[REDACTED] Interview: The Callisto Protocol Goes Punk Rock Roguelike

As a seasoned game enthusiast with decades of gaming under my belt, I must say that this new creation by the developers truly stands out. It’s not just the drone companion or the unique experiments that caught my eye, but the way they’ve blended these elements into something familiar yet fresh is simply remarkable.

The unnamed game is an isometric roguelike shooter that takes place in the same universe as Striking Distance Studios’ popular title, “The Callisto Protocol.” Although both games share a setting within the zombie-ridden Black Iron Prison, this new game is not a sequel and does not maintain the serious, horror-movie atmosphere of its predecessor. Instead, it offers a humorous, action-packed roguelike experience with comic book aesthetics and a strong emphasis on the engaging roguelike gameplay that fans have grown fond of.

In the realm of well-crafted roguelike games, it’s essential to incorporate unique elements that challenge conventions. For instance, in the game known as [REDACTED], its distinctive aspect lies in its rival system. As you journey through The Callisto Protocol’s Black Iron Prison, you’ll find yourself not only battling the environment but also competing against numerous Non-Player Characters (NPCs) who are racing to reach the prison’s sole escape pod. This competitive dynamic adds a time constraint and various encounters that stem from this rival race, offering a thrilling spin on the roguelike formula. However, this is just one of several ways Striking Distance demonstrated their commitment to entering a highly competitive genre.

In an interview with Game Rant, Striking Distance CEO Steve Papoutsis and creative director Ben Walker to discussed [REDACTED]‘ punk rock inspirations, its fighting game-inspired gamefeel. and how rivals system came to be. They also weighed in on how the team tackled some of the most commonly faced problems when developing a roguelike game such as delivering a satisfying power fantasy and curbing repetitiveness. This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Going from The Callisto Protocol to [REDACTED]

[REDACTED] Interview: The Callisto Protocol Goes Punk Rock Roguelike

Why did you opt for a punk rock comic book aesthetic, which stands in stark contrast to the tone and style of [REDACTED]’s work? What served as your inspiration for this choice?

Walker: The concept for our current project seems to have originated during the final stages of our last game’s DLC, as we experimented with combat mechanics and a faster tempo. This led to an exciting sensation that grew gradually. We focused on creating engaging combat, quick-fire shooting, and blending these elements smoothly. The rapid pace and tone resonated well with the punk rock aesthetic I’ve long admired. Team members also appreciated the comic style, which inspired additional layers. As some initial artwork emerged, we were captivated by its unique style, followed by impressive visual effects. The project evolved quite naturally in this manner.

As a gaming enthusiast myself, I can tell you that our team here in the studio is quite fond of comic books and graphic novels. We aimed for something that felt uniquely distinct from The Callisto Protocol, not wanting any confusion about this being a sequel (it isn’t). Instead, we wanted to capture that raw, energetic, almost homemade style of creation. It all began as an experiment, just us tinkering with ideas, but it quickly grew into something more substantial. When we finally unveiled it to the public, their positive response only solidified our commitment to this direction.

Q: Where does [REDACTED] sit in he Callisto Protocol universe?

Speaker: In our perspective, we didn’t intend to treat the situation too gravely. Instead, we began pondering what actions people might truly take if a zombie breakout actually occurred within a prison. Initially, thoughts of saving the world don’t cross one’s mind, do they? We considered the staff members like cooks, janitors, or guards who work there. They’re more likely to be concerned with their own escape rather than becoming heroes. This idea sparked from our desire to portray these characters in a different light, yet in an entertaining manner. Throughout the process of creating this, our focus has been on providing fun and excitement. That’s the approach we’ve taken. Consequently, we developed more eccentric characters that you wouldn’t typically find in such games. This is a departure. It takes place during the outbreak at Black Iron, but it exists as a sort of alternate reality—loosely connected, yet parallel to the main storyline.

[REDACTED] Interview: The Callisto Protocol Goes Punk Rock Roguelike

A: Did any parts of The Callisto Protocol stand out to you as crucial for incorporation into the upcoming project, be it mechanically or conceptually speaking?

Walker: The main focus is the prison, serving as our base. We took a few essentials like our revolver and shotgun from there to begin our arsenal. However, we wanted to enhance the gameplay experience by introducing larger, more exciting weapons and melee options. This included even improvised weapons such as broken bottles. Although it might seem a bit whimsical, it adds a lot of enjoyment to the gameplay. Therefore, whenever we had to choose between seriousness and fun, we always opted for fun.

One key aspect for us was ensuring that [REDACTED] didn’t perceive the need to have previously played The Callisto Protocol. We aimed to make this title appealing to anyone who appreciates swift, action-packed, roguelike games. Although there are some resemblances in terms of weapons and locales, we consider this a completely fresh game. It’s crucial to us that players don’t feel compelled to have experienced the other game in order to enjoy this one. Ideally, players can simply start enjoying this game on its own merits.

A: What principles does the design of [REDACTED] follow, in your opinion? Were there any specific features that you thought the game should include or exclude?

As an avid enthusiast of both fighting games and RPGs with customizable builds, I found myself drawn to the intricacies of control systems. With a passion for both genres, I embarked on a quest to blend them harmoniously. Drawing inspiration from classic fighters like Street Fighter and Super Smash Brothers, I aimed to capture the essence of what makes close-quarters combat in these games feel exhilarating and engaging. Additionally, I was captivated by fast-paced, top-down shooters – those nostalgic twin-stick shooters that have stood the test of time. The question that sparked my creativity was: Could we seamlessly combine these two gameplay styles? This endeavor became my mission.

Additionally, we aimed for an immediate, swift, and satisfying feedback with our builds, which is characteristic of roguelike games. Given their shorter length and my personal preference for brief gaming experiences, we desired the opportunity to repeatedly refine these builds. In a way, League of Legends achieved this some time ago, and I believe it was one of the factors that drew me into the game. The freedom to customize as I pleased, without a significant investment of time, and the ability to try again and again were the key gameplay aspects we were pursuing.

Was there ever a time when you attempted to incorporate a certain element or concept within the game, but it ended up not functioning as intended?

In one of the aspects requiring significant adjustments and innovative exploration was the competitor system, which we believe is distinct due to its novelty. Originally, we might have referred to it as the survivor system, but it differed greatly from V1. As development progressed and we played as a team, we received feedback from various sources, leading us to identify areas for enhancement or fine-tuning. This specific element experienced approximately four major overhauls before settling on its current form.

As a dedicated gamer delving into the captivating world of roguelikes, I’ve noticed that the rival system we’ve introduced is quite unique compared to others. The concept for this feature was nurtured through a blend of creativity and strategic thinking. Our primary goal was to elevate the competitive aspect of the game, creating a dynamic environment where players wouldn’t just be competing against each other, but also against formidable AI opponents. These rivals would grow in strength as the player progressed, offering a fresh challenge at every turn. Additionally, we aimed to make these encounters engaging and memorable, crafting intricate backstories and personalities for each rival to enhance their role within the game world.

As a fan, I’d share: Just like Steve mentioned, our journey began with what we called the Survivor System, which was quite basic in terms of saving people and earning rewards. However, it didn’t seem to capture the right vibe or essence. So, we delved deeper into our fictional world, questioning what these characters were striving for. This led us to transform it into a thrilling race. We experimented with the level of interaction, whether it was face-to-face or remotely, and developed the Remote Attack System, which turned out to be quite engaging. Over time, we refined the mechanics, ensuring you’d occasionally encounter these characters. It all fell into place with the voiceover and the characters we were trying to introduce, creating a dynamic dialogue that made it feel like a real race.

A question about maintaining a delicate equilibrium in designing games to ensure they’re tough yet allow for occasional winning streaks: What strategies did you employ to strike this balance?

Gamer: I can’t get enough of this game! We keep experimenting with various strategies to make each playthrough unique. To ensure players feel rewarded, we focus on crafting engaging upgrades first. If we discover something that’s overly powerful, we strive to maintain that excitement level in other areas rather than toning it down. Occasionally, things may become too intense and we need to balance it out. We’re always trying to strike the right balance, considering the amount of time people are investing in their playthroughs – whether it’s a single run or multiple ones. It involves a lot of trial and error, adjustments, and testing different combinations. But hey, that’s all part of the fun, even though there’s a lot to sift through!

Another aspect we’d like players to encounter and appreciate is what we refer to as our security features. If you manage to break free successfully, you can even enhance the game’s challenge by tweaking various settings. This allows players to tailor the game to their preferred level of difficulty. One appealing aspect about how we’ve designed it is that when players choose to raise the stakes and make the game harder, they receive more rewards. They’ll earn more of our meta currency and items that contribute to the meta-game, enabling them to keep upgrading their suits, weapons, and guard character.

We’re really looking at all the different angles and hoping we have things that appeal to a variety of different players. As people that play roguelikes, we know that sometimes people think we finish it once and we’re done. But I think we’re kind of crazy, and we know based on our experience, you can put several hundred hours into these games. We wanted to make sure that there are things within the game that allow players to keep experimenting for a really long time, whether that’s through the rival system or making an escape and having reasons to keep playing. We’re really hoping players get to experience those things and enjoy them as much as we enjoy developing them.

Question: Since roguelike games often involve repeating the initial stages, how do you add variety to each new attempt?

Developer: Throughout extended gameplay sessions, we introduce a variety of new enemy types and modifications. For instance, you might stumble upon a drone equipped with a laser that wasn’t present in the initial zone. Later on, after many hours, there could be another iteration of this foe, but it behaves differently – perhaps it’s a frost version. These subtle changes keep players engaged and challenged, while still being recognizable, thus requiring them to adjust their strategies. By this stage, players are primarily concentrating on finishing their playthrough, so we aim to maintain an engaging experience without introducing anything too unexpected.

In the competing system, it brings about diversity as they exhibit distinct playing styles every round. During each contest, you’re up against three competitors simultaneously, and their actions vary – one may aggressively pursue you, while another quickly takes the lead. Consequently, you must adapt your strategy for each round, which maintains an engaging level of freshness.

In the competing game system, you initially face one opponent, followed by another, and eventually, up to three rivals may join in during a single playthrough. The dynamics of the experience evolve as the game unfolds, offering a fresh feel each time you play. Additionally, various other opponents occasionally appear, causing the roster of competitors to change from session to session. You’ll notice distinct dialogues and a lively, quick-paced, humorous tone throughout. Our aim is to make these characters engaging for players – it’s not about preserving planets or galaxies, but more about these personalities striving to endure in their own unique ways.

In roguelike games, the opponents add variety by possessing unique attack strategies. Instead of just battling them directly, they also establish traps or hazards to complicate things further. For instance, upon entering a combat zone, you might discover they’ve planted a large bomb that requires deactivation amidst ongoing battles. At other times, they might unleash poison gas, compelling you to navigate the area and turn off the harmful substance while continuing your fight. These rival attacks introduce an extra level of complexity and demand strategic thinking on multiple fronts.

In addition to the spaces where you engage enemies using GRP skills, there are hazards like balustrades that can knock opponents off-balance. This increases the strategic options during combat. If you maintain a lead in the race, your adversaries won’t be able to retaliate, but if they catch up, you’ll encounter more of their attacks or room adjustments. It benefits you to impede them, injure them, or hinder them to prevent extra obstacles within the rooms.

Because it’s a roguelike game, although some areas may share similar themes, we’ve made an effort to ensure that room configurations are unique. You won’t encounter the same layouts repeatedly; even if the design style seems familiar, the arrangement of rooms, their number of floors, and the placement of hazards will differ. Our aim is to keep things feeling fresh while maintaining a sense of continuity, ensuring that each gameplay session remains unexpected.

Walker: Just as Steve pointed out, an unexpected assault could occur in any area within the game. The rooms aren’t predetermined, and you won’t be able to foresee the attack. It could be any room, any type of attack, all possibilities. Thus, you’ll encounter a wide range of these incidents.

A: Is it possible that the competing system employs a common pool of attacks, or can I anticipate specific attacks when facing a particular opponent due to their unique style?

Walker: Each one has its distinct attack style, and they tend to favor some over others. We often resort to a common reserve since we traverse numerous rooms during a playthrough. However, you’ll definitely notice specific attacks linked to particular opponents.

How [REDACTED] Pulls Off the Roguelike Formula

A: Could you tell me about your method for creating the adversaries of [REDACTED]? How do you develop unique enemies, including their abilities?

Speaker: Initially, we focused on establishing the mechanics and actions, meticulously recording details to achieve our desired gameplay feel. We also took into account how enemies should interact among themselves. Since each biome hosts a unique set of foes, we ensured they complemented each other well and kept players intrigued. After documenting the mechanics, we worked hand-in-hand with the character team, engineers, and concept artists to create appealing appearances and themes. There was some back-and-forth, as they presented innovative ideas that required adjustments on our part. It truly took a collaborative effort from everyone involved.

From the initial design phase through to the final stages of engineering, concept development, and visual effects, the entire journey was an enjoyable ride that I believe has significantly improved our adversaries’ experience. It commenced by refining the fundamental mechanics, after which the team collaborated diligently to ensure a delightful outcome.

Papoutsis’s idea is intriguing since we approached the game development with a priority on fun rather than aesthetics initially. This approach closely aligns with what Ben mentioned, as the designers primarily considered “What would be enjoyable to play against?” without immediately focusing on the enemy’s appearance. Instead, they concentrated on determining the right type of enemy for this particular style of game and then collaborated with various teams such as character design, engineering, etc., to decide on the optimal enemy design.

This time, we didn’t have strict guidelines like “It must be done this way” or “It must be done that way.” Instead, we found the development process delightful due to the lack of constraints. We were able to maintain a lighter mood and concentrate on what was entertaining. As a result, we believe we produced some distinctive elements that players will appreciate when they encounter them.

It was important to us that the game not only looks fun and feels fun, but is genuinely fun. That’s been the main message for the team: focus on the fun, and work from the controller outward.

Q: In roguelikes we’re balancing the chaos of things like random rooms and power ups, but players also enjoy having somewhat of a plan. How do you approach that line?

Player: We provide players with various suits that align with our experiments or skill progression. These suits enhance the probability of particular experiment types dropping. Once a suit is unlocked, it increases the occurrence of that specific type, facilitating strategic character development. Players can also swap suits based on biomes since not all gamers prefer sticking to the same skill tree throughout the game. This flexibility allows players to select upgrades according to the biome they are currently in.

Absolutely, it maintains the essence of being a roguelike game, which includes an element of unpredictability – that’s what makes it exciting. However, we strive to provide players with some control over the system as well.

An alternative method to tailor your build as desired, beyond the suits mentioned by Ben, is through the use of specialized suits such as the cryo suit that boosts cryo-type loot drops. Moreover, at our persistent skill upgrade stations, you can acquire skills that enhance the drop probability of rarer versions of these items. These upgrades remain in effect across all playthroughs, allowing you to gradually accumulate more high-end drops over time.>

With the combination of suits and your enduring skillset, you can complement one another in an effort to achieve your ideal “Uber build”.

A: Regarding that topic, could you tell me about your strategy for creating the game’s diverse structures? What factors guide your choices on which features or mechanics to incorporate and their intended functions?

As an Enthusiast: I designed the overall concepts for our experiments around the outcomes we aimed to accomplish. For instance, Cryo has a slight edge or deficit in damage output but also slows down opponents, providing a delicate balance. In contrast, Combustion emphasizes damage over time with fire, drawing on classic RPG elements. We selected these experiment types and then brainstormed what would make each one enjoyable.

Later, we transitioned to studying gravity, a fresh concept within the realm of science. This shift allowed us to explore beyond conventional elements and delve into the fascinating world of chaotic mechanics. For instance, our gravity experiments might draw adversaries nearer as you dart away or repel them when you approach. It’s an engaging and spontaneous aspect we’ve incorporated.

In the end, we developed a drone that keeps pace with you; it’s primarily responsible for conducting our experiments. It resembles a miniature pet in a way, offering an enjoyable twist to our capabilities. Our design began by incorporating reliable mechanics, meeting the usual standards, and then infused with unique elements that truly belong to us.

Papoutsis: One factor that guided our experiment designs was our eagerness to utilize the controller in a variety of ways. For instance, not only can you perform melee attacks, but you also have the option to shoot continuously, allowing for smooth transitions between shooting and melee. We aimed to create experiments that could emphasize melee combat or aid ranged combat, and this approach was also applied to other actions like dashing and attacking simultaneously, or even kicking.

As a fan, I can’t help but express my excitement over the new feature we’ve included – dashing! Dashing around is an absolute thrill, and it gets even better with the dash slide. With this move, you can kick and dash simultaneously, gliding swiftly across the room. And while sliding, you have the option to leave behind trails of flames, icy patches, or other surprises. We aimed to expand upon the controller’s mechanics, incorporating the kick, GRP, dash, dash slide, melee, and melee dash. This enables Ben and the designers to truly let their creativity run wild with the experiments tied to these actions!

As a dedicated enthusiast, I’m thrilled to share that alongside the active skills tied to the buttons, we’ve incorporated some amazing passive experiments for you to discover! This list is quite extensive, and it’s been an absolute joy to witness the creativity of our designers and the entire team as they brainstormed these unique features.

In the context of the roguelike genre, are there elements or aspects you noticed in other games that you aimed to avoid or distinguish your game from?

In our perspective, as Ben has pointed out, our game primarily focuses on the characters and their journeys. To put it in a way that represents both of us, we are huge fans of the game Hades – it’s truly exceptional. They have done an outstanding job with the narrative, investing a great deal of effort into that aspect. Although we greatly appreciate and respect what Hades achieved, our intention with [REDACTED] was not to replicate that success.

Instead of following a detailed storyline like Hades, we opted for a more dynamic exchange between characters and opponents in our game. This approach aims to provide a unique interaction experience that sets it apart from Hades.

Q: Do you have any last thoughts to share?

What made this project truly remarkable was the chance to collaborate with some exceptional individuals, both within our team and externally. We were fortunate enough to team up with Mutato Musica and Mark Mothersbaugh from Devo, who proved to be an outstanding collaborator. He created the game’s music, and when we initially discussed the project with him, he instantly grasped the concept. I was utterly captivated by the work produced by Mark, Mutato Musica, and Seth.

Additionally, we were fortunate enough to team up with remarkable authors such as Spike and Jeremy. Collaborating with them was a blast, and it was intriguing to observe their reactions to our peculiar idea: a space prison experiencing a zombie outbreak with only one escape pod available. Witnessing their creative input on this project brought immense excitement. To top it off, the music is simply outstanding – it’s been an absolute joy for me.

[END]

2024-10-27 13:55

Going from The Callisto Protocol to [REDACTED]

How [REDACTED] Pulls Off the Roguelike Formula

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