Interview: Celestial Return Dev Talks Metal, Sci-Fi, and Control

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Let’s play a quick game: two of these statements are true, and one is a lie. Here they are: I love sci-fi, ‘Celestial Return‘ is a great game, and I used to play baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals team that won the World Series in 2011. Think about which one isn’t true while I tell you how excited I am about all the amazing, spooky RPGs coming out soon!

I recently got to play the first hour of Celestial Return, and I was really impressed! It seems perfectly tailored to my tastes, with a captivating story, innovative gameplay, clever writing, beautiful visuals, and a metal-infused soundtrack. Plus, it tackles some thought-provoking sci-fi themes – I’m definitely hooked.

That’s why I really wanted to interview Kerem Akman, Creative Director at Metaphor Games, the team behind Celestial Return. I figured the people who made a game I love so much would have some interesting things to say!

I’m really happy with these answers! I did some research on why Celestial Return is so great, and now you can enjoy the fun responses from Kerem.

Interview with Kerem Akman, Creative Director of Metaphor Games

Congratulations on the successful Kickstarter! Now that you have backers, does that add any pressure to the development process, or are you mainly thrilled by the positive response and player excitement?

Thank you for your kind feedback and great questions! About the Kickstarter campaign, it’s a mix of pressure and motivation. While there’s definitely a sense of responsibility, knowing people believe in the project is incredibly energizing and encourages us to make the game the best it can be.

Celestial Return has a really strong visual style, and I’m glad you noticed the inspiration from works like Akira, Berserk, and Blame! Could you talk about what specifically about those titles resonated with you and how they shaped both your lives and the development of this game?

Works like Akira, Berserk, and Blame! create worlds that feel ancient and established, and that’s what we aimed for with Celestial Return. These stories also aren’t afraid to embrace quiet moments, imperfections, or harsh imagery. They use strong visuals – lots of contrast, shadows, and a gritty texture – and we’ve done the same in Celestial Return. We wanted to show that even with advanced technology, our world still feels real, human, and textured.

I’ve noticed clear influences from films like Blade Runner in Celestial Return, which is great. I was especially excited to see Annihilation listed as an inspiration – it’s a personal favorite of mine! Could you talk about how Annihilation specifically shaped the game?

As a gamer, I’m really drawn to games that mess with your head, that unsettling feeling when something just feels wrong, but you can’t put your finger on why. That’s what the developers of Celestial Return are going for. They’re fascinated by how we react when faced with something that doesn’t care about what we want or what’s ‘right’ or ‘wrong.’ The horror in this game isn’t about jump scares; it’s about slowly realizing that you thought you were in control, but you absolutely aren’t. It’s a really creepy, psychological experience.

I really enjoyed how much freedom and control I had while playing the preview. I’m curious – do player choices and dice rolls actually lead to different endings and experiences, or does the game tend to guide everyone towards the same conclusion no matter what they do?

Your decisions and the luck of the dice truly shape the story. We’ve created branching storylines, both major and minor, that influence everything from how scenes unfold to the information you uncover and how characters react to you. That said, we want to be upfront about the challenges of game development. Sometimes, despite different choices, players might end up on the same story path.

Like the famous quote from BioShock says, some things are fixed, and some things change. We’re concentrating on making those changes feel meaningful and the results feel justified. Even if players reach the same ending, the journey will be different for everyone—shaped by their character’s development, the relationships they’ve built, and the challenges they’ve overcome. While the dice roll might not always alter where you end up, it will almost always change how you get there and what it takes to succeed.

I really love how Celestial Return feels like it’s aware it’s a game – that meta quality is a big draw for me! Things like the load screens saying “Loading the Work” and the whole campaign being presented like a book or graphic novel are so clever. I’m curious, how did the developers feel that approach best helped tell this story, specifically? It feels like it adds another layer to the experience, but I’d love to know what inspired them to go that route.

These design choices emphasize that the story unfolds as you experience the game. We aimed for the user interface and overall presentation to feel like a natural part of the game’s world. The graphic novel style also allows us to embrace our comic book inspirations, blending the feel of a digital game with the artistry of a physical comic.

I’m really enjoying the soundtrack by Berk Şermet – especially the mix of Noir Jazz, Cyberpunk Techno, and Death Metal! Being a Death Metal fan, I was wondering if you could share any specific metal bands or artists that inspired the game’s music?

As a metal fan and the vocalist for my band, Devoured Elysium, that passion really shapes our sound. When creating ‘Celestial Return,’ we drew inspiration from bands like Cult of Luna and Bossk, aiming for that expansive, atmospheric ‘post-metal’ feel. While our music doesn’t sound exactly like theirs, Ulcerate has been a major influence overall. We especially admire their willingness to push boundaries and create powerfully emotional music, and that approach impacts everything we do, beyond just the music itself.

I really enjoy the funny and casual writing style throughout the game – things like phrases like “YEET 4 dice and pray to the void” or using “Easy Peasy” for important instructions. Was this playful, slightly sarcastic tone something you intentionally planned for Celestial Return?

Absolutely intentional. “Celestial Return” tackles difficult subjects, and we used humor as a way for the characters to cope. We created a strong contrast between the two main characters: Howard is brooding, serious, and reserved, while Rose is his opposite – witty, playful, and very self-aware.

Okay, so here’s a cool thing I figured out while playing: all those times the game talks to me directly, like with tutorials or those system messages? That’s not the game itself, it’s actually a character named Rose. She’s kind of like the game master, guiding you along but also making little comments – sometimes she’ll even point out if I missed something or what could have happened if I’d made a different choice. It’s a really clever way to keep the game’s humor going without messing up Howard’s serious vibe or making the world feel any less dark and messed up. It’s like she’s there as a separate voice, adding a bit of personality without taking away from the main story.

I’m starting to understand the major themes in Celestial Return – things like the problems with corporate power, fighting against oppressive forces, a sense of meaninglessness, the role of religion, and the risks of technology. What are the core messages you really want players to take away from the game?

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Celestial Return is fundamentally a story about power – who wields it, who believes they do, and the consequences when it’s lost. We delve into issues like corporate influence, systemic injustice, and the gap between rich and poor, not as genre clichés, but as real pressures we experience living and working in Türkiye. These realities naturally shaped the narrative. Living in a country where instability feels constant, themes of burnout, uncertainty, and the struggle to act ethically within a flawed system become deeply personal and integral to the story.

The game helped us work through difficult emotions and share them with others. But really, what a player gets out of it is the most important thing. It’s okay to keep fighting, or to decide that stepping back is the healthier choice – both are valid responses. We want players to find their own personal meaning in the game.

I’d love to publicly acknowledge and thank the team for ensuring that every aspect of Celestial Return was created by humans, with no AI assistance. Could you explain why this commitment to human creation was so important, especially considering where the gaming industry is today?

We’re a team of creators – storytellers, artists, and musicians – and with AI rapidly changing the creative landscape, we felt it was crucial to define what makes our work unique. This project is very personal to us; we wanted everything – the dialogue, visuals, and music – to be authentically created from real experiences and intentional decisions. We know we might be taking on a big challenge in a large industry, but we’re dedicated to it. We strongly believe that the heart and personality of the games we enjoy come from the people behind them, and we hope that remains true.

Q: Is there anything else we haven’t touched on that you’d like to pass along to our readers?

All that’s left to say is thank you. It’s one thing to create a game just for fun with friends, inspired by your passions and frustrations. It’s something completely different – and amazing – when people actually play it and enjoy it too.

To all of our supporters – whether you backed the game, shared it with friends, or simply watched the trailer – thank you for believing in Celestial Return. We’re a small team passionate about creating something unique, and it means the world to us to know there are players who appreciate handcrafted art and stories like ours. We’re excited for you to experience the game!

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2026-02-20 05:11