I recently had the chance to speak with Saehoon Lee and DongJin Jeon about the upcoming game RemiLore. Please take a look below.
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JB: RemiLore is a very interesting take on the hack n slash genre, as well as the roguelike genre. What was your inspiration for the game?
SL/DJ: In general, RemiLore is more of a “rogue-lite” experience than a true roguelike. The game has some elements from the rogue genre, but we wanted to make something that is lighter and easier to pick up and play, and a bit less hardcore than a typical roguelike game. Our prime inspiration was that we really felt like there was a lack of colorful, anime-style games in this genre; most roguelikes have dark and gruesome themes.
JB: How do you hope to make the game’s identity known? i.e. how do you hope it will stand out?
SL/DJ: We wanted to create a game that can be enjoyed by players who are new to the roguelike genre. Games in this genre are played mostly by hardcore players and the gameplay is typically very difficult, which raises the entry barrier for newcomers. For these players, we think RemiLore can be an easy introduction.
Also, unlike many other roguelike games, RemiLore’s primary gameplay is based on fast-paced melee combat. So, players who are used to shooters or dungeon crawlers can enjoy a different type of action experience.
RemiLore has strong character and story elements, too. Our goal was to make players feel like they’ve had a story experience similar to watching an anime film. After playing the game, players will know who the characters are, what their relationships are, why they were a part of this story and how it ends.
JB: The anime influence in the game is a very interesting choice. Some might think this is an unusual art style for such a game. What led to the decision to go this route?
SL/DJ: We love anime and its style. As mentioned before, we felt that a combination of anime and the rogue genre was long overdue. We’ve heard from fans who want it – and we wanted it! – so the decision to go with an anime style was not a difficult one to make.
JB: What games do you feel influenced you in designing this game?
SL/DJ: We created RemiLore because we felt like it would be unique experience and something that people would enjoy playing. The game was certainly influenced by the rogue genre, but we can’t say that there was any one game that was a major influence. We like the idea of creating something we want to play, as opposed to waiting for it to be made by someone else.
JB: What games influenced you as designers in general, either as favourites or games you felt were truly innovative?
SL/DJ: Again, we can’t point to any one game for the design influence, but certainly the character and story elements are reminiscent of some JRPG games, and the gameplay is not unlike some third-person action games. Those are probably the genres we grew up playing most, but we don’t have one specific game that we wanted to base RemiLore on.
When it comes to developing a new game, we typically don’t look too much into other games for inspiration. When the game’s direction has been decided, we spend time focusing on the game itself and improve upon it based on what makes the most sense for that particular game, as opposed to trying to compete with other games or mimicking the elements from something else.
JB: What has been the best part of making RemiLore?
SL/DJ: Making a game is a fantastic journey. Obviously, you have some plans in the beginning, but you never really know exactly how it will turn out in the end. So, for us, the best part of making RemiLore is the entire process. Writing the story, creating the art, programming the code. We enjoy every bit of it.
But, if we had to pick one part, it would probably be creating the characters of Remi, Lore and Choux. They are charming, funny and mischievous, and together they tell the story of friendship through a strange, but exceptional, journey. We loved sitting together as a team, talking about the personalities of the characters, what they would say to each other and imagining how the story would unfold. It’s that type of creative process that really fuels our passion for game development.
Also, developing RemiLore gave us the opportunity to work with many different creative talents from all over the world, like voice actors from Rush Style, cosplayers from team Spiral Cats and of course the people who we met at the various events we attended. Having these contributors and fans join us on our journey has been a great experience for us and we’re thankful for their support.
JB: RemiLore looks like a game that is a bit of a genrebuster. Did the game change direction as it was made at all?
SL/DJ: The general direction of the game has not changed; our goal was to create a rogue-lite game that had in-depth characters and a full story as well. We decided later to add full Japanese voice-over as well as an extended story mode featuring an alternate playable character. The game is a mixture of elements from traditional roguelikes and story-based JRPGs.
RemiLore also features bright and beautiful worlds that are not very common in the rogue genre. We like to say that the direction of the game has evolved throughout the development, not necessarily “changed.” Making adjustments is easy because we’re a small team that can make quick decisions regarding new additions and enhancements that we think will benefit the overall game and improve the player experience.
JB: Should RemiLore be a success, what would you like to do next with the IP?
SL/DJ: There are a lot of things we would like to do with the world of RemiLore. During the conversations between the main characters in the story, a lot of background lore and unseen characters are mentioned. One day, we hope we can continue the story…and introduce more characters, too!
JB: The ambitious scope of the game is clear for all to see. Do you ever take a step back and appreciate how far the project has come?
SL/DJ: We feel like we’ve achieved a lot, given a relatively short development time of around a year and a half, and we’re really happy with what we’ve created. What started as a small two-person collaboration has grown into something far more ambitious, yet something we’re still very proud of. Team RemiLore currently consists of three core developers, but we couldn’t have gotten this far without the help of others, both in terms of development and moral support. So, we would like to give thanks to everyone who has helped us get this far. We’d also like to mention that the game would not be able to shine without the support from Nicalis, so big thanks to them as well!
JB: Is there anything you would like to say to the readers of Real Otaku Gamer?
SL/DJ: We’ve put our hearts and passions into the making of RemiLore and we really hope everyone will enjoy the game as much as we have enjoyed making it. We are doing our best to get the game released soon, so stay tuned for a release date!
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Thank you again for doing this.
You can follow the game’s progress on twitter @RemiLore
The game is being published by Nicalis and you should also follow them for more information @nicalis