So awesome that we have fan art already!
Lab Zero (Skullgirls) announce Indivisible "Metroidvania w/ Valkyrie Profile combat"
- Thread starter HadesGigas
- Start date
So awesome that we have fan art already!
Karsticles
Member
MikeZ is good at fast-paced action. If there's one thing this game is guaranteed to do right, it's the combat.
I don't think avoiding "Metroidvania" just because you dislike the term is a good idea: remember that the single most successful game Kickstarter so far was based entirely on being a Metroidvania. As such, it doesn't seem like many potential backers share your disdain for it.
Also, we've recently had some truly excellent games under the Metroidvania umbrella, e.g. Ori and the Blind Forest.
In no way is Metroidvania a bad genre name when we have fucking action adventure and MOBA flopping around. Lets not get into the nothing descriptor that is RPG.
PepsimanVsJoe
Member
Duckroll is just hating.
Not sure if I can get hyped about sandals though.
Hopefully there are alternate unlockable shoes.
Not sure if I can get hyped about sandals though.
Hopefully there are alternate unlockable shoes.
HellBlazer
Member
Shhh, don't mention you-know-who in front of Duckroll...
HP_Wuvcraft
Banned
Playable prototype.
I'm in.
I'm in.
Planning for more, too! Love the character design, environment and overall references/inspiration shown so far. And mentioning VP is enough to get my interest :-D
I don't think you understand where I'm really coming from. If the game really IS a Metroidvania, they shouldn't avoid it because obviously people like that crap, even though I don't. As much as I hate to admit it, it's a popular pile of shit! But what I'm saying is, if the game doesn't really fit the traditional Metroidvania mold, which it certainly sounds like it doesn't (it's a party based RPG with battle encounters), I think It would be more beneficial to present the unique nature of the game as it is, rather they try to fit it into something which it isn't just because it is a popular buzzword.
Art production will be similar to Skullgirls - 2D animated characters, monsters, etc. on painted 3D-ified BGs.
We've actually upgraded our tech, too.
For review, here's how we did things in Skullgirls:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VkDXBsIXso
So in addition to the three layers (line, shading, false color) we composite together, we've added a fourth that we're calling "dye."
The dye layer colors the lines, so they're not black, resulting in a softer and smoother look compared to the strong graphic style we went for in Skullgirls.
In addition to the dye layer, Indivisible game will feature thinner, mostly uniform line thickness. Again, Skullgirls was going for a "powerful" look with the strong lines and variable thickness and tension to accentuate the character's shapes and features.
Yeah, the game is more VP1 + Metroid traversal upgrades, etc. and more exploration.
But like Skullgirls started out being inspired by MvC2 and went in a lot of different directions from there, so will this. They're starting points and the end result should be a pretty unique mixture of the elements in RPGs and Metroid-ish games.
Hell yes. If lab Zero put even a fraction of the effort they put in animating skullgirls *ahem* district features then this is sure to look absolutely gorguse. But with the most important part being the gameplay of course I do hope the demo they'll have is a public demo and not givin to certain tier backers. Would love to get my hand in it before making any decisions. My hope is that they incorporate a sort of "fighting-game-esk" combate system givin there experience.
Our publishing partner funded the playable prototype, and the express purpose of the prototype is to drive the campaign.
Skullgirls IGG backers will get it a few days early, possibly up to a week. But everyone will get it without having to contribute when the campaign launches.
It just hit me how far away the KS date is.
Aren't you afraid the playable prototype might hurt the game'd reception? I think I read somewhere that at best demos provide a slight boost in sales but at worst drive people away.
Aren't you afraid the playable prototype might hurt the game'd reception? I think I read somewhere that at best demos provide a slight boost in sales but at worst drive people away.
"Actual" animation. Way to be derisive. Kinuko and co. did some incredible work on Skullgirls.Are you planning on approaching Bahi JD to work on this project too?
Or is he too busy doing actual animation for anime in Japan these days?
Awesome, glade to hear it! All the hush hush makes me wonder who your publishing partner is I suppose we'll have to wait for the proper reveal then.
That wasn't meant to be derisive. If it came across that way, I apologize. I love the animation in Skullgirls and I wasn't suggesting that animators working on in-game animation are doing inferior work by any means. What I was simply referring to was that in the past Bahi JD was more of a student doing animation as a hobby part-time over the internet, but he has managed to actually break into the Japanese animation industry and went over to Japan to work at anime studios on various projects since last year.
The only way I could see a prototype hurting is if its A) bad or B) reveals the game to be something (perhaps a different genre) potential backers didn't expect and thus didn't want. I think we can assume LZ thinks they are going to put out good work (they have an excellent track record so far) and if people went in expecting like "Castlevania", play the demo, and learn it isn't, better then as opposed to after they backed. People would BITCH if they think they were "tricked". Lord knows Mighty No. 9 is still getting crap for that even though its not Inafune's faults people don't understand the concept of "concept art".
Also, more and more people are asking for more gameplay information/videos before they back so a prototype is ideal to answer any questions.
Oh, I see. No need to apologize. It's so easy to interpret something as an insult on the internet.
Oh, gameplay would absolutely help you sell a game on kickstarter, though I question if a demo was really needed as well.
Are you planning on approaching Bahi JD to work on this project too?
Of course we'd love to have Bahi back, but I think he's just too busy these days.
Maybe we can try to make that happen if Alex comes up with a monster in need of his unique talents.
It's a concern, but we'll delay things if the prototype isn't fun - it's obviously paramount that it be good if it's going to sell people on the full game.
The main idea for the prototype came from trying to emulate our success on Skullgirls.
The IGG campaign was a success because people wanted more Skullgirls - they knew what it was, and they wanted more. So they backed the DLC characters.
So the point of the prototype is to change move the campaign away from "Hey, we have an idea for a game!" and more towards "Contribute if you want more!"
Also, notice that I keep using the word "prototype." While of course we're going to do our damnedest to make it fun and polished, it's still going to be a very early playable.
Yeah, it's mildly irksome we weren't able to announce the publishing partner at the panel, because we wanted to be as upfront and transparent about this relationship as possible.
But the announcement kind of snuck up on them, and between the holiday weekend and SDCC next week, they just didn't have the bandwidth to support a new announcement and all the press inquiries, etc. it might generate.
We'll see how things shake out, but I expect we'll jointly announce the partnership towards the end of the month, after the dual madnesses of SDCC and Evo pass.
Sir_Crocodile
Member
That'd be good.
I've been pretty disappointed by some of the recent metroidlikes such as guaca and valdis. Some of the moves you do either don't cancel or cancel slowly. I know there's a certain skill to timing abilities that commit you to a certain action, and while I can do it (I managed after a while to kill all the valdis bosses with no damage for the top rankings), I certainly don't enjoy doing it.
Mike Z talks a little bit about the game. (Skullgirls footage is in the background because he's at a Skullgirls event) He doesn't/can't reveal much but it was an interesting enough listen. I think the most interesting point he made was about publisher support in that the better the campaign does, the better deal they get from the publisher. I get the sense that there may be some fund matching (i.e. raise X amount and pub will put in X or 2X or etc.)
Xaero Gravity
NEXT LEVEL lame™
Not a fan of the character design, but holy shit does it sound interesting.
Eh, I can go into this a bit.
The publishing partner is contributing a fixed amount, but the more we raise, the better the backend on game sales, merch, etc. gets for us.
It's a pretty progressive deal.
Let's call it a Metroidyrie....Valktroid.
Shouta
Member
As much as duckroll is full of hyperbole, he's kind of right. If it's going to have a combat system like Valkyrie Profile in the game and 2D dungeon crawling then it's just a VP-inspired game. When you say Metroidvania, it's 2D dungeon crawling but with action akin to a platformer + RPG elements. Saying it's Metroidvnia + Valkyrie Profile doesn't really mean anything when you actually think about it.
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
I thought Metroidvania was the type of level structure and non-linear progression, rather than "platformer + RPG elements". I mean there's not even any RPG elements in Metroid, so I don't even know why anyone would associate Metroidvania with RPG elments.
SotN was Castlevania taking the Metroid format and adding RPG elements to it like equipment, leveling, etc. If a Metroidvania is meant to refer to the Metroid style Castlevania, then it suggests those elements. If it is just a sidescrolling non-linear connected world without any of those extra elements, then it's... just Metroid.
HadesGigas
Member
I don't think people really use that as a definition outside of your head.
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
Yeah no one calls them "Metroid-likes" do they? I'm not a big fan of the term (I always felt the "vania" part to be superfluous
), but for better or worse, Metroidvania are just a term generally used for Metroid-likes rather than a specific combination of Metroid and RPG elements. Hell it even seems considered notable when a Metroidvania does have prominent RPG elements, such as Valdis Story (which does have the RPG tag on Steam, unlike Aquaria, La-Mulana, Axiom Verge, Ori, Shantae, etc.).I guess that's why there aren't any traditional Metroid games made anymore. Enjoy your Other Ms and Federation Forces. We get the world we deserve.
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
...Yeah, the existence of the word Metroidvania is why we have Other M. Clearly.
He's right though.
HadesGigas
Member
I can understand the idea behind it. But it's not reality. The world does not consider games like Axiom Verge "not Metroidvanias".
You'd think that we'd have customizable arch support in video games by now.
It is the year two thousand and fifteen and that sentence means something.
The people demand answers.
Joke?
The only joke here is this great one I just heard about a fish walking into a bar but I forget the punchline and it was mostly in the delivery anyhow.
You kind of had to be there.
FF Seraphim
Member
If people actually bought Metroid Prime then we wouldn't be having to deal with Other M and Federation Forces.
Anyway, back on point, I agree with you that this shouldn't be called a Meroidvania if it isn't actually using the type of gameplay elements from say Symphony of the Night/Bloodstain.
Shouta
Member
I come back to this thread and, DAMN.
But seriously,
Metroid = action-platformer using non-linear progression and level structure.
Metroidvania = Castlevania game in the Metroid-style, add RPG elements, equipment, etc
Valkyrie Profile? 2D dungeons with a bit of platforming to get around, unique turn-based combat system that involves action-elements but is not an action-game. Even VP2 had you transition to a specific combat field that you bounced around in to initiate combat. It wasn't in the 2D dungeon spleunking parts.
It really boils down to the combat. If it's VP-combat then VP-inspired if you're attacking on the 2D plane while moving around then Metroidvania
Raging Spaniard
If they are Dutch, upright and breathing they are more racist than your favorite player
Really looking forward to this, so I made a little Ajna sketch
Tizoc
Member
metroidvania is just non-overhead legend of Zelda style to me, far as the term goes.
If anything, we associate gamestyles with games rather than describe it with more proper terms.
In the case of Ori and the Blind Forest for example, it is an action adventure game; there is combat so action, there is exploration which can be associated with adventure genre.
Just my 10 cents =X
i CONFEss though that I didn't read anything about what the gameplay will be like cuz I got faith in lab Zero and want to be on a media blackout if they can deliver a good game that'll be good enough for me
If anything, we associate gamestyles with games rather than describe it with more proper terms.
In the case of Ori and the Blind Forest for example, it is an action adventure game; there is combat so action, there is exploration which can be associated with adventure genre.
Just my 10 cents =X
i CONFEss though that I didn't read anything about what the gameplay will be like cuz I got faith in lab Zero and want to be on a media blackout if they can deliver a good game that'll be good enough for me
They're close, but the crucial distinction is that Zelda-likes use items to give you new abilities most of the time, and you temporarily equip them, have to constantly manage them, etc.
Metroid-likes, on the other hand, typically grant you new abilities that are permanently and seamlessly integrated with the character's core action and ability set.