Stellar Blade is out this week and our review, Which you can read here., is positive. We loved the game and were impressed by its depth of action and world building. Ahead of its release, but after spending some time with the game, we had the chance to reconnect with ShiftUp CEO and Stellar Blade director Hyung-Tae Kim. After speaking with him earlier this year. This time we spoke to him (via a translator) about his motivations for the game beyond Nier Automata. The Bible And Matrix), the approach to costumes and how they fit into the lore, and why having no minimaps in the game was a deliberate decision.
Game Informer: Multiple endings?
Hyung-Tae Kim: It has multiple endings and actually, if you complete some of the quests, there’s even a post-credits clip.
Is there an ending you prefer?
It all depends on what choices and decisions the player makes throughout the game. There is no particular ending that I prefer. But then it’s a hidden stage so I hope players will discover it and play it. If you want, I think, a bit of a happy ending, you’ll have to explore the post-credits clip.
There is no gameplay reward for unlocking costumes, but they are an important incentive for the player. Why are costumes so important?
I definitely believe that it is very attractive for a famous character to have such a famous outfit. But my strength is in character concept design. There was a lot that I wanted to show the world and convey to the players. I decided it would be a good idea to include different costumes, it was a good way to show what I wanted to show. And I also wanted players to be able to travel with the character in whatever way they prefer. that’s why.
What is the process of choosing and creating a costume?
This is not a method to decide when making a costume. For example, the bodysuit – I designed it myself and then the 3D modeler; When they’re done with modeling the outfit, I’ll come back to it and then add more details and textures and typography and finish it for the game. Or for other costumes, we buy actual clothes in real life, and then scan them, take the scan data, edit it to make it look more futuristic, and then finish it that way. So, it’s very different. Thus, you will find a lot of different costumes in the game.
And on top of that, sometimes, when you play the game, you’ll see some costumes that look like swimsuits. And for these costumes, it’s very important to depict the texture of the skin, like how it changes under pressure and how it’s pushed, or how it folds, it’s flesh and flesh and skin. How does it bend like This is very important when we are trying to detail. So, for this, we actually cast a real-life model and then asked the model to wear the clothing and scan the model to use the data.
Is there a reason why Eve wears so many dresses? Is she interested in fashion?
There was some sort of tradition behind Eve that showed great interest in the garments left behind on the surface of the earth. We had that concept, and it was part of his character, but then we decided later that he didn’t really need to show up in the game. We don’t really need to make it famous in the game, so it was removed, but that tradition is still there.
Have you ever considered dressing up to upgrade a character?
When making games in the past, I took it too seriously that I didn’t combine character stats and costumes. It was important to me not to make it this way because if it did, users would only choose certain outfits because they have better stats than other outfits. I didn’t want that to happen. I just wanted everyone to enjoy all the different costumes that are provided in the game, regardless of the stats.
But of course, if you don’t wear anything, it would be dangerous on the surface of the wasteland. So if you’re wearing nothing, we did a little damage there.
Does the team see Eve as a Bayonetta-type figure who embraces her sexuality and uses it as a weapon?
I don’t think Eve is aware of the charms she has, so she’s not that kind of character. Therefore, she won’t be able to combine the central attraction that Bayonetta has in the character and be able to relate it to her battles. But then it’s not fully determined how Eve will develop in the future, and what kind of feel it will have in the future, so I guess it will depend on the users and what they like and What kind of interest do they show? the game. Maybe Eve will go through some sort of…being more social and adjusted, and maybe she’ll gain new feelings and become someone different.
Ken is an important collection. Why Ken?
This may be a personal taste. I personally like the different can designs. And also, I thought it would be more realistic to use cans where the land is ruined. As one of the stored goods, the can would make more sense than the other elements.
Are they based on real Korean brands?
We tried, but no brand would partner with us to do a collaboration, so we had to actually make them all in-house. We also consulted someone who is an expert in designing can packaging. We hired this person to come up with designs that made them look real. In the future, hopefully we will be able to collaborate with a real-life brand. Especially Pepsi, which we are very interested in.
Ever considered a minimap? I would really like one in Xion.
If you slide on the touchpad, you’ll access the map in Xion.
Oh, but I want a small map always available on the bottom corner of the screen.
I wanted to show as much of the UI design as possible on the screen. That’s why I didn’t add a minimap to the screen. But then yes, it is very important in the open world area. When it’s a linear area, of course, there are other hidden paths, but if you use a map, it will probably be much easier in this linear part of the game. So I wanted to avoid having the map there for the players to use constantly. But then yes, of course, in Xion, you’ll want to consult the map more because as things keep changing, you’ll constantly be given new quests, so the map becomes easier. I actually recommend using the map there.
at the movies Matrix, there is the refuge of Zion. The Stellar Blade has Zeon’s sanctuary. There is a location in Stellar Blade called Matrix 11. Matrix It was co-directed by Lily Wachowski. Stellar Blade has a character named Lily. Are these all coincidences, or are they? Matrix A big inspiration for Stellar Blade?
Matrix Sure, it’s one of those movies that I love, but then instead of any direct inspiration or references that we got from the movie, you should see The Bible As one more source of these inspirations. But then that doesn’t mean it was based on the whole story. The Bible, heavy. It’s like they share similar things.
TThe hat makes sense because Matrix Looks to the Christian. The Bible, as well as. And of course, Adam and Eve are both characters in Stellar Blade. Is The Bible A primary source of inspiration?
In terms of the material we got for the plot, yes, The Bibleand yes it also has to do with plot themes, but then ultimately, at the end of the day, this is an action-adventure game so when players play the game, they can take it lightly and just play. Enjoy.
When people think, “Oh, it was based on that. The Bible“Then they take it more seriously and expect a heavier, more serious story there. And of course, we’re very grateful for that interpretation, but what we wanted to focus on was the gameplay itself. .
Why is there a setting to change the length of Eve’s ponytail?
I actually personally like Eve’s long ponytail because it adds more movement and action and I see it as an important element, but then I also realize that it won’t be for everyone. Some people might find it distracting, or it might get in the way of a certain outfit or screen while moving around, and I thought it might be distracting or distracting for some people, so I Also wanted to add a ponytail. But since then, there have been demands for a mid-length ponytail or the option to be able to control the length of the ponytail, etc.
Stellar Blade is out this year. Another big game from a South Korean developer, The First Descendant is coming out later this year. Does Shiftup think this is a big year for Korean representation in video games?
We hope that, starting with Stellar Blade this year, it will be a breakout year for South Korean developers. In the past, recently, in fact, Korean games have been isolated from the world because the gaming market in Korea is mostly mobile-focused. For console games, it was difficult for them to gain any attention and there was not much place where other global users were accessing these games. There aren’t that many overlapping elements.
But then, starting with Stellar Blade, hopefully many global users will discover more Korean games and actually realize, “Oh, these are really great games!” And I’m starting with this; Hopefully, other Korean developers will be more well-known. This year will be that year. And in that way, we also have a certain sense of duty there.
Are you hoping to make a sequel to Stellar Blade next, or shift up and want to do something different next?
Right now, we’re more focused on Stellar Blade – the game itself. We’re focusing more on what users will like, what they’ll want to see more of, and what kind of additional content we’ll offer. Hope you enjoy this game which is coming out soon.
For more information on Stellar Blade you can read our previous feature on the game here , and Game Informer’s review of Stellar Blade here .