Unser Interview mit Blowfish Studios (englische Version)

Wir hatten die Möglichkeit, mit Blowfish Studios in Kontakt zu treten, um über drei verschiedene Spiele zu sprechen, die der Publisher in naher Zukunft für die Nintendo Switch veröffentlichen möchte. Da dieser Artikel lediglich zur Durchsicht für englischversierte Leser dient, möchte ich euch hiermit ohne Umschweife das Interview präsentieren. Es sei erwähnt, dass wir dieses Interview Anfang Oktober durchgeführt haben.

Interview mit Blowfish Studios

Base One

© PixFroze

Base One wird von PixFroze entwickelt und ist ein Weltraumstations-Simulator mit Hardcore-Survival- und RPG-Elementen. Die Veröffentlichung war ursprünglich für das zweite Quartal geplant, allerdings warten wir weiterhin auf ein genaues Erscheinungsdatum.
(→ zur offiziellen Webseite des Spiels via Blowfish Studios)

How would You describe the unique features of this mix between sci-fi building game and RPG?
The game combines several complex aspects: on one hand, it is the construction, management and maintenance of a space station, and on the other hand, it is crew management. Effectively managing all of this is not as easy as it might seem. The player must build new modules and devices, set up connections between them, properly allocate resources, select new crew members for recruitment, taking into account the individual characteristics of each. Crews can be trained to improve their skills. During training, each character can receive one or several perks that increase their characteristics and give interesting improvements.

How many hours will players get out of this roughly? 
Complete passage of the story campaign takes about 32 hours. Plus, players will be able to continue experimenting in the custom game mode.

Any plans maybe for multiplayer?
Not at the moment. These are the plans for the sequel.

Any plans for Switch specific features ? Maybe touch screen controls, since it’s a management/building simulation?
Touch control is a good idea, however we will have more to say on the Switch version of Base One as we get closer to its release.

Interview mit PixFroze

Winter Ember

© Sky Machine Studios

Winter Ember wird von Sky Machine Studios entwickelt, ist ein Action-Stealth-Spiel und soll nächstes Jahr erscheinen.
(→ zur offiziellen Webseite des Spiels via Blowfish Studios)

How was the idea for this game born ? When watching the gameplay videos, we get a slight „Thief: The Dark Project“ vibe, what was your inspiration?
I’ve always been a fan of anything stealthy. A hooded vigilante, a stealthy rogue, you know the type. Glad you picked up on that! Thief is a great inspiration, capturing that archetype to a tee.

At the time, there wasn’t much to see in the stealth landscape, so the idea came from there. I wanted to satisfy that craving. The Batman series is another source of inspiration. Bruce and Arthur have much in common. The handsome and stoic sons of wealthy families, tragedy strikes both of them and scouring the shadows seems to be their main theme. The obvious difference is that, unlike Bruce Wayne, Arthur has to rebuild from scratch after losing his wealth and appearance. Arthur is basically given everything from birth, and then in one swoop loses it all. Generally, his story is one of tragedy. Similar to other literary figures such as Quasimodo. The idea behind his character is to strip him of his worldly possessions and physical appearance, with nothing left to lose, decides to ascend his suffering and hopefully become something more.

How did You come up with the gothic and atmospheric art style?
It was important to me that the setting was neither too modern nor too steeped in ancient history. I wanted crude technology to be apparent. Semi-steampunk, in a sense. Arthur’s mood is reflected in part by the atmosphere of the gothic setting. More than that, the Victorian era’s architectural design is awe-inspiring and grand. It’s an environment that would easily suit a figure such as Arthur and one that’s alluring.

How would You describe the moment to moment experience, and what makes Winter Ember so unique?
First of all, the perspective is different from most stealth games. Most often, a third-person or first-person viewpoint is used. The choice to position the camera from an isometric perspective allows the player to view the in-game world in a much more meaningful way. Some things may be apparent to you that you couldn’t otherwise see. In addition, we created a cool system that allows the world to darken when indoors, creating a moody, claustrophobic feel, lending itself well to the overall visual design. I hope the visual effort we put into this game will appeal to the player.

Additionally, Winter Ember has a robust arrow crafting system. A player can craft, for example, water arrows that extinguish fires, cause enemies to slip, or poison arrows that slowly damage enemies while lowering their defences. There is a use for every arrow type, and often multiple uses, at the heart of your arsenal are your arrows. 

Also worth noting is the anime style animation, which isn’t common in video games, especially in the stealth genre. The list goes on, but I don’t want to make this article a chore to read!

Are there any special Switch features implemented/planned?
Sorry to say, but there are no Switch specific features planned at this point in time.

Any plans for a sequel to Arthur’s story?
I do have an idea but I’m keeping that tight lipped.

Interview mit Sky Machine Studios

Blackwind

© Drakkar Dev

Blackwind wird von Drakkar Dev entwickelt, ist ein futuristisches Hack ’n‘ Slash und war ursprünglich für das 4. Quartal diesen Jahres geplant. Seit dem 20. Januar 2022 ist der Titel nun endlich verfügbar.
(→ zur offiziellen Webseite des Spiels via Blowfish Studios)

How was the idea for this game born?
The idea for the game was born just answering the question: „What happens if you put a teenager into an advanced battle armor prototype?“.
The rest of the game came to life on its own.

How many people are working on it ?
We’re currently 6.

Manlio Greco – Programmer
Domenico Gallo – 3D Artist
Marco Garraffa – Level Builder
Angelo La Farina –  Animator
Chiara Madonia – 2D Illustrator
Alison Hall – Screenplay Writer

What are the USPs (unique selling propositions) that make this game stand out?
Engage in melee combat, shoot at will, launch missiles at enemies, or use special Battle Frame powers to survive showdowns.
Fiercely terminate your opponents with brutal moves.
Evolve your Battle Frame with new powers and expand your skill tree.
Use the Battle Frame Drone to expand your fighting and exploring capabilities in the single-player campaign.
In Local Coop Mode the Battle Frame and its Drone can be controlled by two players.

How is the Switch version coming along, and are there any special features unique to the Switch version, other than portability (like touchscreen, gyros etc)?
The Switch version is coming along nicely! Though it won’t be featuring anything unique to the Switch. It features everything that the other versions on competing platforms has, including local co-op play. We are aiming to release the Switch version simultaneously with all the other platform releases!

Interview mit Drakkar Dev

Was haltet ihr von den Aussagen zu den bevorstehenden Spielen? Welcher der drei Titel sagt euch am meisten zu?

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