Why These Stories

Whether it’s because of inspiration from another game, a childhood dream or hopping on the train of latest trends, there are many reasons as to why devs make the games that they do. In today’s post, we wanted to take a little dive into our own reasons.

Tough Topics - Confronting Death, Loss & War

We’ve seen death hundreds of times in games. Whether it’s the army of bad guys you just blew up or the evil villain you finally vanquished, death in games is often shown on screen without mercy or so much as a second thought. In the rare occurrences, where death is the focus - or at least a big part of it - it can be done well. But how do you tell a player - ‘Come play our game. It’ll make you sad!’

As a studio, we believe the answer to that one is easy. Because though the purpose of a game is often thought to be for fun or entertainment, it can also be a useful tool in dealing with difficult subjects. Maybe it reminds you of a similar experience in your own life and playing makes you feel less alone. That’s what we hope to do with our games - to break down this wall that seems to stop people from talking about what should be considered normal things to discuss

Going Off The Radar

Neither of Dissident’s games take place in the States...or Canada, so why would we avoid setting the game where most studios eventually end up deciding on (except for small exceptions like the Assassin's Creed franchise, which are mostly set in and around Europe,). Well, the reason is not just intentional, but a bit of a personal one...Marc Salha, our creative director, has grown up watching the continued change and destruction of Lebanon. So the decision to set MEMORIES in 80’s Beirut was his way of shining a spotlight on an issue that was important to him as well as expressing his love for the city.

Untold Stories

The stories we tell at Dissident are technically fiction. We all love a thrilling sci-fi or a cleverly designed dieselpunk. Sure, it’s true that they make for some really exciting adventures. But unfortunately, the bombing of cities, overflowing refugee camps and consequences of living in a society where robotization is growing in popularity are a part of some people's reality. Though these are the things that we hear about everyday, they’re also the things that people typically skim over on the news or ignore on their twitter feed. Through Dissident’s characters and stories, we hope to raise more awareness about these everyday issues and the people going through them.

All That To Say…

We don’t want to make a game that can be put into a simple, neat box. Sure, all studios say that. But what we really hope to do with Dissident is to make it a space where all stories, places and people feel welcome and heard. We don’t shy away from dark topics just because they’ve been deemed dark. In fact, we kind of just take that as an invitation to find the best way to open up a conversation about it.

What topics do you feel aren’t talked about enough in games? Let us know in the comments down below!

Until Next time,

-The Dissident Team