Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is only a few weeks away from release, and it’s safe to say that it’s already looking like an early contender for game of the year, with its blend of third-person combat marrying to supernatural storytelling. We were lucky enough to go hands-on with the game at last year’s Gamescom, but in the run-up to launch we needed to know more, catching up with with Stephane Beauverger, Head of Narration for the game, to discuss the game’s background and driving ideas behind the game.
TSA: Don’t Nod have a history of incredible storytelling. What was it about Banishers’ tale that you felt needed telling?
Stéphane Beauverger: In our previous game “Vampyr” we wanted to explore the “temptation of becoming a blood-frenzied beast” traditionally attached to the vampire myths. With “Banishers” and its many ghost stories, we wanted to explore the theme of regret, sorrow and hidden truth. After all, a ghost is the remnant part of someone who has some unfinished business with the living. But we also wanted to talk about the difficulty of letting the dead go, when you still love them more than anything, and you suddenly realise you may be able to bring them back from the dead. Quite tempting, is it not?
TSA: You’ve set the game right at the centre of American puritanism and belief in witchcraft. How much did you draw on events like the Salem witch trials events when designing the game?
Stéphane: Not much, really. Of course, we read a lot about the trials, the different theories about what happened in that small town, and what were the awful human dynamics in action. But we also had to create our own setting and tell our own story in which the magic, the ghosts and the occult are a real thing. So we kept some elements from the Salem trials, but with a serious twist linked to our own game lore.
TSA: Tell us about the role of a Banisher. Where do they come from?
Stéphane: That would take hours and too many pages, especially since some parts of the Banishers’ past and origin are unknown even to them! Throughout the game, players will be able to gather fragments of ancient texts to know more about it, but for now let’s say this: Banishers come from a very old tradition of protecting the living from the haunting dead, through magic, fighting techniques and gear. They are specialised ghost hunters, with limited but very efficient knowledge about the spirit world, when other occult schools (like witches, or demonologists, who will be met in the game) have a very different point of view about the way to deal with the dead.
TSA: Games often shy away from meaningful romantic relationships. Why do you think that is? And what did you have to consider in the relationship between Red and Antea?
Stéphane: I honestly could not say. Maybe because such games may be – falsely – considered “cheesy”? Or maybe also because players would not easily accept a game asking them to endorse a love interest they do not personally feel connected with? Love is, by definition, very personal. In “Banishers”, we made sure players are not trapped in that relationship. Red and Antea love each other, for sure. But in the end, the conclusion of their love story belongs to each player and will reflect the way they chose to shape the couple’s fate.
TSA: How did you ensure that the two central characters complimented each other, and offered something unique?
Stéphane: It was a question of balancing. Balancing through the gameplay skills, and balancing through Red and Antea’s attitudes and point of view about the world. These two are very complementary when it comes to defeating supernatural threats or unravelling mysteries. Red is more empathetic and forgiving, when Antea is more analytic and distant.
TSA: Like many of Don’t Nod’s previous games, we’ve been told that choices matter in Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden. What are the challenges of weaving that into an ongoing narrative? Can your fans look forward to similar themes?
Stéphane: I suppose the main challenge is to offer new meaningful and difficult choices in each new game. But that is not too difficult, as long as we tie the dilemmas to the specificity of the game’s lore or theme. In “Banishers”, we tell a story about ghosts and painful secrets. So fans can expect a lot of melancholia and unspoken, sometimes hurtful, truths waiting to be revealed.
TSA: The creatures we’ve seen so far are truly terrifying and reminiscent of creatures from different strands of folklore. Did you draw on any particular sources for their design?
Stéphane: We had a saying while creating the different stories and mysteries in the game : “these people came to the New world hoping to find Paradise, but they brought hell in their luggage”, meaning you can’t so easily escape from where you’re from and what you did. Since most of New Eden’s settlers came from Europe, it is fair to say that a large part of the game’s lore is inspired by European folklore and tales. Even if able to assume different physical appearances, ghosts seem to look like what they knew when alive :)
TSA: What’s your favourite aspect of the game’s design? What really clicks with you personally?
Stéphane: As a scriptwriter working in a company specialised in games with strong “choices & consequences” stories, I must say that the freedom given to the players is always something that thrills me. Just see, we offer the choice to bring Antea back from the dead, or to let her go for good… and let the player change his mind and see what will happen. Or, on a smaller scale, we regularly let the players decide which alive settler to blame, and which ghost to release or banish for good. I must confess I really like the Banishing rituals too. May it be at the end of an investigation or during a fight, it is always quite satisfying to banish a spirit. It is a very powerful and visceral feeling.
TSA: Focus Entertainment seem to have an eye for the supernatural. How has that relationship helped with the game’s development?
Stéphane: A very interesting question. From my point of view as a story writer, I suppose it is very comfortable to write pages and pages of lore about ghosts, spectres, spells, dark rituals, obscure truths lost for eon and to be discovered by the players… and to find in the Focus teams listening ears and open minds. They understand how we carefully craft our world’s lore, and they trust us. It is a pleasant business relationship.
TSA: If you have one message for players coming into Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, what would it be?
Stéphane: Cherish the ones you love, and tell them you love them before it is too late.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is out on 13th February 2024 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.
