On the eve of ChinaJoy 2024, Sony Interactive Entertainment Shanghai introduced a new game, Unending Dawn, developed by the Chinese studio PARCEA’S FATE STUDIO. It’s an anime-style, open-world action RPG that promises challenging soulslick-style combat. We have prepared for you a translation of an interview with the game producer Yin Chao, published on the popular Japanese gaming portal 4gamer.com.
Thank you for giving us your valuable time. But let’s get straight to the point. How did the development of Unending Dawn begin?
Initially, we had a desire to create a new game based on our experience and knowledge. Since most of our team members have extensive experience in 3D graphics development, we thought that giving players even more choice in the action RPG genre would be beneficial to both them and the market as a whole.
Action RPG is a popular genre, but at the same time it has many competitors. Didn’t that bother you?
As I said earlier, we strive to create a better game using our experience, so high competition does not bother us. Of course, we are trying to find our place by adding elements that differentiate our game from others.
What exactly are the elements that differentiate your game from others?
First of all, these are combat mechanics. We want to create a game with a high level of difficulty that allows players to constantly improve their skills and enjoy the process of developing their character. In my opinion, modern open world games often emphasize adventure elements such as puzzles and exploration.
I played it recently and can confirm that the combat is truly impressive. So why did you decide to use anime graphics?
Firstly, our team has many specialists with extensive experience in animation. And secondly, we wanted to attract a younger audience. Even though the gameplay of our game is quite hardcore, we decided to use anime graphics to appeal to a wider audience, especially younger players. Plus, many of us on the team are big anime fans.
As you mentioned, there are a lot of great anime being made in Japan. But in the genre of anime action-RPGs, Chinese developers have made significant progress. Why do you think China has come so far in this genre?
I believe that one of the main reasons for the popularity of Chinese anime action RPGs is the success of miHoYo. The success of miHoYo is a combination of objective factors and accidents. I don’t think it’s a good idea to just copy their model. But having a founder who is passionate about anime, who created exactly what he likes and was successful at it, inspires others to develop even better games.
When successful examples appear around, it is quite natural that there is a desire to achieve the same result.
I believe that in the past few years, Chinese animation has made huge strides beyond the gaming industry. In just a year, everything has changed beyond recognition. And I’m sure Japanese anime played a key role in this. We always have great respect for Japanese animation and view it as a kind of “big brother” from whom we constantly learn.
You mentioned earlier that miHoYo’s success has both patterns and an element of chance. Could you elaborate on this?
In the gaming industry, where not all projects become successful, it seems to me that in order for each release to be a hit, a certain amount of luck is still necessary. Initially, miHoYo was a company that invested all its resources into the development of one single project.
Putting all your effort into something whose success is not obvious is quite risky from a business point of view, right?
However, it seems to me that it is precisely because we do not think too much about the commercial side of things and are completely immersed in creating a game that we love that we achieve success. This is the very “necessity” I am talking about.
It’s clear. Indeed, this is not an approach that can be easily copied. Let’s change the subject a little. Please tell us why you decided to participate in the China Hero Project (hereinafter referred to as CHP).
We initially contacted SIE to inquire about console game development. There are very few companies in China making games for consoles, so there was a feeling of some distance, as if there was a wall between us. I even thought that we would have to create a separate team to develop the console version.
Then I met with Bao (this is the same Bao Bo who heads the CHP) and we discussed a lot. In the end, both came to the conclusion that we should join forces and joined CHP. Thanks to comprehensive technical support, we were able to successfully develop the PlayStation version.
Were there any benefits from this?
Yes, we get it, PlayStation makes the process of transferring games a lot easier. And I think the walls that we initially felt were broken down. CHP invites foreign developers and conducts lectures, thanks to which our knowledge has expanded significantly. For example, the producer of the Spider-Man series explained to us the importance of controller vibration and how to implement it.
If you did everything yourself, you would hardly have the opportunity to get detailed advice from foreign developers, right?
Absolutely right. Moreover, when we create a demo, they conduct long play sessions and give us very detailed feedback. For example, they might say, “It would be better to change the effects like this” or “It would be better to improve the level like this.” The biggest benefit of being a part of CHP is that it has broadened our horizons significantly.
Let’s talk about Unending Dawn’s combat system, which is one of its defining features. While playing through the demo, I noticed that the game has elements of soulsliking, but the difficulty is fairly balanced and not as harsh as typical soulsliking games. What was the purpose of this approach to setting difficulty?
I think you didn’t get far enough into the game during the press demo. In fact, the enemies that appear later in the game are much stronger and more difficult to defeat.
So, in the end, the game will become as difficult as real soulslicks? Does this mean that the enemies at the beginning of the game will be quite easy?
Yes exactly. We want players to be able to get comfortable with the gameplay in the early stages and not give up on the game, but at the end they will be faced with really difficult bosses. We believe that many soulsliking players give up before experiencing the full depth of the game due to its high complexity.
I also often encounter this problem, so I understand you very well.
Indeed, Elden Ring has become a huge hit and is played by millions of people. But I think it took some steps to reduce complexity. For example, the use of an open world and a wide variety of weapons give players more freedom of choice. We also adhere to a similar philosophy and therefore reduced the difficulty at the beginning of the game.
The game has an element characteristic of soulslikes: a yellow stripe that shows the enemy’s state, his balance. If you dodge or block an enemy’s attack, this bar is depleted, leaving the enemy defenseless, allowing you to hit him multiple times. What is the purpose of introducing such a system?
We wanted to create a unique fighting experience, different from typical Chinese action games. As many players have already noticed, this system was inspired by the game SEKIRO: SHADOWS DIE TWICE. Chinese action games often focus on spectacular moves and combos, but in reality, fighting is about more than just showing off your skills.
This is true.
We wanted players to consider not only their own actions, but also the actions of their opponents. That’s why we added this bar, which reflects not only an attack, but also defensive actions such as blocking or parrying. When the bar is depleted, it is time for impressive combinations on the part of the player. Thus, there is a clear division between defense and attack.
You mentioned that the game will support multiplayer. During a recent demo, I was told that the details had not yet been determined. Can you tell us more about how you see multiplayer?
We want to create a game that will be equally interesting in both single and multiplayer modes. After some progress in the game, players will be able to invite friends and play the game together. We are thinking about groups of 3-4 people.
In this case, will the characteristics of characters or enemies be changed?
We do not plan for the boss to become four times stronger if four players attack it at the same time. One of our goals is to lower the barrier to entry into the game. In addition, when more people play, they can blame each other for losing, which also reduces psychological pressure.
I see (laughs).
There are many examples of how increasing the number of players makes the game easier. For example, the RTS genre, originally designed for 1v1, has evolved into a MOBA with 5v5. The popular Chinese MOBA Honor of Kings even has a 10v10 mode.
I think a lot depends on the character of the player, but when a lot of people are playing, it’s actually easier to take defeat more calmly.
You said that many players throw soulslikes without having time to assess their depth. What do you find most interesting about games of this genre?
I’ll tell you about my experience. I’m not very good at action games, so when I played Sekiro, I spent 8 hours on the first boss. My wife came to me several times and said, “Go eat.” But every time she came in, a large inscription “Death” appeared on the screen…
(Laughs) You are very persistent to play for 8 hours straight.
Rather, I couldn’t stop, I didn’t even feel tired. And when I finally defeated this boss, I felt an incredible sense of satisfaction. But after thinking about it later, I realized that it was not just because of defeating the boss, but rather because of the process, during these 8 hours I gradually mastered the controls, became stronger.
So, do you think that this process is the most interesting thing in games of this genre?
Yes, but 8 hours is too long for the average player. So with Unending Dawn, we want players to first feel a sense of achievement within a few minutes or half an hour of play, and then, once they get the hang of it, be able to dive into multi-hour sessions.
Looking forward to. We have a little time left, so I would like to know about your plans for the future. When is the release planned?
This is the first time the game has been shown to the general public, and development is still ongoing. But we would like to conduct closed testing to get feedback from players. It would be ideal to release the game next year, but a lot will depend on whether we find a publisher and the deadlines agreed with him.
And finally, what would you like to say to players waiting for the release of your game?
Unending Dawn is a new anime-style Soulslick with long-term support. We need to understand how the market will react to such a new product, and we want to create a game that meets the expectations of players. Therefore, we will listen carefully to your feedback.
Thank you very much for the interview.
