Avim director Amar on the hero’s journey, development during the pandemic and the launch of the first title

For any new studio, the first game release is a big deal. But for Ascendant Studios and its first title, Immortals of Ivom, it may very well be a little more than that. Boasting stunning visuals, a unique story and a stunning setting where magic is your weapon, Immortals of Ivom He has gone through difficult situations to reach this point.

After starting from the ground up with a new studio, Immortals of Ivom has been evolving for several years, much of which has been further complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in overcoming adversity, Immortals of Ivom Now almost in the hands of enthusiastic players.

We had the opportunity to speak with Brett Robbins, the gamedirector and founder and CEO of Ascendent Studios, about the development process, bringing the characters to life and what we can expect from the game.

Magical moments

with Immortals of Ivom So close to release, our first question to Brett was how he was feeling. To reach the finish line with years of hard work, it was bound to bring out a lot of emotion in myself and the team at Ascendant Studios.

“I feel great,” he said.

“Five years of hard work in very difficult conditions and to be at the other end of it with a beautiful game that I’m very proud of and enjoy playing, that’s all I wanted.”

A fledgling studio could easily have been overwhelmed when it came to developing a AAA title during an unprecedented pandemic. But, the Ascendant took the bull by the horns and continued to thrive. Immortals of Ivom.

“Covid was definitely a difficult time, but we managed to keep that creative spirit alive, even though we were working remotely,” explains Robbins.

“We were able to figure out how to communicate very effectively during that time and how to continue to grow well for two and a half years out of five. [during the pandemic]and critical years too.”

Imagining the Aveum

Despite being a new studio, Ascendent Studio boasts many industry veterans in its ranks, with developers working on it. Call of Duty Titles Bioshock And Robbins himself is one of the creative directors behind the original. Dead space (of which its 2023 remake has seen itself emerge as a Game of the Year contender).

When it came to development Immortals of Ivomthis shared experience has only enhanced the project and helped elevate it to new heights.

“The leads and directors and my senior staff are all real industry veterans,” he explains.

“When you’re working with people like that there’s a shortcut, that they get it and they know it.

“You don’t have to explain too much why we need to do this or that to make something really good. They’ve been there before. They’ve seen the challenges before. And they can move through those challenges very effectively. So, that kind of experience is invaluable.

“I feel like we all work together. I’m talking to the team all day, working with them every day. And I think we all have a great working relationship. There’s not a lot of ego. It’s a lot about how we figure it out? How do we solve this problem? How can we make it better?”

“And we came together during a tough time with Covid and made a lot of progress during that time. So the fact that we’re able to overcome that is just a testament to how excited everyone was.

Jack of all trades

When it comes to a fresh IP from a new studio, it’s important to have a character that’s memorable and appealing. Jake is voiced by Darren Barnett, who is prominently featured on Netflix. I never did And continue playing your video game through the proxy in the future Gran Turismo The movie, just might be it.

When it came to fleshing out Jack, creating a complex hero and seeing what makes him tick in the world of Ewom, Robbins looked for a believable way to tell the story.

“For Jack, I wanted a classic hero’s journey. He starts out very humble. He’s a street thief, he’s an orphan, and he has a small group of other street kids that he lives with,” he explains.

“He has a bit of a magical connection like a lot of people in this world do, but it’s not good at all. He has very little power and through the events and trauma of the story he becomes what’s called the Unexpected, and he breaks out with all that magical connection.

“And that basically sets him on the path to becoming Magnus, a battle mage. And there’s a war that’s destroyed Eviem for hundreds if not thousands of years. He fights in that army and plays a very important role in the war himself. He becomes what’s called an immortal, the best of the best, the best of battle mages in this world.”

“So, it’s a big arc for him. Some very high and some very low. I wanted it to be a complete picture of what happens to this guy during that time, and he changes a lot over the course of the story.

“He starts off a bit ridiculous, even wanting to get revenge for what happened in the past. But, pride comes before a fall and he makes a few mistakes along the way.”

A complex conflict

And for every protagonist, there must be a suitable antagonist that tests our hero’s resilience. But, in the case of Sundarak, Rasharan’s tyrant and leader of the hostile army, the origin of his villainy is not quite plain sailing.

“The one thing I didn’t want to do was just make them capital E evil, and make them one-dimensional,” Robbins says.

“I think every good story aspires to the idea that bad guys never see themselves as bad guys, they see themselves as good guys.

“So Cendric has very good reasons for doing the things he’s doing. He may be doing them in horrible ways, but he sees himself as following an honorable path. That contrasts greatly with our heroes.

Magician-like mechanics

one of Immortals of IvomThe main aspect of is that it is a magical shooter. Instead of your specific weapons, you’ll be cycling through a variety of red, blue, and green magic, each with unique properties and abilities.

When it comes to what players can expect from their magic, Robbins emphasizes that fun should be at the forefront, and you should play to your strengths to create a connection with them.

“I think you should just have fun with the game.” he said. “It’s not the type of shooter where you’re just going to hit a button the whole time and make your way through.

“You can do that at first, but as the game progresses, we ask you to start using your different spells, your different abilities, and you’re going to need them to survive,” he teases.

“You have to experiment. Play around with different spells, and find the ones that suit you. There are so many spells, so many different pieces of gear, and things you can find to enrich your experience. You can find your own playstyle, and you can create your own and experiment with it. Once you get your spells right, the game becomes really, really fun.”

Emotrals of Awom is slated to release on 22nd August 2023.