At G-Star 2024, which takes place at the BEXCO Exhibition Center in Busan, Nexon hosted a series of interviews with developers on the four projects on display. On the first day there was a meeting with the team working on Overkill. The developers spoke about the process of creating the game, its features and answered questions from journalists. The event was attended by Neople CEO Yoon Myung-jin and the project’s creative director Park Jeong-wan.
Before the conversation began, Yoon Myung-jin noted that while The First Berserker: Khazan continues to develop the Dungeon & Fighter universe, Overkill offers a fresh take on the original, preserving its foundation, but introducing new graphics and gameplay. He expressed hope for support for the game in the future.
Park Jong-wan emphasized that the goal of the project is to develop the original universe. According to him, the team is striving to make the project a worthy continuation, and urged players to follow its development.
How did the idea of creating Project Overkill come about, and what goals do you set for yourself?
Yoon Myung Jin: It’s hard to say the exact reason, since I was not at the origins of the project. But I can tell you about its directions. Although Dungeon & Fighter has gained great popularity, one game was not enough to convey the richness of its universe. Many stories remained untold. In addition, the original may not be suitable for everyone due to its specifics, so we wanted to present this universe in a new format.
Overkill was originally developed as a 2D side-scroller, but along the way it became apparent that moving into 3D could add more depth. So we moved to the current eight-way system. The goal was to maintain the value of the original as a game while making it accessible to a wider audience.
While the game retains the spirit of the original, its gameplay and controls differ due to the move to 3D. What aspects did you especially take into account when doing this?
Park Jung-wan: From the very beginning, we wanted to create a game that would be a logical continuation of Dungeon & Fighter. Players familiar with the original will find the 3D controls and eight-directional movement system easy to master. We strive to make the game convenient for all platforms, including PC, consoles and mobile devices.
What will be new for players is a sense of direction and depth. For example, enemies can attack from distant angles, which was impossible to implement in 2D. We took advantage of 3D graphics to convey such unique elements. However, despite all this, Overkill remains visually and stylistically recognizable to fans of the original.
Quite a long time has passed since the first announcement. Why did you decide to show the demo version at G-Star?
Yoon Myung Jin: We have been developing the game for a long time, but we have hardly shared information. Although I recently became responsible for the project, there have been a lot of changes to the game since then, making the midterms difficult. However, we have loyal fans who wait a long time for news, and there has really been a lack of information. Even though the current version still needs some work, I would like to show players the direction we are heading. We decided to do a demo to show the current state of development, although I’m a little worried about the feedback (*laughs*).
When is the release planned, and how ready is the game at the moment?
Yoon Myung Jin: The exact release date has not yet been determined. Some parts of the game are ready, others are still in progress. When we determine the release date, we will rely on the overall completion of the project. Even if a lot has been done, if critical elements are missing, release will not be possible. It’s difficult to say exactly how much time is left until the end of development, but we still have a lot of ideas, and now we are completely focused on their implementation.
There are concerns that the audiences for the original game and Overkill will overlap. Where does Overkill fit in with Dungeon Fighter?
Park Jung Wan: As a longtime fan of the original Dungeon Fighter, I understand that for those who still play it, it is a special game with many memories associated with it. Many fans who have invested a lot of time and effort into it are unlikely to want to move on to something new. Dungeon Fighter 2D is one of the best games in the genre in terms of style and is sure to keep its fans playing. However, there are approximately 20 million people in South Korea and approximately 700 million in China who once played Dungeon Fighter but no longer do. We want to give them a sense of nostalgia and present Overkill as an updated version of an old game, convenient to play on PC, consoles and mobile devices.
Will the specialization system from the original game be present in Overkill?
Park Jung Wan: We do not plan to move the specialization system. For example, characters like Berserker and Weapon Master will be able to wear similar costumes, but we will not add the transformation of one class into another. We believe that core skills are important at early levels, and that a specialization system would only weaken them.
What differences will Overkill have compared to the original?
Park Jung Wan: There will be significant story differences in Overkill. In this project, the original characters leave a significant influence on what is happening. For example, in the demo version you can see the character Beron, who, according to the plot, influenced the world 14 years after the events of the original. Due to time distortions, new plot changes and opportunities to interact with NPCs that players know, but will see from a different side, have appeared. In addition, we are working on unique battles in 3D. In a recent trailer, for example, you can see a battle with a giant snake. Scenes like these are only possible in 3D and are another unique aspect of Overkill.
The mobile version of Dungeon Fighter has added many convenient features to make the game more comfortable. How are things going with this in Overkill?
Park Jung Wan: In Dungeon Fighter mobile, players have a large number of skill slots available to players, and thanks to the combo system, you can use multiple skills in one slot. Overkill is designed to be played on consoles, PC and mobile devices, so we will not provide 10-20 skill slots like in the original. We will limit the number of slots so that players can choose and change skills, adapting them to different situations. In addition, even the same skill will work differently depending on the equipment, which creates additional variety. We thought for a long time about the optimal number of slots and decided that the combo system, like in the mobile Dungeon Fighter, will not appear.
In the demo, 8-way combat seemed challenging. The Nen Master especially had difficulty shooting diagonally. Are there any plans to improve this?
Park Jung Wan: Yes, we admit that 8-way combat can be difficult. Combat requires you to perform several actions at the same time, and this is not always intuitive. We are considering adding an auto-aiming system to make adaptation easier. However, we have not yet reached a level that could be offered to users. There are other aspects that require attention, such as what happens when you collide with an enemy or when there are a large number of enemies on the screen. We continue to work on this and are ready to show the result only at the stage of full readiness.
How satisfied are you with the current demo?
Yoon Myung Jin: This is a difficult question. If I give a specific assessment, the director may become offended. I am sure that the current version is unlikely to completely satisfy the players. For example, we intervened quite late in the development process, and many things, such as the script, direction and art, were already well done, so we left them alone. However, we have greatly reworked the combat system.
In terms of gameplay, the game is still under development, so I can’t give it a high rating. In terms of production and visual aspects, they deserve higher marks. Instead of judging the current version, I promise that we will achieve impressive quality by the time we release.
The demo version did not have the signature sounds of the original. Are there any plans to return them?
Yoon Myung Jin: The soundtrack is not finished yet. Many elements are temporary. Usually sounds are created only when the concept is finalized. We plan to develop the successful aspects of the original and improve those that require improvement.
In the original, the text created a deep atmosphere in the story. However, in Overkill the presentation of the story seems to be slightly different. How will the plot develop?
Park Jung Wan: The original had a lot of hidden elements that were interesting to explore, but we weren’t able to show that in the demo. To be honest, we have not yet had time to pay enough attention to this. The original had a lot of hidden details and stories for players, and we’re preparing something similar for Overkill. We will try to show more such elements in the future.
What appearance customization options will appear in Overkill? Will appearance depend on equipment?
Park Jung Wan: The avatar system was one of the strengths of the original. Despite the 2D graphics, players could choose from a huge number of combinations. We are actively working to implement this system in Overkill. The character’s appearance will change not because of equipment, but because of avatars.
Yoon Myung Jin: The transition from 2D to 3D imposes certain limitations. What looks natural in 2D may not work in 3D. We’re trying to accommodate these differences and create a customization system that keeps the fun of changing your appearance.
The lack of jerks and the fixed trajectory of the jumps seemed inconvenient. Was this intentional?
Park Jung Wan: We continue to experiment with jerks. For example, we tested a system where the jerk is activated by holding down a certain key. However, due to multi-platform, we encountered limitations, so for now we settled on the current version.
As for jumping, it depends on the situation. In the city, jumps follow the character’s acceleration, but in dungeons the trajectory is fixed. This is due to the number of players in each location. We are working on optimizations to improve the jumping system in the future.
In combat, a system of immobilizing enemies is used. This can make the fight too easy. How do you plan to use it?
Park Jung Wan: We thought about this system for a long time. Although it is not unique, we have added a twist: to activate it you need to perform a difficult action, for example, use a “power strike”. This allows it to be used at key moments, such as interrupting nasty attacks. With increasing experience, the player will be able to better select the moment to activate.
In the demo version, using the example of the boss “Verona” in the first phase, it was impossible to immobilize him, but it was possible to perform air combos. In the second phase, the effect of super armor was triggered, and the player could use the immobilization system. We want players to find the right moments to use the system in different situations.
If it’s difficult to name the release date, then at least tell me how far the development has progressed?
Yoon Myung Jin: As I said, it is difficult to give an exact number. We have many ready-made resources. However, we have radically changed the approach to using them, so we are essentially reassembling the game. Once we finalize the concept, the process can speed up. We are already at a fairly advanced stage.
Were there mechanics you added during development because you thought they were interesting?
Park Jung Wan: The original was well received for its characters and their stories. We took this as a basis and added a mode where the player can control NPCs such as Derilla, Raine and Boytel. These characters have special mechanics and offer complete stories. Content like Mirror of Memories will be one of the key elements of Overkill.
