Carrying out a project, of whatever magnitude it may be, is a daunting task. In a market in which the saturation of video games is constant every day, it is practically impossible to stand out from the huge offer that pounces on us.
A matter of luck on many occasions, there are many works that remain by the wayside, even if they are published. However, there are only a few essential ingredients in the formula for success: hard work and perseverance.
Aeterna Noctis is one of the most interesting games to be presented for the end of this year. A metroidvania that must be measured against true masters of the genre such as Hollow Knight or the Ori saga from Moon Studios. Chatting with Hugo Gómez and Fernando Sánchez, founders of Aeternum Game Studios , we have been able to learn the keys to why you should be aware of what the King of Darkness has in store for us.
A unique style, a reminder of everything
From difference, virtue is born. Therefore, it is essential to create your own path and clearly mark the steps. During the first previews, the references to Hollow Knight have been constant , something that Hugo does not deny, but he assures that there is much more behind.
“Hollow Knight is one of them, but we’ve always leaned more towards anime. There are a lot of references to Studio Gihbili, Castlevania classics, old 90s classics like Chrono Trigger or Final Fantasy VI. Almost the entire template is from that era, We have played everything a lot and we love that world. We wanted to make a reference to each thing and to remember the best moment lived by each player with that reference, but never to the point that it is founded.
Obviously, the first section is very inspired by Hollow Knight and we have not hidden it at all. However, other areas that we have revealed are based on other games and, above all, movies. Despite everything, much of what we have not taught is not based on anything in particular. “
What’s more, they turn these potential criticisms into a compliment, since for Fernando it is a positive comparison. It all started “when the cave teaser arrived” and from that moment the arrows pointed to a close relationship with Hollow Knight .
“Look, these guys are making a car and it looks like a Ferrari” Thanks! You’re comparing me to number one. Of course, as soon as you start teaching the moor or the cemetery they begin to appreciate the differences. How do you compare us to Hollow Knight, Castlevania …? We are delighted, although Aeterna Noctis has its character and by the time the launch arrives / nears, it will gain its own name; that is the intention”.
It will be a process that we will have to discover little by little , as is evident. A title that is framed within this genre has many secrets within it and it will be necessary to explore them thoroughly to know them all.
Because anyone who has grown up in the 80s, 90s or 2000s will be able to feel that moment in which they connect, in which they find that friendly reference that makes them smile . The dedication on the part of the animation team has been key in providing the work with a recognizable aesthetic style.
“In the end, Aeterna Noctis has a unique art style. We start from the assumption that all art is based on a mix with an anime, with a level of detail slightly higher than Hollow Knight and a little lower than Ori and a range of colors that we always try to treat the same.
For example, in one area there is a reference to Spirited Away through a train going through the sea, but everything else is an art created for Aeterna. They are small details that remind the player of those moments, but imbued with the art of the game. Most of the reviews we have received say that it “looks like”, “reminds me a lot” (in a good way), but it is still Aeterna “.
Obviously, it is very complex not to fall into repetition or to reference not only external elements, but also own ones. The mind combines many visions and memories and can even unconsciously create something that is thought original and is not, as happened to Blasphemous. With 16 areas to explore , Fernando clarifies that the best is yet to come and show.
“It has been a challenge, because there are 16 different and unique areas. For now we have shown the most initial part of the game, but the next areas that we will show will be more innovative both on a decorative, visual and mechanical level. The difficult thing about Aeterna has been to avoid the risk of being a potpourri, but through the particles or backlights we have managed to achieve a great result “.
The weight of the story
Creating the right environment is vital to the survival of a work, but it must be accompanied by a story. That ingredient that captivates you for hours, that maintains the intrigue and deepens the mystery. And this is something that since Aeternum they have taken good note and do not intend to leave behind. Hugo is clear about it, since ” history is vital for us ” and the construction of the lore is the point “where we have turned the most.”
“The main thread is very deep, in metroidvania it does not usually have a great depth in this sense. The weight is carried by this aspect and we want to reflect it in the secondary missions. They all weigh on the plot, contribute lore and none of them is typical They all have an undertone and a huge amount of pop culture nods. “
Fernando did not want the gameplay to conflict with the story (or vice versa), so the bet on both sides was an irrefutable bet. “Being able to work both parts, why not pamper them? (…) When you do a mission we want you to do it for the bonus that the game gives you and because you reveal things from the story; double reward.”, Explains one of the founders.
Be careful, not all events to discover that new bit of plot will have us facing a being from hell capable of ending us with a single stroke. There will be time to moments much lighter , in which we stop to read.
“There is lore content as simple as it can happen in Dragon Age. You find a book, you read a fragment and it is one more piece of history that you incorporate, that you can choose whether to see or not. There is an achievement system for finding the lore, to the most complete “.
The way of narrating is also key. We will breathe an environment seriously, although that has not prevented adding a few drops of humor to the formula. Of course, not everything is going to be reading or paying attention to what Aeterna Noctis tells us, since for those who want to get to the point they will be able to do so without problems . Of course, we will have “several cinematics to explain things. They are delivered at key moments in history, in characters like the Chronicler.”
On the other side we have those who are attracted to what the King of Darkness has to tell us. The Forge that we were able to test in its advance showed us glimpses of what awaits us and will always be hollow to the imagination of the public, since ” the secondary missions give to theorize , many of them do not finish closing”.
Sweat ink and waste your thumbs
All this is very nice and we sign under any document as long as we can see it in the final work, but here we have come to play and Aeterna Noctis allows just concessions . During the game we were able to get our hands on, we ended up suffering a lot.
The enemies were relentless, with really hard-to-dodge attacks and treacherous traps at breakneck speeds. I knew this was a challenge, but I was totally surprised by the fierceness of the stage. Hugo clarifies that ” Aeterna Noctis is categorized as a difficult game . The average player can pass it, it is challenging but not impossible, now the challenges are difficult or very difficult.”
Our protagonist will have unique skills that we were able to test in the demo. An arrow capable of transporting us several meters that will adopt new forms of use as the game progresses or weapons such as a sword and a scythe that allow us to do damage or collect orbs with which to heal ourselves.
To enhance this aspect, “each of them have their own set of skills and although not all have 100% invented mechanics, they do give them an extra that has not been seen so far. There will be mobility skills, weapons and from the skill tree itself. “
Of course, to make a proper deployment of the entire arsenal, it will be necessary to have some category enemies and here we will not be able to complain. There will be more than 100 enemies and “none of them is a recycling of a previous one, they are all different”. Although they may share some mechanics, they all have different ones and although the combat system “lends itself to imitation”, each of the movements will have to be done in a different way.
The demo of Aeterna Noctis did frustrate me in some situation regarding the platform. Perhaps a not so calculated requirement when passing between two blocks or the slower speed of some traps would help to obtain a better experience. From the study they demonstrate the collection of feedback and ensure that “we have adjusted with respect to the last test (…) The enemies have also balanced, but not crazy either. The game will continue to be difficult, but it is fair”. Fernando sets out the vision in a clearer way:
“The main thread should be able to be passed on to everyone, for this we have a good team of beta testers. Now the balance is present, the story is surpassed by all the players and the secrets are the most complicated. sometimes or maybe the first time because you are inspired, but that challenge must be present. We believe that a metroidvania for the purity of one’s own genre must be difficult, although I already said, we are measuring that everyone can see the story “.
By the way, caramel for the most demanding. Hugo puts long teeth on the most kamikazes and points out that ” there are Korean challenges, as I say, challenges that very few people will be able to overcome . They will have to die.” All this for an adventure that will last around 20 hours and “with double or triple secrets, depending on the ability of each one”.
A development in exceptional circumstances
Nobody could wait for it, it was very difficult to adapt and not everyone managed to get ahead. The coronavirus hit (and hits) our lives in 2020 and all types of industry were affected to a greater or lesser extent. Video games were no exception, although the resistance was clear: 83% of the projects were not canceled, fortunately.
Aeterna Noctis is part of that group, in which 15 direct employees have retained their jobs, something that Fernando emphasizes when stating that ” 100% that Aeterna starts, 100% ends Aeterna “.
“We have had an advantage with that, because we were born with COVID. The good thing is that we are technology companies, so a month before it got involved, we were already with teleworking. We moved all that issue with agility. Aeternum Game Studios It is a new project, but remote and face-to-face work has been perfectly dualized.
The physical presence offers you that direct feedback and from the company we have looked for a very large premises, with all the relevant security measures. We have not suffered it like other companies, but we have already started with that and we have continued down that path “.
Pride is another flag that Fernando and Hugo carry ahead, since “each one of the signings and members that we have rescued from other companies of ours have been brutal incorporations”. Have you had to deal with crunch, a practice of which we know so many examples in the sector? The refusal is clear and even the conditions for its employees are a value to be taken into account in the management.
“One of the philosophies that we have very clear is care: people should work at ease and comfortably, because otherwise you don’t give 100%. We have an internal bar in the studio, on your birthday you don’t work, on your child’s birthday you go ahead of time because it is important to eat with your child … that is, work is important, but life is more important. We have been fortunate to be very organized, we have worked very well. “
Against this background, deeper issues and intrinsic to the environment itself may also arise. Art versus profitability , a debate still present that they themselves are clear about; neither of the two concepts can coexist without the other.
“The video game is a product with art, one thing is not separated from another. What is clear is that it has to be a company, which entails control, expenses and benefits. If you do something without that control, you are going to do art, but you won’t be able to stick with it unless you’re really lucky.
It is true that Aeterna Noctis has been treated as a company, because it is a product with art since it is full of artists. Decorators, programmers, musicians … they all make art in code. Like Aeternum Game Studio, the goal is for the product to be profitable in order to continue giving more, it’s that simple. We can grow more, dedicate ourselves to something that we like. “
The last brushstrokes of the painting
For the most layman, when a video game reaches the gold phase , it means that its launch is just around the corner. With surprise he received more than one that although Aeterna Noctis has reached this point, its arrival is scheduled for December, a pronounced time jump. A workspace that the developer intends to take advantage of.
“People said, ‘if you are in the gold phase, you will go out the next month.’ Sure, if you don’t go out in eight languages and on all platforms, so it takes longer. It’s not 100% finished either, the core is, but we are refining a lot of aspects and adapting to the market of each country. The Asian market requires certain adjustments that perhaps other territories do not request. That is what is taking us more now, since June. “
Both Hugo and Fernando do not want to leave anything in the pipeline, so they continue to evaluate the possibility of incorporating new facets through their whishlist (wish list). “They have recommended suggestions for that list, we put them in and if we have time, we include them in the game. People are going to find things that they have asked and that are very cool .”
This feedback with the community seems fundamental, it is one of the cornerstones on which the project pivots.
“We read everything, absolutely everything that circulates on the networks about the game. What they criticize, we analyze and for that we have the rule of three, which is when three people point out the same thing, we review it. The cover was good in a At first, but from feedback on the face, we realized that it could be better and we did.
Our first Aeterna Noctis, the one we introduced with the Kickstarter, was a long way off the Aeterna Noctis it is now. It has grown to a very high level and all of you who enjoy it hope you will notice it too. “
Aeterna Noctis will arrive on December 15th on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. In addition, it will also land on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X / S and Nintendo Switch.
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