VGTimes Interview with Interscape Developer at ChinaJoy 2025 — An Interactive Version of Christopher Nolan's Inception?

Interscape is the debut project of the Roomtone Games studio, which is dedicated to dream travel. Something similar has been seen in films, for example, in the films "The Cell" and "Inception". From games, I remember Psychonauts, where we were offered adventures in other people's subconscious, and the first two parts of the Max Payne series with the main character's nightmares. The new game promises surreal worlds that live by their own laws and hide dark secrets. They will have to be solved in order to save humanity. At ChinaJoy 2025, we talked to Tono Kim, the founder of the studio that is currently working on Interscape.

Editor-in-chief Rodion Ilyin managed to interview the developer and look at the finished demo of the game.

VGTimes: Tell us a little about the game.

Tono Kim: We are developing a project called Interscape for PC and PlayStation 5. It is a story-driven adventure that can provide a unique gaming experience.

VGTimes: What will the plot of Interscape be about?

Tono Kim: The story is reminiscent of the films Inception and The Matrix. The main character dives into the dreams of other people to learn valuable information and find out what happened to billions of people around the world.

VGTimes: What unique feature does your game have?

Tono Kim: On the one hand, we have a cinematic project in the spirit of interactive films, on the other hand, we have gameplay with unique abilities for each specific dream. We are talking about rewinding time, instantly moving around the level, or changing gravity. You can use such abilities to solve puzzles, bypass enemies, and get the information you need.

VGTimes: What famous games is Interscape similar to?

Tono Kim: Our sources of inspiration are Control by Remedy and Death Stranding by Hideo Kojima. You can also note Inside, only it is a flat platformer, and in our game you will find a three-dimensional space.

VGTimes: When is the release planned?

Tono Kim: In the third quarter of 2026.

VGTimes: What engine is Interscape made on?

Tono Kim: Unreal Engine 5.

VGTimes: As far as we know, many developers have had problems with this version of Unreal Engine. Why is this happening?

Tono Kim: Version 5.03 had a lot of bugs. However, 5.04 and 5.05 are great tools. And this is the best option for a cinematic game with a focus on visuals.

VGTimes: Tell us about the music and art design.

Tono Kim: Music will play an important role in the narrative.

VGTimes: Is there anything else you would like to share about your project? For example, possible reasons why players will want to buy Interscape.

Tono Kim: Each dream is a bizarre world where memories are mixed and reality is turned upside down. This is probably the best part of our game.

VGTimes: What would you like to wish for European players?

Tono Kim: I really want to show our project to Europeans. In a couple of weeks, we will be attending gamescom, where we will bring an improved demo. People will be able to check it out in person and, hopefully, they will want to add it to their Steam wishlist.

In the demo shown, the main character switched between the past and the present within one level. Passages that were blocked in one time period turned out to be free in another. Something similar occurred in the story campaign of Titanfall 2. In Interscape, a dangerous enemy from the past in the present turned into an immobilized statue that poses no threat. You also need to move objects to climb on them. Moreover, at different times, their appearance and shape can differ significantly.

We also saw the opening screen, in which millions of people fell asleep and cannot wake up. Moreover, some of them froze in flight — at this moment it became clear why Tono Kim mentioned Control in the interview. Our task is to understand what happened to the world. Perhaps the large black sphere hovering above the ground is somehow connected with this. According to the founder of the studio, the genre of what is happening belongs to science fiction, and not a mystical thriller. He claims that the plot, gameplay and other components of the game are competently connected with each other.

Outwardly, the main character is elusivecommemorates Leon Kennedy, the protagonist of the second, fourth and sixth parts of the Resident Evil series. We play as a "dreamdiver", a special agent who can penetrate other people's dreams. In the apartment where he ended up, there was a huge black hole in the wall, which made us remember Silent Hill 4: The Room.

Do you think that the developers from Roomtone Games will be able to make an interactive version of Christopher Nolan's "Inception"? Share your opinions in the comments!

Interview conducted by Rodion Ilyin.