![]() Sandy Gordon: There are very few games in general that are 2D top-down games with platforming elements, which is because it's hard to do that well. I'm in the same space, but I'm underground, maybe we could use that to fit our gameplay. When you switch between them, the screen flips, and it becomes inverted and darker. At the start of development, we were playing a lot of Game Boy games like Mole Mania, because that's a game where you dig, and there's an above level and a below level. So, we've been looking at a lot of Souls games, especially Bloodborne, which was on our minds a lot.Īfter that, there's all the weird other stuff that we get into and works its way into Mina for whatever reason. We're also discovering that when you add classic Castlevania-style combat-dense, slow, and deliberate-to a world you can explore, or one that feels more open-ended like a Zelda, you get what feels like kind of a 2D Dark Souls. ![]() There's a lot of Castlevania in there, with the slow and deliberate combat, the whip weapon, and the theming. Inspirations to older Legend of Zelda games aside, what games are you pulling from as you design Mina?Īlec Faulkner: Zelda is an obvious one, so we can gloss over it and get to the deeper cuts. This interview was conducted in-person with audio recorded, transcribed, and edited for clarity. Mina The Hollower does not have a concrete release window as of this writing, but it is scheduled to launch on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Finally, we discussed how Mina and other Yacht Club games can serve as an entryway to retro titles of yesteryear. We spoke about what the team is doing to convey that horror theme despite the game's retro look, from its focus on gameplay to the open-ended approach available in each stage. We touched on the game's many influences-some obvious, others much less so-as well as the thought process behind designing NPCs and enemies that fit into the game's darker mood. There is no one way to tackle any challenges Mina faces in her quest, and that freedom buffs the experience tremendously.Īfter some time with the demo, we sat down with Mina The Hollower's director Alec Faulkner and lead artist Sandy Gordon to dig deeper into the inspirations, design approaches, and philosophies behind the game's creation so far. One particular big baddie survived multiple whip shots to send Mina one hit from death, but a quick adjustment to the throwing axe finished the job. These choices, combined with other items in the inventory like secondary weapons and healing items, make each battle approachable in a multitude of different ways. The other weapons fall on either side of the scale the hammer takes longer to attack but packs a wallop, while the daggers are faster but less powerful. The whip is a "standard" weapon, with average power and a brief delay before the attack hits. If combat is the choice, there are three main weapons to try out in this demo. Once they're behind Mina, she can step on certain tiles to make them fall away, which keeps the enemies on one side of the pit and our heroine on the other. Attacking each monster head-on is an option, but so is digging underneath the ground in an attempt to get past them. Experience with Zelda games would indicate a straightforward battle, but this moment is where Mina's open-ended approach begins to shine. After a well-placed pun lightens the mood-"this carriage is broken down, so I'll have to hoof it!" Mina says-the next screen pits Mina against a few enemies. ![]() The PAX East demo started us off next to a derelict carriage, with the horse in charge standing next to it. Mina The Hollower puts a horror spin on classic gameplay. Throughout the 15-minute demo, we had a chance to test out multiple weapons, underground traversal through a digging mechanic, and more, and we came away impressed with what we played. The team is attempting to strike gold again with Mina The Hollower, but this time it has a new genre-and a new spookier tone-in its sights.Ī short demo playable at PAX East last weekend gave a taste of what Mina The Hollower is all about, and it's much more than the classic Zelda-inspired look would let on. Yacht Club Games's first-ever foray into retro-inspired games, Shovel Knight, has quickly grown into one of the most successful indie franchises in the industry. ![]()
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