Review Fix chats with Out of Bounds Games’ Alexander Birke to learn everything about this nifty PlayStation Vita shooter. From the development process to its goals moving forward, Birke lets us know what went into creating the fun and uniquely retro experience behind the game.
Review Fix: What was the developmental process like?
Alexander Birke: Laser Disco Defenders started out as a prototype for the online Ludum Dare game jam in 2015. Since the response was pretty good I decided to polish it up and release it for free to drum up some interest in my new company. However I showed this prototype to Excalibur Games, and they ended up becoming my publisher instead so I could turn it into a fully-fledged game.
In terms of the actual process of making the game, it surprised me how much effort I had to put into the procedural aspect of the design. A lot of procedural games such as Minecraft allows the player to alter the world, so if the generation is a bit wonky, they can just put down blocks to fix it. In an action game the focus is not on building so it’s up to you as a game designer to make sure the levels your generation spits out are both playable and enjoyable. It took about 2 months of work and 4 different iterations on this system to get it right. If you are interested in following the development of the game in more detail I’d suggest you follow the game’s development blog.
Review Fix: What games influenced this one the most?
Birke: In terms of general design principles I’m inspired by Vlambeer’s games. They always feel great to play and provide a lot of juicy feedback to the player so that’s something I’m focused on also having in LDD. In terms of the visual look of the game though I wanted to do something very different from the retro pixel art style their games always use. I think one of the reasons I chose Space Disco and 70s sci-fi movies is that there’s few games out there that use this theme so you get to come up with all these new and exciting designs as a result. The procedural generation in The Binding of Isaac was also helpful to study on a general level but it had to be changed quite a lot to work with the gameplay of LDD.
Review Fix: Who put the soundtrack together on this one?
Birke: The soundtrack is composed by Matthew Walker from Bristol based Red Panda Audio. He’s done a really good job of creating a soundtrack that both plays homage to classic disco and also giving the game a unique voice.
Review Fix: What do you think stands out most about this game from a gameplay perspective?
Birke: Definitely the lasers bouncing around indefinitely that can also hurt the player. In other twin stick shooters you can shoot as much as you want but in LDD you have this extra layer of split second decisions like “Should I shoot this turret now or see if I can line up my shot so it hits more than one enemy?†It gives the gameplay a lot more depth.
Another cool aspect is our outfit system. The game features 4 playable characters that each have their own characteristics such as different speed and health. You can then customize how they play based on what kind of outfit you put them in. Do you prefer to move really quickly and shoot a lot of lasers? Or take your time and make fewer more precise shots? You can pick the combination of character and outfit that best suits your playstyle.
Review Fix: How do you want this game to be remembered?
Birke: Well that’s quite a grand question to be asked! As a fun and innovative game that people really enjoyed playing.
Hickey Jr.: Bottom line, why should someone play this?
Birke: If they want a fun, energetic and groovy experience then Laser Disco Defenders is the game to get. It’s got gameplay you won’t find in any other twin-stick shooter or action game.
Review Fix: Any plans on a PS4 release?
Birke: It’s still a bit too early to talk what platforms the game will be released for other than the Vita. Personally I want to get the game on as many platforms as possible it fits on. The main criteria is that it needs a controller with dual analog sticks and the Dual Shock definitely fits that bill.
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