Ashen by AURORA44 is another ID@Xbox title that has been building quite a following since its announcement in 2014. An open world survival, combat and exploration videogame that dares you to form friendships or risk survival alone in the barren landscape. We managed to grab Derek Bradley, CEO of AURORA44 for a quick Q & A.
caws09: Do you believe that games such as Ashen can compete in this day and age with the big budget releases? If so, what does the game offer that others don't?
I absolutely do. Games like Ashen sit in a unique position in that we can try new things that might be too risky for AAA projects. Similar to how movies work, the bigger blockbusters will always have the most explosions and A list stars, but something more in line with Ashen wants to make sure you experience something new. This is great for us, we love pushing the limits of what is possible with games.
TheWayneyG: Have you looked at anything from other games or TV shows for the relationship story side of the game and do any games or shows relate to the story or is it something totally new?
One movie/book that influenced us a lot at the start was The Road. There is something in the simplicity and harshness of that world that really drew us in. The TV series Vikings is also something we looked to for inspiration for story and style.
Having said that so many things have fed into the look and feel of Ashen, from our own travels around New Zealand and the world, to music, art and simple, every day life.
gingerneo: RPG games are generally quite long affairs. How many hours worth of content are there in a single playthrough, and are you hoping the non-linearity of the game will encourage people to play through more than once?
We absolutely hope the non-linear nature of Ashen will encourage replays. The story and gameplay will be different with each playthrough. One good example of this is the NPCs you manage to get in your town. Each NPC gives the player unique access to story content, crafting and character progression.
At the same time, the NPCs you find are not set in stone, so each person will find their NPCs in a different order, and many people will not have all NPCs in their town by the end of the game. Because of this, players will need to adapt to what they have available to survive, and each playthrough will offer different challenges and story perspectives.
We are aiming for a fast playthrough at 13 hours (only main storyline), an average playthrough at 20 hours (main story line + side quests) and a more completionist approach to take 30 hours. Having said that, replays, multiplayer and the open world nature of Ashen do open it up to far longer total playtimes.
Emotionalworm: In the trailer we shown some enemies, who are they and what role do they take in the game?
The skeletal enemies you saw in our E3 trailer are plant creatures that reanimate those who fall in the dark dungeons of Ashen. They consume corpses down to the bones, mimicking the musculature of their host bodies and are always searching for fresh bodies to feed on and carry them further.
Big B 1970: The player characters are unusual in that they don't have faces, why did you decide to design them like that?
We want players who meet each other out in the wild to judge each other by their actions rather than their looks. Taking the faces away gets us one step closer to allowing people to not judge the book by the cover.
At the same time, it gives the characters in Ashen a fresh look, and that is something we are always searching for as game designers.
TheAshCohen09: Were there any challenges that prohibited you doing anything within the game you wanted to?
Absolutely, if we did everything we wanted to, Ashen would be as ambitious as GTA.
A good example of this is our Art style. We wanted Ashen to have a style with real personality, so we set out from the start dedicated to keeping a small art team on the project. This is a decision we made to ensure the original vision behind the style didnt become diluted, but it is also a limitation that means we needed to be clever about how we approach building a massive open world.
Having said that, the limitations we have make us try new things and come up with creative solutions to problems. In the end, the limitations we have had have actually made Ashen a stronger game with a more unique style.
Subz87: Can you explain how combat works in Ashen?
Combat in Ashen is very much tactical real time combat. There are blocking, counter-attacking, rolls, thrown weapons, heavy and light attacks.
Essentially, you should be able to play the whole game with whatever weapon feels best, because the key to combat in Ashen is how you approach it, not necessarily the strength of your weapon... though a well crafted weapon does make things a lot easier.
There are also character perks and weapon upgrades that allow players to customise their combat style so it fits like a glove.
OrgasmWord: With lots of games I feel you need dlc to progress at a decent speed, will that be the case with this game ?
There are no plans for DLC in Ashen at the moment. It is very much a stand alone game that delivers the full, tailored experience from start to finish.
As gamers, we want Ashen to be the most immersive experience it can be for anyone who jumps into this world. So once you have the game, the only thing you should have to think about is enjoying it.
Caws 09: How can you be sure that no two games will ever be the same?
I covered this a bit in a previous question, but the two main things that ensure this are that each persons town will develop differently as they find different NPCs out in the world and story choices the player makes will drastically change the fate of their town.
These are the two main things, but there are a lot of smaller choices we have made that support this. One example is the size and complexity of the land. Players wont need to explore every corner of the world to complete Ashen... in fact, it will take a skilled explorer to achieve full exploration in one playthrough.
gingerneo: Will the relationships you forge with people, or don't forge affect the events in the game and the outcome at the end of it?
Great question, and yes they absolutely will. There are a number of ways the NPCs you have strong relationships with will influence your game.
Firstly, each NPC will have their own perspective and theories on what they think about the changes that are taking place in the world. For you as a player, there is no wrong or right answer... so who you choose to believe and which causes you decide to champion will greatly influence the outcome of the game.
Secondly, your view of the world will be shaped by which NPCs you are lucky enough to come across and survive with out in the wilderness. Some you might not find, others will tragically die and a lucky few will make it back to the safety of your town.