The Nintendojo Interview: Varia Games

The ReVeN developer tells us why you should check out its upcoming Wii U eShop game!

By Marc Deschamps. Posted 02/20/2014 09:00 2 Comments     ShareThis

ND: So ReVeN is also the name of the game’s main antagonist, then? Is there significance to the capitalizations of “V” and “N” in the title?

AM: Yes, in the game’s story, the ReVeN are people or creatures that have been changed into a ReVeN form. The exact details of this process are under wraps for now, but I will say people are drawn into the depths of Keres. They go willingly, because they suddenly have a desire to do so. When they emerge, they look like skinned abominations with tentacles hanging out of their mouths and lower jaws removed. As for the “V” and “N”, since this game takes place in the future, the people of their time have different ways of showing significant ties between words, concepts, people, places and things. The name “eVe”, for instance, appears in the name ReVeN when the “R” and “N” are removed. Players will find an incredible amount of time has gone into the connections between events, names, and the overall backstory to the game.

ND: The Wii U took priority over versions for PlayStation 4 and Vita, both of which were set at the $200,000 tier goal. Was there a particular reason the team felt Nintendo’s console was a better fit for ReVeN over other systems?

AM: The main reason is that we are using the Construct 2 engine which can export to PC, Mac, Linux, Android (Ouya), and Wii U. Another reason is John and I are both lifelong fans of Nintendo and have owned every one of their consoles and handhelds. I personally really love the Wii U GamePad controller and want to see how far we can push the usage of the GamePad screen and utilize its features. We have nothing against the other consoles, but it will take some extra funding to hire a programmer to help us port the game to other systems not supported by Construct 2.

ND: The $100,000 stretch goal promises greater use of the Wii U GamePad. What kind of features would that entail, and what features can fans expect to see if the game doesn’t meet that stretch goal?

AM: If we manage to hit our $100,000 stretch goal, we’ll be hiring a coder to help us implement specific game features such as level constructing with the GamePad; players can place objects with the touch of their fingers and construct complex levels more quickly. Another use would be having the EDM subsystems always displayed on the GamePad screen for quick construction of abilities and rerouting of subpower (power going into the Shield systems, for instance, gets split into two categories and the player decides which of the two gets more power, and thus becomes more effective). We’ve been planning a scanning mechanic for a while now, but have not released any details as we are still fleshing out the concept completely like using the GamePad camera to scan objects on screen.

If we do not reach the stretch goal, we will be doing a basic port of the game that may not use the GamePad’s features at all. However, we will still allow for Off-TV play.

ND: If you could leave our readers with one reason to back ReVeN, or to download the title when it releases on the eShop, what would it be?

AM: ReVeN is an excellent deal! We’re shooting for a 12-15 hour campaign with multiple paths and difficulties that add to the replay value. Not to mention the level editor, which will create a community of gamers who make and share their own mission packs and expand on the already lengthy content. ReVeN has a lot to offer for only $14.99, and we believe people will see the value in what we are designing and want to support us.

PS: We have a gameplay video coming soon which shows an in depth look at ReVeN‘s unique game mechanic: The EDM.

ND: Austin, thank you so much for your time!


If you enjoyed this interview, be sure to check out ReVeN on Kickstarter and on Steam Greenlight! And, as always, stay tuned to Nintendojo where we’ll continue to bring updates on the game, as we receive them!

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