Interview: Blackhan Metroidvania Version

In the world of gaming, Metroidvania is a genre that beckons adventurers to explore intricate worlds filled with secrets and challenges. In this article, I embark on a journey behind the scenes, where I sit down with the team to unravel the art and science of crafting these captivating experiences.

Let’s start with the most obvious yet crucial question; Have you ever played Metroidvania before? If so, which one was your favorite and what aspect of it do you find most appealing?

Hakan: Yes, it’s my go to game genre. I finished around 30 MV games. My favorites are Ori and the Will of the Wisp and Hollow Knight. Ori has amazing character controls and the art is gorgeous whereas Hollow Knight has amazing boss fights and a great atmosphere.

Ah yes, I’ll have to agree with Hollow Knight. The art style is fantastic! And what about the rest of the team? 

Kağan: I also played before. One of my favorites is also Ori and the Will of the Wisps. The control of the character feels just amazing. But I became really in love with this genre when I played Metroid Fusion. The atmosphere of this game was just outstanding. 

Masum: Yes, I played Momodora: Reverie Under The Moonlight. The map design, enemy variation and visuality is what I liked the most about it.

Ömer: I'm not much of a gamer. I did it with passion when I was little, and that was Mario.

To be honest, I don’t have much experience with Metroidvania games but I did play Momodora: RUtM. It took me 8 hours to finish…twice as much as it should be haha! Besides that, I’d have to agree with Ömer.

Hakan, my next question is for you. How do you design and balance challenging enemies and bosses in a Metroidvania game to maintain a sense of difficulty and progression?

Hakan: I try to design enemies/bosses around the playable characters' controls, so that each attack has clear openings and enough time to damage the enemy.

I’m guessing that’s easier said than done…which brings me to question; what is the most challenging and the most fun part of your input to the project?

Masum: I guess I'd say drawing the animation of the character is the most challenging part. Watching the animation after I’m finished is the most fun part.

Ömer: The part that I have the most difficulty with is understanding the dynamics of the game and industry norms because I was never a proper game player. The fun part is that I'm starting to overcome these and I'm gaining brand new learnings with my research and experiences.

I can relate to that! The satisfaction of completing something all done by you…I’m sure we are all going to feel that after the game is finished. I personally really enjoy the story itself. So Kağan, I’m sure I speak for everyone here when I ask you; how do you create a compelling narrative and story progression in a Metroidvania game?

Kağan: The narrative of a Metroidvania should be one of the parts of the game which lets the player keep going forward. And such a story needs to be interesting. Certain parts have to reveal a part of the plot and answer some questions which the player has regarding the story as the player progresses through the game.

The whole process needs a lot of inspiration. Not only for the story of course but overall. Some look at art, some play games, some go out for a walk…I personally do a mixture of all. What would you all say your primary sources of inspiration whilst creating the game are?

Kağan: To create a game with all the ideas and fantasies you have in mind is fun.

Hakan: As the name of the genre says Metroidvania the combination of metroid and castlevania. So my inspiration are mainly those games followed by other indie mv.

Masum: Other game images and soundtracks

Ömer: Behance, Gamedb, Youtube events, Reddit posts, a few gaming sites

Here’s a fun one; If your game's protagonist were to star in a movie, who would be the ideal actor to play them, and why?

Kağan: I would like to see Ryan Gosling playing the part of our main protagonist Einar. I think he is an amazing actor and he most certainly can bring up the mood changes which Einar will go through as the player progresses through the game.

Hakan: Kenjiro Tsuda, has a really unique voice suited for a protagonist.

Masum: Louis Hofmann. Because of his physical appearance.

Ömer: Pirates of the Caribbean - Jack Sparrow / The choices that confuse the whole story are the fact that he is a troublemaker and solves all the problems in his own way.

Ooo all great answers. I especially would love to see Captain Jack Sparrow - as he is one of my favorite characters of all time! Chris Hemsworth would be great I believe. But I guess that’s too obvious…Austin Butler maybe…

Lastly, what are you most looking forward to? During or after the game?

Kağan: It would be amazing to have a community which is trying to speedrun our game. These attempts could be really fun, which I'm looking forward to.

Hakan: Playing the finished game.

Masum: I am looking forward to seeing the reactions of the players for the game after releasing.

Ömer: I’m excited about the community that will form after the game is released and the interaction we’re going to have with the community.

I do too..Well, that brings us to the end. Thank you all for participating and a special thanks to everyone who read and answered with us from beginning to the end.