Five reasons why little Orpheus is a journey like no other

It’s time for an epic journey. I am happy to confirm it Little Orpheusthe latest adventure from The Chinese Room, is now available on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.

Having already developed titles such as Dear Esther and Amnesia: a machine for pigs, Little Orpheus is a new type of game for us here at The Chinese Room.

Set in the 1960s, Little Orpheus is an underground twist on the 20th century Space Race: a fantastical Technicolor side-scrolling adventure that puts you on a quest to find the center of the Earth.

Little Orpheus has already won numerous accolades, including Apple Design’s “Best Game: Delight and Fun” award and Pocket Gamer’s “Best Platform Game” award, and we’re proud to finally welcome Xbox gamers to our journey. Before you begin your quest, here are five reasons why Little Orpheus is a trip like no other.

An unforgettable story

Imagine ‘Journey to the Center of the Earth’ crossed with ‘The Land That Time Forgot’, and a hint of ‘Flash Gordon’, and you have a good approximation of Little Orpheus. In this extraordinary story told through nine narrative episodes, you follow the journey of Soviet cosmonaut Ivan, who descends into an extinct volcano to discover a whole new world where dinosaurs still roam.

Little Orpheus sees Ivan explaining his past adventures to the intimidating General Yurkovoi by reliving his journey to the Earth’s core, where he discovered more than he bargained for. You’ll get to see beautiful locations, encounter interesting creatures and, of course, enjoy the witty narrative between the two characters as Ivan attempts to spin a thread of epic proportions and Yorkovoi questions our hero in disbelief.

Our Creative Director Dan Pinchbeck went to great lengths to achieve precision and tone. The final script is filled with real-life references and nods to little-known bits of history and legend.

Tonally speaking, the classic Lost World books by Jules Verne and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle are part of the game’s genesis, as are the films of Ray Harryhausen, but our inspirations go way beyond that. We’ve absorbed 1930s Republic Pictures soap operas such as “Flash Gordon” and “Undersea Kingdom,” which are filled with cliff faces and unlikely escapes, as well as the 1936 Soviet sci-fi film “Cosmic Voyage.” Books such as “Monday Begins on Saturday” by Boris and Arkady Strugatsky and “Plutonia” by Vladimir Obruchev, among others, have also helped shape our game.

His humorous charm

Little Orpheus doesn’t take itself too seriously. How could that be when you’re hiding from a ferocious Tyrannosaurus Rex inside a human-sized egg, or talking about… milking chickens?

We’ve worked hard to add mischief and comedic one-liners as you explore these strange places with Ivan, who has a habit of getting into trouble. Whether you’re a big kid, a little kid playing solo, or passing the controller around with family and friends for an evening of gaming fun, our goal is to Little Orpheus put a smile on your face.

Impressive environments

When it comes to exploring beautiful places, Little Orpheus knows no bounds. Our journey features nine unique and breathtaking environments to navigate, including ancient underground temples of lost civilizations, prehistoric jungles teeming with dangerous predators, deep sea kingdoms, and even environments nestled above the clouds.

Each location is different from the others, with Ivan coming face to face with new mysterious creatures in each chapter. Even better, each location contains several collectibles for you to discover when you play the game again.

Ivan Himself

He’s the star of the show (well, the game) and what’s not to love about our protagonist Ivan Ivanovitch? We named it after the doll used in the Space Race Vostok program; his name is the Russian equivalent of “John Doe”.

An unlikely hero, but a hero nonetheless, Ivan has a sense of innocence about him that we hope players will connect with. We also want you to laugh with his comedic actions and jokes that shed light on sticky situations…and there are plenty of them, that’s for sure.

Tasked with exploring the center of the Earth, Ivan boldly goes where no man has gone before, literally, before vanishing. We join him three years later, when he finds himself in a secret bunker trying to explain where he’s been all these years and how, in fact, he would have saved the world…

The catchy tunes

A big part of building the atmosphere and tone of any game is the music. For Little Orpheus we are once again fortunate to feature a score by BAFTA-winning composer Jessica Curry and Jim Fowler.

The perfect complement to The little Orpheus diverse range of otherworldly environments, the soundtrack is a mix of all kinds of emotions – triumph, imagination, danger and above all adventure.

All of us here at The Chinese Room hope you enjoy the Definitive Edition of Little Orpheusour award-winning adventure hits Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S starting today.