2D platformers are extremely common these days, with most small scale game development resulting in 2D sidescrollers. So it takes a lot for a game to stand out from the crowd- but that’s exactly what Unruly Heroes managed to do upon its unveiling. One of the reasons the game has excited crowds like it has has been because of its gorgeous and striking artstyle, which instantly catches the eye. But there is far more to the game than just the style- and that was what we decided to explore with Meredith Alfroy of Magic Design Studios, when we sat down for an exclusive chat with her about the game.
What can you tell us about the narrative in Unruly Heroes?
The platforming format allows the player to discover gradually this fantastic universe through 4 different and rich environments and offers different kinds of gameplay for more surprises during the game. The player will meet different and colorful characters and places directly inspired from the Monkey King legend. It’s an immersive experience through visuals, animations and sounds.
Unruly Heroes has an incredible art style that reminds us of Rayman Origins. What engine did you use to deliver such visuals?
Our game engine is based on Unity 3D. But we have developed a lot of different additional tools to address some specific needs. We wanted to push the quality even higher with much more living details and visual effects.
"The full story mode can be played in local co-op up to 4 players."
How much work went into perfecting the controls and ensuring responsive movement throughout the entire experience?
We have been working on the project for more than one year now, one year and ½ to be precise. Before entering into the production phase, we wanted to have a robust production process to reach the expected quality for all the aspects of the game: rendering, animations and audio. But to be honest, concerning the controls, it is not over yet as we will keep improving our 3C until the end.
Tell us about the different characters in the game? What unique abilities do they possess and how does the gameplay change depending on the hero chosen?
We plan to release additional information about our different characters and their specificities, but here are some personality traits: MonkeyKing: impatient and selfish, KiHon: carefree but fearful , SandMonk: very strong, but also very shy, Shifu the wise one.
Does the game have any unique co-op mechanics depending on the number of people playing?
The full story mode can be played in local co-op up to 4 players. You can decide to play the full game with only one character or you can decide to switch to another one at any time if you decide to. Playing in coop will make you discover some interesting combinations that will bring you with new experiences
"The adventure will take place in four different environments, each with its own identity, enemies and challenges with its deadly boss to defeat."
Boss design looks incredibly intriguing at this point. What famous villains will players face? Are there any larger than life bosses to expect?
The player will meet terrible and impressive bosses. But the encounter could be a little bit unusual.
How many stages are there to explore overall? What different themes and challenges can players expect to encounter?
The adventure will take place in four different environments, each with its own identity, enemies and challenges with its deadly boss to defeat. Each world will have its own structure in term of platforming, combat and puzzles. The heroes will travel through Canyon Crane, Underworld, Taoist Temple and the Flaming Mountain worlds. The player will face a lot of environmental enemies in addition of the common enemies. Moreover, the player will be able to take control of certain enemies giving him new moves, skills and powers.
Will there be any collectibles, mini-games or other activities to keep players pre-occupied throughout the main quest?
Absolutely, collectibles will be an important part of the game and there’re other activities that we still evaluate.
How long is an average play-through of the game in terms of hours?
The game is still being developed and we will soon organize playtests. So for now, we can’t give a specific or an average number of playing time. But it will be lot of hours of fun!
What kind of improvements have you done to the game’s engine?
We have developed a lot of different additional tools to address some specific needs. The game is coming on the PS4 and Xbox One as well.
"We have just started to evaluate the Switch version. But we won’t make any compromise on the quality."
What frame rate and resolution are you targeting for both? 1080p and 60fps? Can you tell us what frame rate and resolution will the PS4 Pro version run on? What kind of enhancements will it include?
We are targeting 4K when the platform handles it. In term of frame rate, we will be at 60fps !
I am a bit concerned about the Switch version. Are there any compromises being dome compared to the PS4 and X1?
We have just started to evaluate the Switch version. But we won’t make any compromise on the quality.
I am sure you must have heard about the Xbox One X’s announcement and how powerful it’s. It has a powerful GPU and a ton of memory, I am sure Unruly Heroes will run at 4K/60fps on this machine.
Yes, for sure!
When can we expect Unruly Heroes to release?
We target for a release early 2018 on XboxOne, Switch, PS4 and PC.
Is there anything else you want to tell our readers before we let you go?
We can’t wait to let you discover the universe of our Unruly Heroes 🙂 !