If you’ve ever experienced losing a well-loved pet, then you know just how painful and heartbreaking that moment is. Timberline Studio doesn’t want you to experience that kind of pain even in a fictional game.
As such, the developers of The Red Lantern, an upcoming dog-sledding adventure title, have decided to implement a feature wherein players can disable dog deaths completely. The Red Lantern is set to release this October 22 on the Switch and the Epic Games Store.
It’s actually the first game from Timberline Studio, which is why we’re so excited to get our hands on this game. Besides, it has dogs — what more could you possibly want? Story-wise, the game has a lot of potential.
The Red Lantern is described to be “story-driven,” and it’s all about making it through in the Alaskan wilderness along with your adorable dog-sledding crew. It honestly looks great and the trailer is proof of that.
Speaking of the trailer, you may have heard an awful crunch at the end of it, implying that yes, the dogs can get hurt and possibly even die in this game.
It makes sense, given the fact that The Red Lantern is a survival game after all. As such, we wouldn’t be surprised if you have to take care of the needs of your canine companions as well as your own if you want to go back home safe and sound.
That being said, designer Nathaniel Chapman revealed to the potential players that their team has ensured that players can avoid having to watch the dogs die. Chapman took to Twitter to say that “everyone at Timberline Games is super sensitive to people’s concerns” regarding the issue about dogs dying in-game.
As such, they have included an option “that disables the ability for dogs to die in the game.” Chapman goes on to say that the studio understands just how “personally painful” it is to watch a dog die, and they didn’t want this kind of scenario to stop players from enjoying the title.
That being said, it’s still possible for the dogs to get hurt even if you disable death. In other words, you should still definitely watch where you’re sledding, as Chapman clarified that an injured dog would still have “gameplay repercussions.”
It may not be completely similar, but this option reminds us of how developer Obsidian Entertainment approached arachnophobia in the survival game Grounded. Those who are absolutely terrified of spiders have the option to alter the eight-legged creatures into something less horrifying.
This was made possible through the use of sliders in the options menu. If you glide the slider all the way to the end, the spiders become something that looks like more of floating blobs than creepy arachnids.
It’s a unique kind of accessibility feature, and it’s one that many, many players loved and appreciated. In any case, if you do decide that you’re strong enough to witness the death of a dog, Chapman says that the team did a pretty good job at handling the scenario with empathy and compassion.
