Review Fix Exclusive: Inside ‘One Finger Death Punch 2’

“One Finger Death Punch 2” developer Jonathan Flook, who lets us know why the sequel to indie and mobile smash hit is just as awesome in its new form on consoles. A talented developer with plenty of stories to share and a wealth of knowledge, he gives us an inside look at his newest creation.

Review Fix: How was this game born?

Jonathan Flook: Back in 2011, One Finger Death Punch was originally called Your Kung Fu Is Not Strong.  The game was more about cool fight sequences and complex interactions between the enemies and the player.  The concept of our game at that time revolved around difficult stages that were rewarding to complete coupled with a kung fu vibe.  The initial play tests with our friends and family were a disaster.  It was too hard for anyone to enjoy.  The game was so complex that it completely excluded the casual gamer.  All our friend’s reactions were underwhelming.  They felt it was neat, but wasn’t a game they would want to play.

We knew the game was going in the wrong direction. We set out to make a game that shows off awesome kung fu like the film Drunken Master 2. What we created was a gameplay nightmare that showcased nothing but frustration.  

So what do you do when your game goes off the rails?  We took apart the entire code base and basically rebuilt the game from scratch.  The animations remained, but not much else.  What was the result?  A game that plays more like the final fight from the film The One.  It’s a much more furious and intense combat system.  After looking at the rebirth of this game, we realized the title Your Kung Fu Is Not Strong was no longer appropriate for the game.  So we renamed it One Finger Death Punch.

Review Fix: What was development like?

Flook: Development was long, grueling and difficult.  OFDP was originally created in XNA, a programming language that is no longer supported.  We had to transition to Unity 3D which had a big learning curve.  Remaking the entire game from scratch using Unity 3D was laborsome and worth it in the end. It gave us the opportunity to port the game over to many platforms.  So far it’s been four and a half years of development and needless to say we’re pretty exhausted with the whole process.

Review Fix: How does it feel to be headed to consoles?

Flook: Porting to consoles is always stressful and difficult.  We’re very worried about the game’s performance on consoles.  Our goal is to hit a solid 60 FPS at all times, but the game does a lot all at once. It may look simple but there is a lot going on in the background.

It’s nice to bring the game back console players since OFDP1 was originally built on the Xbox 360. It will be nice to have a new generation of players who can try it with a controller.

Review Fix: What lessons were learned in the first game and how did they affect this one?

Flook: It was less about lessons from the first game and more about lack of resources. If a player wants the game to feel fairer, play better, or be more accessible to a certain group, it’s not a design choice to exclude those things.  Most of the time it’s the fact that the two of us simply can’t do it any better with the resources we have.

There are many things I would have changed in OFDP1 but we didn’t have the money, time, or manpower to achieve them.

This time around we can do more with OFDP2 thanks to Unity 3D and longer development time.  We’re pretty much exploring the two-button concept to the max.  The gameplay is packed to the brim with real-time action.

Review Fix: What makes this game special?

Flook: OFDP2 suffers from the same problem that OFDP1 had.  Don’t judge a book by its cover.  The game’s all about gameplay.  The 1:1 response system is completely unique but it’s something that must be experienced.

Unfortunately, no one can be told what makes One Finger Death Punch 2 special.  You have to play it for your self to see.

Review Fix: What other games influenced this one the most?

Flook: All of our influence came from kung-fu films like Game of Death, Fist of Fury, The One, Drunken Master.  Other video games had no factor in our inspiration.  

Review Fix: Do you think preserving older gameplay mechanics in new games is important?

Flook: I think it’s important to make a video game that’s fun or that gives you a particular feeling.  Using the best gameplay mechanics to achieve that is important.  But I wouldn’t use older gameplay mechanics just because it’s well known, or people are accustomed to it.

I don’t think preserving older gameplay mechanics in new games is important.  I think it’s important to use whatever mechanics that work best for the game idea.

Review Fix: What’s your favorite memory as a gamer?

Flook: The final stage in Serious Sam: The First Encounter was pretty cool. In King’s Field, jumping off a cliff into complete darkness only to find a new sword at the bottom of what was most certainly death was cool. Playing Total Annihilation online for the first time.  Finding all the gnomes on my own in Plants vs Zombies 2.

Review Fix: Who will enjoy this game the most?

Flook: Action fans who want a quick hit of fun will really appreciate OFDP2 in my opinion.  We get right to the point, and we do it as quickly as possible.  People have hundreds of games to play, most are prettier more beautiful that OFDP2.  But we didn’t build the game to compete with all the other games out there.  We built it to be a quick hit of action between games.  A pallet cleanser if you will.  There’s a place for OFDP2 in everyone’s game collection because it’s not competing with any of the other games.

Review Fix: How do you want this game to be remembered?

Flook: I want OFDP2 to be remembered as the fastest brawler ever made.

Review Fix: What’s next?

Flook: What comes after OFDP2, we don’t know. It depends on how the game does I guess.  If it tanks hard, it could very well be our last game.  If it does well, we would like to try to make a few smaller little games, just as passion projects.

Review Fix: Anything else you’d like to add?

Flook: Thank you for your interest in OFDP2.  I hope to show everyone that simple controls don’t mean a simple game or a mobile game.