Crescent Moon on why hardcore RPGs like Aralon: Sword and Shadow work on iPhone
Even games can level up
There are plenty of games coming out next week, but one of the most anticipated is RPG Aralon: Sword and Shadow.
It's been in development for much of 2010, with creators Galoobeth Games gaining support from Ravensword outfit Crescent Moon to rework, finish and polish the game to a sufficient standard.
We caught up with Crescent Moon's creative director Josh Presseisen to get his views on why RPGs - and especially why hardcore RPGs - work on the App Store.
Why do you think iPhone is a good platform for hardcore RPGs?After taking some heat that Ravensword wasn't a hardcore RPG, it was apparent there really is a market for hardcore RPG's on the iOS.
What did you learn from Ravensword about what the audience wants from iOS RPGs?Deeper customisation, classes, races, skill trees, more areas to explore and better NPC dialogue.
Do you think the Oblivion for iOS devices tag is justified?I wouldn't say Aralon is like Oblivion, although that was certainly one of the inspirations. To me, Aralon seems like a mix of Morrowind, Oblivion, World of Warcraft, Zelda, Fable, and Gothic all rolled into one - with our own special touches.
Have you tried to make the game accessible to a more casual players?You can still play Aralon as a strict adventure game, and not mess around with all of the stats and skill trees. Even without that hardcore RPG stuff, it's still a fun game.
You can go fishing, ride a horse, have a campfire, go to an inn and smoke a pipe (Think Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings). We didn't try to make it casual, per se, but it has some fun pick-up-and-play elements.
Thanks to Josh for his time.
You can also read an in-depth interview with Josh about the game's development process on PocketGamer.biz.
Aralon: Sword and Shadow is due out on December 16, priced $6.99, €5.49 or £3.99 at launch.
