragmented psyche of their inner child. Their companion on this trip, The Shadow, will lead the player into memories of past trauma to resolve the internal struggle that has led to this shattered dreamscape.
The Inner Friend draws on inspiration from the professional works of Carl Jung and the visual language of Stanley Kubrick. The environments are twisted versions of real past traumas and their resolution is mechanically tied to the origin of these fears. These complex emotional themes of coping and catharsis are conveyed to the player through surreal landscapes and environments that distort familiar spaces to convey dread, fear, and pain.
The Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions have added a brand new alternate ending, as well.
“We’re very happy to reach this incredible milestone. We could not have done this without the support of our community. To the Xbox and Sony gamers joining us: welcome! The team is especially looking forward to seeing both our new and old fans’ reaction to the alternate ending.”
Stay tuned for our full review of The Inner Friend, which will be published later this week.