Summer has come to an end and it is easy to say that it has been one of the oddest in recent years. Throughout the summer, events were either canceled, postponed, or held online. Typically at the end of summer, cosplayers and gamers can look forward to PAX West. Sadly due to the ongoing pandemic, PAX West was canceled and replaced with PAX Online. Unfortunately, an online gaming experience is not the same as an in-person one. Despite the unusual circumstances, we still had the opportunity to talk with Shiro Games about their game, Darksburg. For this interview, we spoke with Adrien Briatta from Shiro Games.
With whom am I talking to today?
- My name is Adrien Briatta; I am the Marketing and Publishing Manager. I am responsible for handling the Steam page, talking with GOG, Steam, and console makers.
Since PAX East 2019, how drastically has the game changed?
- We were [not] at PAX 2019. We did not go [that] year mainly because, well, the virus was already there in France. So we couldn’t travel. Well, since 2019, we’ve kind of taken a U-Turn [from] the way the game was [conceptualized]. In the meantime, we released early access in February and [from how people liked the game,] we knew we had something that was really working. The characters were appealing for the players and the level, the environment really [had] an effect on the players. They still had an issue with the fact [that] the levels were already pre-generated. Over the last 9 months, we have been working on a procedurally generated level design. The game now separates the city by district and in each district, you have a lot of different chunks of the map that the game puts randomly next to each other. So each time you do a run, you always start new. The game went from a Left 4 Dead-style to a way more rogue-like style game where each run is different from the previous one. You have events during your playthrough that will change from one run to another. New enemies and bosses that may or may not spawn. The game changes a lot.
What should gamers expect?
The game of course is a Rouge-like. What is at the core of the game is cooperation. We mixed the fact that there will be nerves gameplay mechanics with the need to survive. You will need to choose your equipment and abilities to create synergies; it’s a really fun game to play with friends. We will have an official matchmaking system for people to play with others. We have an official Discord system with people exchanging info about the game. Have fun killing zombies with your friends.
Does Darksburg have Steam couch co-op?
- Right now it is only playable if everyone has the game. Right now we are working on a solution to allow local co-op play.
What is one feature players should keep an eye out early on that they might miss otherwise?
- If I were to recommend something, I would recommend visiting all the corners and finding as many chests and crates as possible. They contain the currency that will really help the player choose the way [they] want to play each character. It is really important for [versatility.] When you are playing with a friend who picks Rose [for] DPS, you really want to have the possibility to have a character that has healing mechanics or tanking stats. That’s why you need to have flexibility as much as possible.
Are there any plans to release additional survivors? What about enemies? Is there any schedule in mind?
- Yeah, of course. After release, we will try to resolve any issues players may have with the game. We know from Northgard that it is always a bit tricky. Launches are always a bit tricky. After this period, which should last that long, we will start working on what’s next. We are focusing on three major things: New Characters, Enemies (Elite Zombies & Bosses), and new items. The team will not change and, depending on how the game is [received], we will add new content over the years. We want to take a rich experience and improve it as much as possible.
Are there any plans to release Darksburg on other platforms?
- [We are] talking with other PC platforms to release the game on other services. A console port would be something that could be very interesting to us. Especially, because we’ve shown it to Nintendo and they were very excited about the project. So that is something that could happen. It depends on how the game is received at launch and the time frame is a bit shaky for us.
If the game does launch on other platforms, would you enable cross-play between platforms?
- It’s much easier to do with a game like Darksburg than it is a game like Northgard. Controlling an RTS with a controller is way different than with a keyboard and a mouse. So that’s something we will be playing on PC. [As for Darksburg], of course there will be cross-platform. There already is cross-platform between GOG, Origin, and Steam for Northgard so I don’t see why not for Darksburg. However with consoles, you know, manufacturers [being] what they are, it can be difficult for them to agree on cross-platform.
Is there anything you wish you could add to the game that is currently not possible? A character from a different series or an enemy type?
- So, during the course of development, we’ve experienced a lot of different types of gameplay and we played a lot of different games to see how it played and what inspiration we could take from the game. In terms of the variety of attacks or abilities, we couldn’t hope for a more suited character than Link from The Legend of Zelda to enter the game. I actually joked about it with a guy at Nintendo. It seems rather difficult for indies to gain access to this kind of license, however it is not completely impossible. If so, we could not be happier. We have one enemy that is not in the game yet, but is already developed. It should come pretty soon after launch. They all have those threatening abilities that will block your movement. Bosses are often the most fun thing to design.
What combinations of heroes make for an interesting experience?
- The game scales with how many players are the game. As long as you have somebody who can heal and tank [you are okay]. Two players require more strategy. It forces the player to think their character through. If you are playing [with] two players, it is important to discuss what you want each character to have. One large health build with one large DPS. On the other [hand], you also need those support abilities such as crowd control and healing.
What games have you played during your relaxation time or for inspiration?
- Super Smash Brothers (lunch and after work) and Overwatch. In terms of inspiration, most of the design team are big fans of the Diablo series. In the game’s feel, that will really pop out. League of Legends also. The game’s spells follow on Q, W, E, R because it works. What they did works. It felt obvious to us. We were surprised how the controller [felt] for Diablo. The game will come with controller support; it feels good.
Are there any plans to have free in-game content vs paid content?
- There is some customization at launch. The current setup rewards players for playing more. Players can unlock skins and permanent items.
Darksburg is now available on Steam for $19.99. Gamers can currently save 50% ($9.99) on Darksburg until October 4th.
You can follow Shiro Games on Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook. You can get updates and find other players on Darksburg’s Twitter and Discord.
