Indie Game Spotlight: Foregone
Welcome back to another Indie Game Spotlight! This week we’re covering Foregone, a fluid action platformer with RPG elements and a subtle narrative. Players battle through dangerous foes and epic boss encounters to uncover the secrets of the past. Count us in!
We interviewed Dino Dvorabic (Game Designer), Damir Slogar (Lead Game Designer), Jordan Reif (Producer), Dan Rickard (Art Director), and James Riehl (Art Lead) all about Foregone and their various contributions to the game. Read on!
You’ve mentioned in previous interviews that the game is inspired by Dead Cells, Diablo, and Dark Souls. Are there any other major influences?
Jordan: On the design and production front, we take inspiration from a lot of games both 2D and 3D. A majority of the team here plays games from similar genres in their free time, so bringing quality examples to lean on comes pretty naturally to most of us.
James: We encourage the creative and design teams to toss everything onto the table when it comes to ideas. Foregone is a mix of action and the macabre. The library of influences is endless, and it’s not just games—it’s Saturday morning cartoons, music, and movies that play their part as well. When we review our concepts and get a positive reaction from the team and other departments, we know we’re on the right track.
How does Foregone set itself apart from other combat-focused action platformers?
Jordan: When trying to set our combat apart, it’s less about reinventing the wheel than it is refining it. Without giving too much away, the systems we’re using in-game allow us to create a lot of cool 3D effects in a 2D environment. That, combined with unique weapons and weapon modification systems, will allow the combat to stand out by looking, behaving and feeling really good—without straying too far from what you’d expect from a 2D platformer.
How were you able to render the characters in 3D, yet still keep a pixelated art style?
Dan: We’ve tackled the art of Foregone with a hybrid approach, treating 3D modelling as more of a means to an end in regards to creating 2D art. Nearly all of the environment art in the game has been concepted and modelled in 3D to start with. It then goes through a series of texture bakes and image editing, transforming it into a multi-pass texture that has colour, normals, opacity, glow, etc., and that works nicely with our in-game dynamic lighting. Our characters are actually fully 3D animated characters that have been textured and then rendered in Unity via camera scripts to achieve a pixelated look. In order to be approved, a final look goes through a series of review processes which ensure legibility, color contrast between character and environment, and overall appeal via strong silhouettes.
Without spoiling the game, what is the story behind our protagonist?
Dino: She is part of a select group of super-soldiers who have been granted the title of Arbiter. During the war, they were feared for their combat prowess, and one alone was often enough to secure a heavily-armed key location. When the war ended unexpectedly, Arbiters were relegated to a law enforcement role. They are now sent in when a situation is deemed too high-risk for a regular taskforce. Our game takes place at the beginning of one of these missions.
Where can we wishlist Foregone? What platforms will it be available on?
Jordan: The game can currently be wishlisted on Steam. As more channels for wishlisting and conversations open up, we’ll be sure to share those as well. As for platforms, we’re mainly focused on bringing the early access to PC right now, but we fully intend on delivering console experiences as the game comes closer to a full product.
Damir: Yes, we’ll be announcing any updates on platforms and consoles on our social channels (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram), so keep an eye out for those.
Want to stay in the loop with all things Foregone? Make sure to take a peek at their website for updates!
