Most music games are rhythm games, the most popular examples include titles like Guitar hero, Beat Saber, i Dance Dance Revolution. Despite this, Symphony sword it turned that gender expectation into a headache. It is an elegant musical action role-playing game that uses combat to compose music, which means the game reverses the typical relationship between inputs and combat. Symphony sword blurs the line between “video game” and “musical instrument”. For solo developer Stephen Ddungu, defeating shady enemies is just a means to a beautiful goal.
It also looks stylish while doing it.
For those who have seen the revelation of Ddungu video, it’s easy to see why it captured nearly 1.2 million views on TikTok, while going viral on platforms like Twitter. Symphony sword takes strong visual and historical cues from Japanese role-playing games. The characters in his world possess music-based magical energy and fight an enemy that represents the writer’s block. The animations about the protagonist’s attacks are dramatic and fun.
The most absurd part of Symphony sworddevelopment: its creator is a 22-year-old college student. The game was originally conceptualized as the Ddungu college project, and initially had no larger plans for the game. I wouldn’t have guessed since the enamel of the game is immaculate and the narrative ideas are ambitious. In addition, Ddungu was the sole developer of the game. He confirmed that he was the composer, game designer, animator and visual effects artist.
Ddungu recognizes this Page Patreon that Sword Symphony‘s predecessor Purpose: Versa was inspired by JRPG as now Final Fantasy, Nier: Automata, i Kingdom Hearts. Sword it specifically takes the design directions Genshin impact i Kingdom Hearts and combat the inspiration of Punisher: Gray Crow i Nier: automata. At first glance, the enemies Sword they resemble the helpless KH, But Symphony sword it is not simply a tribute. Ddungu said Kotaku about Discord that the game tells the story of their own experiences with creative blogs and the goal of intellectual property theft.
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Unlike the inspirations quoted, Symphony sword it has a black protagonist. Since most JRPGs feature Japanese characters, this can help highlight the game when it is fully released. The success of the trailer also shows that there is a strong demand for JRPG with diversity of characters.
Symphony sword it takes place in a desolate landscape of abstract forms. Still, the music and visual effects are soft and relaxing. I am especially excited about the parkour mechanic which was added in early July. The juxtaposition between magical and artificial aesthetics creates a sense of intrigue that engages potential players, even though the game is not over yet. Ddungu confirmed that he intends to launch the game in three or four years.
Given that his TikTok account has over a hundred thousand followers with only a few videos posted, it’s fair to say that the public anticipation of the game is very high. At the time of release, the developer’s Discord server had over four hundred members who seemed excited. Symphony sword and other projects within the same original IP.
The trailer does not tell us who the protagonist is or what his motivations are. Powerful animations mock our imagination of what the game is I could well, that feels more compelling than the developer tells us directly.
I hope your teacher gives you all the notes, but it’s clear Symphony sword it has greater potential than just a “thesis project”.
Updated: 8/26/2020, 4:41 PM ET: This article was modified to include comments from the game developer.