What Indies Can Learn from Hardcore Games
What makes an indie game studio stand out from the crowd? A simple answer is to be innovative and different. Before we became developers, we first have to become decent gamers with an in-depth understanding of what makes a game unique. And that’s what we will be analysing with these 4 recent titles.
Octopath Traveler (2017 — Nintendo Switch/PC)
Pixel art games are not rare to see, however, this one is quite different. Octopath Traveler uses a 3D layout to deliver a 2D pixel art masterpiece, as well as the stunning depth of field and magnificent music. The gameplay itself uses an optimised turn-based system, with an extra feature of the BP system in which points you earn every turn can be used to amplify your actions. The well-balanced difficulty is designed whether which traveller you choose so that it feels challenging but not unbeatable. Aside from that, the demo version is one of the most generous games I have ever seen, where you can play the first chapters of every single character (that’s 8 chapters). Even if you do not buy the full game you can still experience the spirit of it, so definitely try it!
Astral Chain (2019 — Nintendo Switch)
We’ve seen a lot of impressive titles from our old friend PlatinumGames, such as Bayonetta and NieR: Automata. They always like to create and experiment with new elements, and this one — Astral Chain, solely available on Nintendo Switch is no different. What makes it special is the battle system, you control two characters at the same time to fight. Sounds a bit weird, doesn’t it? A variety of different attack actions are optimised within one button, so you don’t need to worry about being flustered. The key to perfecting the mega combo is to use both joysticks to map your characters at nice positions and seize chances. You can use the line between two characters to bind, rebound and counter-attack enemies.
PERSONA 5 (2015 — PlayStation 4)
People love Persona not only because it has great stories and an awesome art style. In my humble opinion, the key element that makes it unique is the full living experience in Tokyo, Japan as a normal high-school student but somewhat a chosen hero. You decide what you’re going to do and what relationships you want to improve. All the while sneaking into mazes to steal the hearts of villains with your mates. The world is the same as the real places in Japan, so it provides a truly immersive experience, you might even see an alternative world when you visit those places in real life.
Persona 5 Scramble (2019 — PlayStation 4/Nintendo Switch)
So what’s the difference between the Persona 5 and this Scramble version? Simply said, P5S is the sequel to the Persona 5 story, but it completely changes the battle system. Almost every game could be reformed with the Warrior gameplay style created by Koei Tecmo, and we’ve seen a lot of titles do this, including Hyrule Warriors, Fire Emblem Warriors and One Piece: Pirate Warriors.
Traditionally, the gameplay style is running between different spots of the map to save your allies, sweeping out all the crowds of troops and defeating bosses. P5S combines the Warriors system with the extremely stylish iconic Persona art style. You’re still a member of the Phantom Thieves, having to be cautious and acting each move when necessary. You will summon your personas to capitalise on enemies’ weak points so you can gain the upper hand. Sadly, the English version of P5S is not yet available, but it’s worth waiting for!
There are many things that indies can learn from hardcore games, it could be to implement unique and different elements that would catch players’ attention and make them love it. It could even be anything a development team is good at, whether it is graphic style, music, modelling, storytelling, or gameplay etc; these unique elements can almost always be found in the past, and overtime multiple generations of developers have inherited them, improved them, and then delivered them in even better ways.
So what are you waiting for? Go play some games, there are always hidden gems among them that we can learn from. Have fun!
