It was a 13-year wait between the announcement of Lunar Software’s survival horror game Routine and its release earlier this month, and there were times when fans worried the game would never come out. Now, not only is it finally here, but it turned out well. After playing Routine for my review, I had a chance to talk to Aaron Foster, the lead artist and designer at Lunar Software, about the long road to the game’s release.
MonsterVine: After 13 years, Routine is finally available. How does it feel to have reached this point after so long?
Aaron Foster: There are simply no words to describe the feeling we are experiencing right now, It is somewhere between surreal disbelief and absolute serenity.
We did it.
MonsterVine: What were your biggest inspirations when developing the game?
Foster: The main inspirations were experiences that completely absorbed us through their atmosphere and tone. This ranged from Alien and 2001: A Space Odyssey, to System Shock, and even some more obscure influences like Paperhouse. All of these works have shaped us in one way or another and burrowed themselves into our creative DNA.
MonsterVine: Looking back at the earlier trailers, some things are different, but a lot is familiar. Were there any substantial changes between your original vision for Routine and the final version?
Foster: By the time we stopped working on the UE3 version of ROUTINE, it actually shared a lot of similarities with what the game eventually became.
Some of the biggest changes were in where we focused our attention. The C.A.T. (Cosmonaut Assistance Tool) received far more love this time around, not just visually, but also in how it functions. We wanted it to really feel like a piece of hardware, and we feel that this time we really achieved that.
MonsterVine: What inspired you to include the mini-games in the arcade section? That was a nice surprise (and a welcome break from the robots chasing me).
Foster: The simple answer is because of Shenmue.
It’s my favourite game for so many reasons, but one thing I’ve always loved is how the arcade made the world feel more believable. Some days I would just hang out there, playing Space Harrier and Excite QTE 2, those were good days.
But these additions really helped ground everything, and that’s something I’ve always appreciated and wanted to bring forward into ROUTINE.
MonsterVine: Now that Routine is out, do you think your next project will be a similar type of horror game or something different?
Foster: There are a lot of design philosophies that will always stay with us, no matter what genre we work in, like giving players the chance to figure things out for themselves and feel rewarded for doing so.
We absolutely love horror, but we haven’t decided what our next project will be just yet as our entire focus is still on ROUTINE.
Routine is available now for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S!
