After an exclusive release for PlayStation 4 and the Epic Games Store last summer, Axiom Verge 2 recently made the jump to Steam and PS5. Created by solo developer Thomas Happ, the indie metroidvania franchise deals with nanotechnology, dimensional travel, transhumanism and other intoxicating themes, delivering sharp and challenging platforming action.
Metroidvanias, be it AAA 3D releases or 2D Indie Platformers, have proven to be a crowd-pleasing format, and the original Axiom Verge stood out from the competition with a robust upgrade system and a complex sci-fi story. Game Rant spoke to Happ about the Axiom Verge franchise, including its development philosophy for the sequel, the ability to adapt the game to different genres or media formats, and other plans for the future.
Learning new lessons
Happ had little to say about the development of the original Axiom Verge informed his sequel, but the philosophy behind his approach to development is interesting nonetheless.
“There were a lot of little lessons, like how much time I spent designing things that didn’t matter that much in the end. Most of all, I wanted to do new things so as not to make it feel like a chore.”
As with all creative endeavors, hindsight is 20/20, and certain efforts will seem inefficient or unnecessary in hindsight. But taking on new challenges — like gameplay that eschews gunfire for melee combat, and a hacking system that ambitiously expands on the original’s glitch mechanic — makes development work less tedious. It also gives the sequel its own identity, which is crucial in the increasingly competitive indie metroidvania genre.
Happ also said he regretted trying to make certain aspects of the mechanics data-driven, due to the challenging nature of debugging such systems. With two Axiom Verge titles under his belt and a multitude of questions that remain unanswered, it will be interesting to see where Happ takes the franchise in the future and what form it takes.
Open to customization
Happ is in no rush to rethink Axiom Verge in a different format, though he’s considered several other genres of gameplay for the universe, including a run-and-gun shoot ’em up or a strategy game. And he’s open to the idea of a streaming adaptation of his sci-fi opus.
“If someone from Netflix or HBO or anything else wanted to make a sci-fi show based on… [Axiom Verge]That would be something I could consider because hopefully it doesn’t mean I have to stop making games to make it happen.”
One of the biggest challenges creators face when adapting material to a new medium is the time it takes. Developing a successful adaptation involves learning skills related to the new medium and tackling unexplored aspects of a universe, which can be a full-time commitment. But by handing over the reins to a larger creative entity, Happ was able to continue pursuing his passion for developing games, as well as his current focus: taking care of his son.
What the future has in store
Thomas Happ has written on his personal blog about his son, Alastair, and the unique challenges they face. Alastair suffers from a rare brain disorder known as Kernicterus. Although his mind is fully functional, his motor control is severely impaired and tasks most people take for granted, such as moving and talking, are extremely difficult. Even using assistive features and other aids for disabled gamers, Happ doubts his son will ever be able to play games like Axiom Verge that require quick reflexes and agile button input.
While Happ wants to continue developing games in the future, his primary goal is to set up a safety net that will support Alastair throughout his life. That’s why Happ is working on some kind of AAC (Augmentive and Alternative Communication) software to help his son communicate. With any luck, Happ will be able to take care of his son completely and quickly return to his passion.
Axiom Verge 2 is now available for PC, PS4, PS5 and Switch.
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