Pinoy-made ‘Edge of Time’ goes from dream to downloadable demo
Written by: Michael Logarta
Publication: GMA News - SciTech
Date published: June 25, 2018 at 10:55 AM, updated August 11, 2019 at 12:19 PM
Pinoy-made “Edge of Time” is proof that hard work, the devotion to inspiring others, and help from friends can go from concept into a real, working video game.
3D action and puzzle game “Edge of Time” takes you to the near future, where the world has been decimated by a horde of immortal monsters known as the Aeus. As part of a resistance movement, your goal is to find the Shard – an artifact rumored to have the power to save what is left of mankind.
The game is currently in development by Gilator, a local indie game development team previously featured on “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho” for their MMORPG, “Pacifica Online.”
The good news is "Edge of Time: Rise of the Aeus" will be coming soon to PC via Steam Early Access.
Rising against all odds
“Edge of Time” is the kind of adventure game that we don’t see much of these days – one that requires the use your brain to traverse its hostile environments. The puzzles are quite well-crafted; an early one tasks you with locating a series of objects and interacting with the environment to gain access to the next area. The world opens up to you as you solve more puzzles, rewarding you with new areas to explore, items to collect, and dangers to face.
The game’s 3D locales are dark, gloomy, and grimy, effectively conveying a foreboding end-of-the-world vibe. To complicate things for your resistance fighters, those responsible for driving humanity to near-extinction are more than happy to pop up when you least expect them.
Fortunately, even encounters with such murderous beings are survivable thanks to the game’s unique combat system, which involves carefully timed dodges and gunplay. Difficulty may be on the steep side, but that’s what makes every little victory that much more gratifying.
All in all, “Edge of Time” is a challenging game that shows a lot of promise.Like most indie developers, Gilator hopes to fund the rest of the game’s development through Steam Early Access. The game should be launched this 2019.
The mission
Encouraged by his father, Gilator team leader Galileo Lajara studied programming in his youth. It was at STI College Marikina where he met people who would one day become his fellow game developers.
“Nalaman namin na pare-parehas din pala kaming nangangarap na makagawa ng video game dito sa Pilipinas. Dito na tuluyang nabuo ang kagustuhan naming apat na gumawa ng game na tatak Pinoy (We found out we all shared the same dream to create a video game here in the Philippines. It was then the four of us developed the desire to create a game with the Filipino brand).”
Motivated by the need to help his family and achieve his dreams, Lajara formed Gilator with his friends.
Gilator is presently comprised of Jeremiah Torrevillas (3D Artist, Art Director), Justine Aaron Torrevillas (Illustrator, Animation Designer), Donnie (Storywriter, Game Designer, Music Composer), and Lajara (Lead Programmer).
According to Gilator, one of their major goals is to empower the Filipino youth:
“We believe that game development can help get kids off the streets in the Philippines, that’s why we aim to inspire and empower them so that they can join us and spread this mission in the future.”
The team also hopes to make the Philippines known throughout the world as a major game development hub.
Trials and achievements
It was in 2017 when the team was inspired to make a game that reflected their own life experiences:
“Ang story po ng ‘Edge of Time’ ay talinghaga sa kwento ng aming team sa nakaraang 7 years. (The story of ‘Edge of Time’ is an allegory of our team’s story these past 7 years).”
With only four people on their team, developing “Edge of Time” remains a struggle. Due to lack of funding, members of Gilator have to work other jobs to support not only their mission, but their families, as well.
Despite hardships, Gilator’s undying resolve has borne fruit, not only in the completion of the demo, but also in the strengthening of their team. To make the game’s technical aspects work, they learned to be more strategic and resourceful:
“Natuto kaming mas maging malikhain para makasabay sa mga bagong technology ngayon (We learned to be more creative to keep up with today’s new technologies).” For instance, they develop their own tools in addition to using open-source software.
“Edge of Time” has also been featured by foreign streamers and gaming websites. Gamers have expressed admiration for the puzzles, atmosphere, visuals, animation, and story. Thanks to player feedback, Gilator continues to make the game an even better experience for everyone.
The help of friends
Gilator’s advocacy to inspire the youth to dream big and reach new heights won them the support of like-minded people. Some of them include people from Watusi Manila: Itchyworm’s Jazz Nicolas, who voiced a main character in the game; singer-songwriter Uela Basco, who coordinated the voice talents for the other characters; and award-winning "Saving Sally" music composer Mikey Amistoso, who helped in the post-processing of the audio and dubbing. Video production company Brainchild Six also created the game’s trailer.
Not only is the team extremely thankful for the opportunity to work with their supporters, they also feel they learned a lot from them:
“Napaka-talented at professional nila. Nagpapakita lang na talagang world-class ang mga talento ng mga Pinoy (They’re extremely talented and professional. They truly show how world-class Pinoy talent is).”
The future of Philippine game development
“Sa mga taong nangangarap gumawa ng sarili nilang game, ine-encourage namin sila na i-pursue ang kanilang passion sa game development," Gilator says adding it's only really difficult in the beginning. "Pero with practice and hard work, posible rin silang makagawa ng sarili nilang video game na maipagmamalaki nila (For those dreaming of making their own games, we encourage them to pursue their passion for game development. It’s only difficult at the start, but with practice and hard work, it’s possible to for them to make their own game that they can be proud of).”
They add, "naniniwala po kami na posible nating ma-i-angat ang local game development sa bansa natin at eventually makasabay rin ang Pilipinas sa kakayahan ng ibang bansa.” — LA, GMA News
For more information on “Edge of Time,” visit its official Facebook page. Visit the demo’s download page here.
3D action and puzzle game “Edge of Time” takes you to the near future, where the world has been decimated by a horde of immortal monsters known as the Aeus. As part of a resistance movement, your goal is to find the Shard – an artifact rumored to have the power to save what is left of mankind.
The game is currently in development by Gilator, a local indie game development team previously featured on “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho” for their MMORPG, “Pacifica Online.”
The good news is "Edge of Time: Rise of the Aeus" will be coming soon to PC via Steam Early Access.
Rising against all odds
“Edge of Time” is the kind of adventure game that we don’t see much of these days – one that requires the use your brain to traverse its hostile environments. The puzzles are quite well-crafted; an early one tasks you with locating a series of objects and interacting with the environment to gain access to the next area. The world opens up to you as you solve more puzzles, rewarding you with new areas to explore, items to collect, and dangers to face.
The game’s 3D locales are dark, gloomy, and grimy, effectively conveying a foreboding end-of-the-world vibe. To complicate things for your resistance fighters, those responsible for driving humanity to near-extinction are more than happy to pop up when you least expect them.
Fortunately, even encounters with such murderous beings are survivable thanks to the game’s unique combat system, which involves carefully timed dodges and gunplay. Difficulty may be on the steep side, but that’s what makes every little victory that much more gratifying.
All in all, “Edge of Time” is a challenging game that shows a lot of promise.Like most indie developers, Gilator hopes to fund the rest of the game’s development through Steam Early Access. The game should be launched this 2019.
The mission
Encouraged by his father, Gilator team leader Galileo Lajara studied programming in his youth. It was at STI College Marikina where he met people who would one day become his fellow game developers.
“Nalaman namin na pare-parehas din pala kaming nangangarap na makagawa ng video game dito sa Pilipinas. Dito na tuluyang nabuo ang kagustuhan naming apat na gumawa ng game na tatak Pinoy (We found out we all shared the same dream to create a video game here in the Philippines. It was then the four of us developed the desire to create a game with the Filipino brand).”
Motivated by the need to help his family and achieve his dreams, Lajara formed Gilator with his friends.
Gilator is presently comprised of Jeremiah Torrevillas (3D Artist, Art Director), Justine Aaron Torrevillas (Illustrator, Animation Designer), Donnie (Storywriter, Game Designer, Music Composer), and Lajara (Lead Programmer).
According to Gilator, one of their major goals is to empower the Filipino youth:
“We believe that game development can help get kids off the streets in the Philippines, that’s why we aim to inspire and empower them so that they can join us and spread this mission in the future.”
The team also hopes to make the Philippines known throughout the world as a major game development hub.
Trials and achievements
It was in 2017 when the team was inspired to make a game that reflected their own life experiences:
“Ang story po ng ‘Edge of Time’ ay talinghaga sa kwento ng aming team sa nakaraang 7 years. (The story of ‘Edge of Time’ is an allegory of our team’s story these past 7 years).”
With only four people on their team, developing “Edge of Time” remains a struggle. Due to lack of funding, members of Gilator have to work other jobs to support not only their mission, but their families, as well.
Despite hardships, Gilator’s undying resolve has borne fruit, not only in the completion of the demo, but also in the strengthening of their team. To make the game’s technical aspects work, they learned to be more strategic and resourceful:
“Natuto kaming mas maging malikhain para makasabay sa mga bagong technology ngayon (We learned to be more creative to keep up with today’s new technologies).” For instance, they develop their own tools in addition to using open-source software.
“Edge of Time” has also been featured by foreign streamers and gaming websites. Gamers have expressed admiration for the puzzles, atmosphere, visuals, animation, and story. Thanks to player feedback, Gilator continues to make the game an even better experience for everyone.
The help of friends
Gilator’s advocacy to inspire the youth to dream big and reach new heights won them the support of like-minded people. Some of them include people from Watusi Manila: Itchyworm’s Jazz Nicolas, who voiced a main character in the game; singer-songwriter Uela Basco, who coordinated the voice talents for the other characters; and award-winning "Saving Sally" music composer Mikey Amistoso, who helped in the post-processing of the audio and dubbing. Video production company Brainchild Six also created the game’s trailer.
Not only is the team extremely thankful for the opportunity to work with their supporters, they also feel they learned a lot from them:
“Napaka-talented at professional nila. Nagpapakita lang na talagang world-class ang mga talento ng mga Pinoy (They’re extremely talented and professional. They truly show how world-class Pinoy talent is).”
The future of Philippine game development
“Sa mga taong nangangarap gumawa ng sarili nilang game, ine-encourage namin sila na i-pursue ang kanilang passion sa game development," Gilator says adding it's only really difficult in the beginning. "Pero with practice and hard work, posible rin silang makagawa ng sarili nilang video game na maipagmamalaki nila (For those dreaming of making their own games, we encourage them to pursue their passion for game development. It’s only difficult at the start, but with practice and hard work, it’s possible to for them to make their own game that they can be proud of).”
They add, "naniniwala po kami na posible nating ma-i-angat ang local game development sa bansa natin at eventually makasabay rin ang Pilipinas sa kakayahan ng ibang bansa.” — LA, GMA News
For more information on “Edge of Time,” visit its official Facebook page. Visit the demo’s download page here.