As a designer, the alchemy needed to balance your vision with players’ expectations in such a scenario is both delicate and mysterious.ĭrifting Lands is not a perfect game, and certainly there were changes we would loved to have made with the benefit of a larger budget and more time. It raises an interesting question: why is it that one genre mashup is accepted at face value and one is not? Are shmups simply too rooted in tradition? Did we push too far, or not far enough? Trying to please everyone is a quick route to making a bland game, and, in our case, a lot of feedback from early players was diametrically opposed due to the differences in genres. MetaBeat will bring together metaverse thought leaders to give guidance on how metaverse technology will transform the way all industries communicate and do business on October 3-4 in San Francisco, CA.
So, players either missed our game description, or read it and still expected a classic shoot-’em-up over an ARPG. What’s interesting to note is how such facets of gameplay are also staples of our ARPG influences.
The drifting lands upgrade#
Despite our efforts to promote Drifting Lands first and foremost as an ARPG in all of our public-facing communications, the majority of people held it to the expectations of a classic shoot-’em-up. Stages without boss battles, the need to constantly upgrade weaponry, grinding for high-end gear, and RNG-based loot - these were some of the most widely criticized elements. While some people did embrace the mashup of genres to create a small but dedicated fanbase, many reacted with confusion and even resentment. While Drifting Lands looks like a traditional shoot-’em-up on the surface, the gameplay mechanics are much more indicative of an ARPG hit points and healing skills versus instant death procedurally generated levels versus designed predictability wide-ranging ship development versus a few static builds.The list of influences from ARPGs goes on and on, and we thought that people would ‘get it’ if we simply cited our references as candidly as possibly. It would be a true action role-playing game experience with a long progression of increasing difficulty, a complex loot system, a plethora of skills with which to refine your playstyle, and tons of replay value as you grind beyond the main story in search of epic gear. Drifting Lands was the product of such an experiment. The core idea was to create the illegitimate offspring of Diablo and R-Type. Creating an entirely new genre is no easy feat, but we often try to blend elements of multiple genres into a new experience. We tried to bring something new to the table with Drifting Lands, as we do with every project at Alkemi Games. Sometimes breaking from those traditions pays off, as we’ve seen with games such as Rocket League or Crypt of the Necrodancer. As much as gaming celebrates new concepts, it also thrives on the traditions that shape our expectations. Learn more.Ĭhange is a risky proposition. Interested in learning what's next for the gaming industry? Join gaming executives to discuss emerging parts of the industry this October at GamesBeat Summit Next.
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