Review Fix Exclusive: Inside ‘Dark Flame’

Review Fix chats with “Dark Flame” creator Warren Smith, who talks about his awesome retro-inspired PC game, letting us know how Konami’s stubbornness and his passion for the genre proved to be a driving force in the creation of the game.

Review Fix:  What was the inspiration for this game?

Warren Smith: To be quite honest, I started working on this game because I was tired of waiting on Konami to make another Castlevania. I was deployed (US Military) back in June 2013 when I first started. Normally, people tend to find a hobby to do during their off time. Some play music or go to the gym, but I decided to learn how to code. I brought a book on learning to code in XNA and a laptop and just went to work. I never made a game design document or anything. I literally just made many small projects to learn something new about programming. I eventually decided to start working on a platformer engine that just happend to slowly turn into what it is now – Dark Flame.

Review Fix:  What has development been like?

Smith: A lot of (really fun) work. Development has literally been my second job for the last three years. I’ve held a full time job (and even did some school) while working on this game. I’ve sacrificed many hours of wanted sleep just so I could “pick away” at the code. I think everything behind the indie game development scene is so expansive – I wouldn’t have comprehended it without diving into it like an idiot! I realized I’m pretty good at failing at just about any kind of marketing portion, but those few positive comments I get go a long way. I love watching people’s reactions and videos when they play the game, and most of all, I love when they get excited playing it.

Review Fix:  What games did you play as a kid? How did they influence this one?

Smith: I’ve had many different influences in regards to this game. The most noticeable one is the old Castlevania series back when I think they were better (2D). There was just something about the art style in those games that I loved more than other 2D style games. Hi-resolution art is great and all, but I think there’s something about the pixel art that still brings to the imagination. Another more apparent one is from the soul’s games. I love the immersion involved in this series. There are many other games that influenced me including Diablo and Final Fantasy.

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

Smith: I want every feature to be the coolest! I’m not sure – I think if I had to choose I would say either the weather system or the spell mechanics. I’m currently working on the Pyre system (spell mechanics) to where players can socket magic stones into their weapons to add new effects, carry spells, and imbue weapons with elemental damage. The stones can also gain experience and be upgraded. It’s currently a work in progress, but I’m having a ton of fun working on it (and play testing it).

Review Fix:  Bottom line, why should someone play this?

Smith: They should play it because it’s fun. That’s really it. It doesn’t matter if I slaved away three years to work on it or anything. The bottom line is that people should only play games that are fun. I don’t believe in pay to win games or “time wasters”… don’t get me started on mobile apps… I think that many games these days are losing sight of basic gaming mechanics that made games fun. Games don’t need to be made from a AAA title or have the best graphics in the world to be the best, they just need to be fun. I believe that Dark Flame has that potential to be one of those great games.

Review Fix:  This game would be a blast on the go. Any plans for a 3DS or PlayStation Vita version?

Smith: I don’t plan that far ahead. Haha – but seriously… I would like to release this on PC/Console as these were my first intentions when I started working on Dark Flame. If I am able to, I would port them to handhelds. Right now, I just need to focus on finishing the game.

Review Fix:  What are your goals for the game?

Smith: To finish it! I just recently created a Patreon page to procure funding to pay for assets like art and music. It’s great because it allows me some kind of funding while being able to give back to supporters in a low-risk way to patrons. I’m currently adding all the features into the game that I believe are necessary for a fantastic one-player experience. If I had all the funding I needed, I believe it would take no more than a year to complete at this point. So my main goal is really to get funding while I polish mechanics and create new features.

Review Fix:  What’s next?

Smith: Next as in after I finish Dark Flame? I already have ideas for other games. To be quite honest, I would love to have my own game studio and continue making games. I often dream about that stuff, but I try not to do it for too long or work wouldn’t get done! Normally when I think of “what’s next?” it’s more like- do I want to work on the spell system or enemy AI today?