Review Fix chats with Chris Suffern who discusses his new game “Super Mutant Alien Assault,†which is currently available on Steam, Xbox One and PlayStation 4. An eclectic mix of combat, violence and awesome weaponry, it’s a game that’ll definitely cater to “Hotline Miami†and “Unreal Tournament†fans.
Review Fix: What games inspired this one?
Chris Suffern: Many. I’m as much a gamer as I am a developer. I’m always influenced by the games I play and love. So there are many, but I’ll just list the first 3 that pop to mind.
The core influence is Super Crate Box. I found the core concept of forcing the player to rapidly switch weapons tantalizing. Most games let you find your favorite weapons and then stick with them, as players like to play optimally. But this can get repetitive and boring. This forced rapid weapon switching mechanic was an exciting concept I wanted to explore.
Another main influence was Unreal Tournament. Their diverse range of creative weapons really stood out to me. At the time I was heavily playing Unreal Tournament, my friends were playing Counter Strike. I just couldn’t get into Counter Strike as the contrast in weapon sets was startling. Creative and diverse weapons have been a love of mine ever since.
Hotline Miami influenced my game in two ways. First was the soundtrack. Not in style, but in quality. Hotline Miami was the first soundtrack that I actually wanted to listen to outside of playing the game. And when my favorite track played in the game, well that was just magical. So I strived to compile an equally compelling soundtrack for my game. Second was persistent gore. The fact that enemies and the effects of combat stayed in the level forever had a powerful effect. Something I wanted in my game as well.
Review Fix: What has development been like?
Suffern: The full range of emotions. From huge highs to huge lows. The peaks and valleys do stand out. Game development valleys are incredibly hard. Blood, sweat and tears, figuratively. Okay, maybe some literal tears in my case. But the peaks offset that. Making games is such a fun and creatively rewarding experience. Then there are the huge swathes of midground. The long grind, when you know what you need to do, you know how to do it, and it just takes a damn long time to do it.
Review Fix: Bottom line, why must someone play this game?
Suffern: This game is an electric potent mix of fast skill based action, dynamic combat systems, brutal meaty violence, heart pumping backing tracks, and forced diverse creative weapon switching. There really is nothing quite like it in the games market. It’s why I had to make it. It’s why everyone must play it.
Review Fix: How do you want this game to be remembered?
Suffern: A best-in-class arcade platformer; with a focus on skill, dynamic combat, and a fantastic range of diverse weaponry you are forced to explore and use well to survive.
Review Fix: What are your goals for this game?
Suffern: My primary goal as a developer is to make a game I enjoy and want to play. Mission accomplished. I’ve enjoyed the hell out of playing this game during development. As much as I’ve played it, I can still pick it up today and have a blast. My second goal is to have enough financial success that I can fund my next game. I don’t need to get rich off SMAA, but I do want it to be financially successful enough that I can continue being a game developer full time. I love game development. It’s where my passion and talents intersect. I can’t see myself doing anything else. I have so many more games I want to make.
Review Fix: What’s next?
Suffern: Definitely another game. What exactly, I’m not sure yet. I have plenty of ideas, but they range in scope. I need to see how SMAA goes first, and see how large a game I can fund next.
Review Fix: Anything else you want to say?
Suffern: Three years ago I took a leap of faith and started this journey. It was just a dream. If someone had told me in three years time I would be releasing a game on Steam, PS4 and Xbox One, with the help of a publisher, I would have had a hard time believing them. I strongly believe people should have dreams, and they should be pursuing them. So if you don’t have one, get one. And if you do have one, and aren’t pursuing it, get after it.
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