Ascendant Studios, the developer of the upcoming magical shooter Immortals of Aveum, has shared some details about the game, including the facts that the team has put much effort into creating puzzle-solving mechanics and that the game's pacing draws inspiration from the God of War reboot.
Speaking to VG247, Bret Robbins, the founder of Ascendant Studios, spoke about what players can expect from the title and how the development team approached its creation.
Robbins revealed that despite their experience working on Call of Duty, the developers intentionally avoided replicating its gameplay mechanics in Immortals of Aveum. He also shared that the team was taken aback by how much their game ended up resembling classic arena shooters when magic was added into the mix.
"I didn't realize we would be quite as much of an arena shooter until we really started getting the mechanics working and just, you know, playing around with it," he said. "I knew I didn't want to make exactly a cover shooter – because that's what Call of Duty is – and that's something I want to sort of do a little bit differently. Instead, I think there is a feeling of a bit of Doom or Bioshock in there, for sure."
According to Robbins, the God of War reboot also served as a significant source of inspiration for the development team. He praised Sony's action game developers for successfully establishing an engaging pace that switches between intense large-scale action scenes and quieter moments that allow players to explore the game world and collect upgrades.
Additionally, Robbins shared that game's level design has been significantly influenced by the inclusion of puzzles, which players will encounter in these quieter moments, and that the team has spent significant time working on them.
He, however, acknowledged that overly difficult puzzles can frustrate players and detract from their overall enjoyment of the game. As a result, puzzles in Immortals of Aveum are primarily included as side content rather than integral parts of the main storyline. Even in the story-based puzzles, the difficulty level has been kept relatively simple and straightforward to ensure that players can progress through the game without feeling overwhelmed.
"I think puzzles are difficult in that they can be a hard stop for some players. You hit a wall, you're scratching your head and get frustrated, and it can be a bad experience," Robbins explained. "If you want to explore, if you want some harder challenges, they're certainly out there for you. If you just want to enjoy the story, enjoy the combat, and push forward… you'll hit some puzzles, but they're a little more lightweight. And that was how we kind of walked that line."
Immortals of Aveum also incorporates RPG elements, with a unique loot system being a key feature of the game. Robbins aimed to avoid randomization in the game's loot system to ensure that players receive one-of-a-kind items.
Additionally, the development team has incorporated a comprehensive dialogue system into the game, although it has yet to be showcased to the public.
Immortals of Aveum is scheduled to release on July 20. It is one of the first games to utilize the Unreal Engine 5. The game will be available exclusively on current-generation PlayStation and Xbox consoles, as well as PC.
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