Audio Logs

The Blades of Chaos almost didn't make it into God of War, but the game's development team wouldn't let them go. Cory Barlog breaks down how he and the team at Sony Santa Monica wrote the powerful scene where Kratos uncovers them. Specifically, Barlog discusses Kratos deciding to again wield the Blades of Chaos, his weapons from the previous God of War games that he had hoped to leave in the past.

Game developers are often inspired by the works of others, and the experiences that have stuck with them often go on to shape what they make. Studio MDHR's Cuphead, for example, very obviously draws its aesthetic from the 1930s era of Disney and Fleischer animation. However, beyond the gorgeous visuals, Cuphead's developers also pay homage to classic video games across multiple genres. We previously explored the fighting game influences of Cuphead, but in episode two of Audio Logs we caught up with lead game designer Jared Moldenhauer, who talked about how one of the game's most memorable sequences--the journey through King Dice's Dice Palace--is the studio's love letter to Treasure and Sega's shoot-em-up classic Gunstar Heroes, among other games.

Dead Cells was one of the surprise hits of 2018, blending rogue like elements with the familiar action-platforming of Castlevania and Metroid. The game was one of the more notable success stories from Steam Early Access, where it initially launched as a polished but limited version of what it'd eventually become. Over the course of months, French developer Motion Twin iterated on the experience, taking into account player feedback. The result was a game that garnered widespread critical acclaim, including a 9/10 score from us. But Dead Cells' path to success was even longer than what early adopters saw. In fact, it began life as a mobile, free-to-play, co-op, tower defense title. As with most video games, Dead Cells evolved over time, and along that process Motion Twin fine-tuned the gameplay experience to what many would argue is close to perfection. What most may not know, however, is that Dead Cells is packed with fascinating design tricks that are happening behind-the-scenes, and all work to ensure that the player is having an exciting, satisfying, and rewarding time. In a game where death is frequent and inevitable, Motion Twin has used numerous smart techniques to ensure the challenge of the game doesn't arise from quirky or questionable design. In the latest episode of Audio Logs, game designer Sebastian Benard, explores some of these design tricks, explaining the thought process behind them and how they result in a smoother, fairer experience. Benard also delves into the game's history, showing off what it was like in its early stages, which involved multiple players battling waves of enemies with the last remaining survivor being crowned the victor.

Designing and developing a game is daunting enough, but for many studios the process doesn't end with its release. These days, games are supported as services, with new content offered to ensure that players stay engaged for months, and sometimes years, on end. Overwatch is one such game. The competitive multiplayer shooter initially launched in May 2016, but in the time since has transformed into a much bigger experience. One way developer Blizzard Entertainment has kept interest in Overwatch healthy is through the introduction of new heroes. These characters come with unique abilities to learn and nuances to understand. They often feel and play like no other hero on the roster, which means finding their place within the broader experience, without upending it, is a delicate process. That job falls on Geoff Goodman, among others. As lead hero designer on the Overwatch team, he's at the forefront of coming up with new hero designs, refining them, and implementing them, as well as ensuring that they're balanced properly. The process is complicated and, in Episode 4 of Audio Logs, Goodman walks us through the process using the latest hero, Baptiste, as a case study.

Thus far in Audio Logs we've explored the creation of specific games, shining a light on some of the interesting and creative design and development methods employed to bring our favorite gaming experiences to life. Gochi "Suda51" Suda, the Japanese designer and director known for his work on Fire Pro Wrestling, Killer7, Shadows of the Damned, and No More Heroes, among other titles. Suda is loved for bringing a carefree, punk rock attitude to his video games. They are very much a reflection of himself and his tastes and, unsurprisingly, he's lived an interesting life, starting his career as a hearse driver before jumping into the world of video game development.

How do you remake a beloved classic like Shadow of the Colossus? Peter Dalton from Bluepoint Games shows us how the company approached the PS4 remake of Fumito Ueda and Team Ico's classic title.