[Interview] In gesprek met de ontwikkelaar van Gori: Cuddly Carnage

Op Gamescom konden kregen we de kans om de aankomende game Gori: Cuddly Carnage te spelen. Een game die een sterke indruk heeft achtergelaten door een geniale combinatie van verschillende gameplay-elementen. Gori: Cuddly Carnage is in het kort te omschrijven als een schattig ogend moordkatje op een hoverboard gecombineerd met brute hack-and-slash-actie waarbij je hordes vijanden moet killen. Dit alles in combinatie met toffe muziek en indrukwekkende levels. Gemuteerde eenhoorns in stukken snijden? Als een moordkatje op een dodelijk hoverboard spelen? Klinkt geweldig, toch?

Wij vonden de game in elk geval erg vermakelijk toen we deze konden uitproberen op Gamescom. Gori: Cuddly Carnage ziet er ook nog eens erg strak uit en draaide snel én soepel. De gameplay is daadwerkelijk vermakelijk en de uniek ontworpen Gori tovert regelmatig een big smile op je gezicht.

Interview

We kregen de kans om de ontwikkelaar van de game te interviewen. Voor het interview kun je eerst nog een trailer van de game bekijken om te zien hoe leuk én gestoord Gori: Cuddly Carnage is! In het interview vroegen we onder andere naar hoe het idee van de game is ontstaan. Uiteraard kon ook de vraag niet ontbreken of de ontwikkelaar zelf ook een kat heeft…

1. A seemingly cute looking cat on a hoverboard who slaughters countless unicorns and other enemies. How did you come up with the idea?

It was basically a 4 week long, caffeine fueled prototype-session that gave birth to the ideas that layed the foundation of Gori: Cuddly Carnage. It was a long and strange road that ended up with an exciting result.

2. How long is the game in development and what where the biggest challenges?

The game development started in the end of 2019 with a first protype that we exhibited to the public to test the hoverboard powered skate and slash mechanic. The biggest challenges this far has been keeping the quality of all gameplay throughout the entire game on a level that we are satisfied with. There has gone in much rework on functions to really get to a point where we are happy with how all asepcts of the game plays and feels.

3. How do you think the Switch-version compares to the Steam-version?

The final versions of the game aren’t completed yet so I can’t say for sure what the differences will be.

Our aim with all platforms is that the game needs to be enjoyable for players. To achieve this, instead of “porting the game” from one platform to another, the game has been made from scratch to fit the different needs and wants of different platforms and consoles. I would love to talk more about this when we are closer to release.

4. You have showed the game at Gamescom to a lot of people. Are there things you are going to change with the feedback you got?

Absolutely. The game development has been very focused on the experience we want the player to have and much testing and changing has been done over the years. We intend on keeping playtesting and improving on the game until right before launch to make sure we deliver the best possible experience.

5. Music, like heavy metal, seems to play an important role in the game. Was this already at the beginning of the development or did you came up later with implementing the music in the game?

Music has been a major part of the game since we started prototping back in 2019. One of our co-founders is the Audio Director of the game so all music and SFX have been made hand in hand with visuals as the game grew. Visuals and music has inspired eachother throughout the process and it’s been realy fun working that way.

6. We have played the first level at Gamescom, which was pretty cool. How many levels will there be en will new levels bring new elements with it?

I can’t unveil this yet but we will make an announcement as we get closer to release.

7. Finally the most important question, do you guys also have a cat by yourself?

Unfortunately, no. Big sad face on this one.

I grew up on a farm on which we had around 20 cat living there (A few indoors, and others in the stable etc).

I loved it so much since they all had different personalities. It was just awesome getting home everyday to say hi to them all, it almost felt like the scene in “Despicable me” when Gru greets all his minions by name . Someday I want to have a cat but I need to make sure I have time and space for it so it can have a good life.