Review Fix Exclusive: Daniel Gillis Talks ‘Luna Shattered Hearts: Episode One’

Review Fix chats with game developer Daniel Gillis about “Luna Shattered Hearts: Episode One. Set for an October release via Steam if Greenlit, Gillis discusses his hopes for the game and how development successfully rebounded after a failed Kickstarter campaign.

Review Fix: What was the inspiration for the game?

Daniel Gillis: I wanted to create a world that was entirely underground and not bound by a tile-set grid.  Since I was a little boy I have drawn tunnels and caves and understand their allure and innate complexity.  In the real world cavers are continually pressing down to new depths and it’s truly one of the last frontiers for classic exploration on our planet.  This recipe is compelling in the real world and it is a great setting for a video game as well.  In terms of my general art direction I tried to do a mash-up of “Metroid-Vania” style.  I tried to maintain an edgy but retro-cutsie look throughout.  That basic style is my way of paying homage to the classics that I love.  The theme of the game is based around new beginnings, the idea that we’ve all messed up, and that there’s always new chances to do what’s right.

Review Fix: What was your frame of mind after the Kickstarter failed? How did it affect you?

Gillis: As a solo indie developer your game becomes like a child.  You care about it and are terrified to send it out into the world.  You don’t want anyone to “pick on” it and you have high hopes for it because you completely realize it’s potential.  To answer your question simply, I was disappointed and more than anything else I was exhausted.  The Kickstarter did teach me a few things.  If you don’t hit a goal, don’t freak out. Things will work out if you just take time to gather your thoughts.  Just don’t give up.  Giving up is the worst thing you can do.  You really get to find out who you are in the face of failure.  I was able to ask myself why am I doing this?  Am I looking for general acceptance from my peers or is this game truly a labor of love for me?  I chose the latter.

Review Fix: What’s the plan now? How is it going?

Gillis: My plan now is to keep pushing my boundaries and making the project as good as it can be. I am anxious to get Luna Episode 1 released so that I can start on Episode 2.  Progress is steady right now as I keep slowly checking things off the to-do list.  I have become resolved to finish the game and just let things flow more naturally. I have done what I can to learn from my mistakes and I’m not giving up on my game.  My immediate plan is to promote my Greenlight campaign that is going on now.  I would really like to offer the game through a community that I enjoy like Steam.  I’m going to be adding Luna to Desura and launching a Pre-Release Indie Bundle on Indie Gala very soon.  I am also updating my website www.gillisgames.com to host a free version that runs at a fixed 800,600 resolution in the browser for anyone that is not able to afford the paid version. Although, I don’t anticipate it costing that much.

Review Fix: What are your expectations now?

Gillis: I expect to be in ‘beta, fix, release’ phase until October.  I need to give the beta/pre-release crowed time to give me feedback.  The feedback you receive from this process is invaluable.   The reason for doing an episodic release is to try to get enough profits to free up time so that you can work on the project more.  If Episode 1 is a success the completion of Luna – Omnibus (ep1, ep2, and ep3 together) will happen a lot sooner.

Review Fix: What games did you play as a child and how did they influence this one?

Gillis: Wanderers from Ys, XEXYZ, anything Hironobu Sakaguchi.  Ys taught me how critical a games soundtrack and Sound FX are.  This is why I took the extra time to commission an original score.  The work I have done with Philipp at http://phrostylicious-productions.com/ is something I am really happy with.  XEXYZ is an NES game that my cousin Mike found on the school bus when we were kids and it was just a blast to play.  The style was so unique.  It had epic boss battles and a really fun side scrolling design. There are so many JRPGS that I draw inspiration from but I really like what Hironobu has been doing with Blue Dragon.  This is mainly because the game world was so compelling in that title. My all-time favorite game is FFXII. I think it is a masterpiece.

Review Fix: How many hours of gameplay are there?

Gillis: It is going to take most players 2-3 hours to beat the game mainly because you spend a lot of time ‘popping’ items and testing tactics against enemies.  If you are the type of player that attempts to get all of the random items then it could take you 7-10 hours.  I can beat it in 30 minutes but that’s because I have logged thousands of hours playing it.  The game will challenge your reflexes and intellect.  When I was watching the first play-throughs I was a little amazed at how long it was taking people to progress.

Review Fix: What gameplay feature in the game do you think is the coolest and why?

Gillis: The mechanics of the Love system are my favorite element.  It echoes the reality that in the real world nurtured relationships yield something useful, beneficial, and are not a waste of time.  The Love System is based around Dez who accompanies you throughout episode 1.  It does not play a huge part in the game play and can often times be completely ignored.   The people that do ignore it are going to be able to beat the game but they will likely be the ones saying that the game is too hard.  The mechanics of the Love System work like this.  Imagine a character that follows you around and aids in attacking enemies.  They also offer back story and advice as you advance.  Imagine she has a gauge that measures love.   It slowly ticks up when you stay near her, keep it from getting dark, ride zodapede beetles together, kill enemies, etc.  Emoticons in her HUD also reflect this so it’s pretty fun to watch.  When this has been maintained her love will max out at 100%.  When this happens and you die she will have the ability to revive you! (It is a 90% chance that she will.  I didn’t want people to be too reckless while playing) Often times the things you are doing for love are already mutually beneficial to both of you anyways.  For example, why would you want to play in the dark anyways?  When you use a health-potion it heals you both.  There is no complicated selection process.   If you let her die she will revive after a short time but her love will be at 0%.

So don’t expect her to revive you when you die if you have just let her die.  If her health drops below 50% she switches to Defensive mode and will get behind you so you are not stuck in a babysitting mode. Think of her as the parties ‘raiser’ and the Orb as the parties’ healer and light source.  It’s just a unique twist on an old recipe.  The Orb will trade its light energy to heal you up to 50% of your health.  This is useful but don’t abuse it because you will be harvesting light crystals constantly.  These systems all play off each other in a neat ‘circle’.  Most players will eventually understand the balance.  It’s a cool mechanic because you end up feeling more immersed and connected to the world around you.

Review Fix: What do you think this game needs in order to be as successful as you want it to be?

Gillis: I need to think outside the box and get it on as many platforms as I can so I can build an audience.  Some initial feedback I have received is that I need to add multi-language support.   This is advice I am listening to attentively and I need to come up with a strategy.   I will likely go multi-lingual once we reach the Omnibus stage.  This will guarantee I keep the same voice actors throughout and will be less of a logistical mess.   This will also give me time to make the engine changes needed to smoothly add these language packs.  The game needs exposure to be successful and if Kickstater taught me anything is that making the game isn’t enough.  You need to be able to promote what you have built.

Review Fix: Bottom line: Who should play this game and why?

Gillis: The game is a lot of fun to explore and experiment in.  If you like classic JRPG elements and platformers in the “Metroid-Vania” style you will really enjoy Luna.  Your time is rewarded by thinking outside the box as you progress through the game and trying to understand how the game world ‘ecosystems’ work.

Review Fix: What are your hopes for it? How do you want it to be remembered?

Gillis: I hope that Luna is remembered as a charming little game that was fun to explore and challenging to beat. Again the theme centers on new beginnings and second chances and pokes fun at the fallacy of preconceptions and judgment.  I made this game for the rejects in society that feel insignificant or hopeless.  I hope to inspire them to not surrender.

Check out a trailer for the game below: