Independent developer Black Forest Games has taken the risky option of changing direction with their game Dieselstörmers mid-production. They have ‘retired’ the game’s RPG for a ”roguelike experience.”.
They felt the game ”could be so much more,” and after going through community feedback opted for a ”rogue-like concept” for Dieselstörmers. The team had to avoid ‘damaging the core’ of the game.
”We knew that we have a great game in the making with lots of potential. But we also realized that our concept wasn’t able to convince players from the start. Internal play sessions as well as community feedback showed to us that Dieselstörmers could be so much more,” Jean-Marc Haessig, the studio’s Creative Director explains.
“So we put our heads together, analyzed community feedback, discussed new ideas and came up with the rogue-like concept for Dieselstörmers. After we turned it into a prototype and played it, we knew that we had a rough diamond in our hands.”
Certain mechanics had to be sacrificed as they didn’t fit the new design, like weapon customisation. Unlockable perks survived but underwent alteration to match the roguelike changes. Subterranean levels have been added and include their own biomes.
Now Dieselstörmers mixes classic rogue-like mechanics with platform-style controls. It supports up to four player in local and online co-op multiplayer. Procedurally generated maps form around ”predesigned chunks and interactable objects” that are semi-random in each level.
Dieselstörmers is available through Steam Early Access for £13.99, and it’s currently 20% off.
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