Interview With Aoineko Studios’ Ben Steele

What kind of battle system do you hope to have in place in the finished product, and are you planning any unusual gameplay elements – peculiar minigames, gameplay quirks that tie into the game’s story, and the like?

Our gameplay intentionally recalls some of my favorite gaming experiences from different eras, like Chrono Trigger, Shadowrun and the Metal Gear Solid series. Those don’t necessarily sound like they would play nice together but there are strains of each within Kitaru.

Our goal is an active-time, cinematic battle system utilizing intuitive touch commands and requiring strategic use of characters, resources and time to beat. Even though we’re an indie shop, I want to make the best mobile RPG ever. There is a type of experience no one has brought to that medium and I can see it in my head, so the trick is just getting it out. And yes, there will definitely be minigames! Computer hacking, assassination missions and much more.

What’s been the hardest technical or gameplay feature to implement in Unity so far? Have things like camera control, memory management and user interface all come together without a hitch, or were any of the basics a real struggle for a while before the team got it working?

Memory management is always a big issue for mobile games, and since Kitaru will also be available for PC and Mac, developing it in tandem requires a lot of planning. User interface has come off well thanks to our very talented coder, Rob Williams.

Naturally, music has always been an essential component in Aoineko Studios projects. Do you have a huge soundtrack planned for Kitaru?

Yes, the soundtrack is one of the most important elements for me in any game because it provides the emotional resonance. The soundtrack for Kitaru uses different instrumentation to reflect the warring tribes and choral hymns written in the Yuna language. It’s a work of art in itself.

What are some of the major game development tasks that remain on Kitaru before you can even start thinking about a release window?

Most of the core gameplay is together. We’re working on tons of levels, enemies and NPCs. Telling such an involved story in a game requires a lot of characters. And of course a few giant robots, too!

And finally – what do fans have to do to earn some cool Kitaru swag during the wait?

Our Kickstarter page just launched Thursday, April 19th! You can help our starving Kitaru game designers with the candy bars, beer and collectible pewter figurines they so desperately need to finish this game.

We are giving away tons of original art and exclusive in-game objects in addition to preorders for the game itself. You can even get Kitaru actor Yuri Lowenthall (the voice of Ben 10 and the Prince of Persia) to record your voicemail for you!

Big thanks to Ben at Aoineko Studios for taking the time out to answer our questions about Kitaru. Check out both the Aoineko Studios website and the official Kitaru website for more, and also keep an eye on the Kitaru Facebook page for the latest news.