In a recent article, indie developer The Astronauts elaborated on the influence the “Soulborne” games had on their newest title Witchfire, a dark and demonic first-person shooter. Radically different from their debut title, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, the developers cited three distinct components of the Soulborne games that have influenced them in their own design aesthetic:
Our current plan for Witchfire is to have a game of similar philosophy of Skill, Smarts and Power, with occasional Skill Checks where you have to prove your worth. We doubt you’d be able to finish the game by just being clever and over-leveling.
There will be Soulsborne-like sections in the game that rely on your mastery of the encounters, but a lot of the game will be dynamic and require the master of the mechanics. Making “The Dark Souls of Shooters” is definitely possible, but that’s not something we’re after. While heavily inspired by elements of Soulsborne philosophy, ultimately we carve our own path.
Just as with Carter, Witchfire uses photogrammetry technology which allows the developers to 3D scan real-life objects and use them as digital assets. It’s has a stunningly natural look and feels much more organic than the copy-and-pasted quality of the textures and environments found in a lot of other games.
While I personally would’ve liked a follow-up to the narrative-driven style of The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, I commend the developers for trying something new and I’m looking forward to whatever they come up with. Although no release date has been set, so far Witchfire looks like it’ll be worth the wait. It’s currently set for release on PC.
Check out the teaser trailer below.
