First Berserker’s Ben Starr and Studio CEO talk: Tough Games, AI, etc.

I’m having fun First Berserker: KazanA dark fantasy action game like Souls, released on March 27th. At this year’s Game Developer Conference, I chatted with some of my development team about the latest games in the Dungeon & Fighter series.

We spoke to developer Neopur CEOs Mionjin Yoon and Ben Starr. Final Fantasy XVI.

We talked about where the game fits in the massive dungeon & fighter universe, how to make new entries in the crowded soul-like genre, and where the AI ​​within each field fits. This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.

Sean Booker: What is Dungeon & Fighter and how does it relate to the first Berserker Kazan?

myoong yun: Basically, Dungeon & Fighter is an action RPG, and this year I have been working in Korea for 20 years. And Kazan actually plays a very core role in the story. Therefore, Dungeon & Fighter has this iconic class called Demon Slayer, with a cursed red arm. It’s part of lore, and basically Kazan is at the heart of how it turned out and why all demonic killers have that red arm.

Then, in Kazan, the first Berserker, we wanted to go a little deeper into the universe, a little deeper into the story, about what role Kazan plays in establishing the dungeon and fighter universe. How will his story expand?

SB: Ben, what drew you to this project?

Ben Starr: A cool and cool project. I remember seeing that for the first time I had a glimpse of it. At the Game Awards a few years ago, I thought it was the coolest looking game. I thought I was a huge fan of games in this genre. After auditioning for the game, I was appointed as a fan, so I knew exactly what it was. And I saw what they were doing in the story – I, along with most actors, all they wanted to do was tell a good story and be a good character, which was really, really fun. And I love the brooding hero who is on the path of revenge, but this really feels different and I adore the art style.

And I really love that the key to this story is the dynamic of Blade Phantom and I’m a really great friend to Anthony Howell, who plays Blade Phantom, and I think he’s a very amazing, amazing actor. Working with him is this incredible gift.

SB: Would people say you need to be familiar with dungeons and fighters to play the first Berserker?

my: Even if you’ve never heard of dungeons and fighter IPs, you’ll definitely be able to play and enjoy. It was created with people who have settings, learning curves and even dungeon & fighter IP in mind. Of course, if you know the original story, oh, there are Easter eggs everywhere. For example, in the original Dungeon & Fighter, when Kazan is exiled to the mountains, the story ends there. But here we’re expanding what happens if there’s a setting, so what happens if Kazan doesn’t die in the snowy mountains he’s exiled? What if he continues to live? What if he just continues his revenge?

SB: Dungeon & Fighter Games is usually beat-up and there are fighting games as well. With Kazan, we enter a soul-like action game. Why is there a transition to this new genre?

my: We wanted to find a way for everyone to get into the story. But looking at the original game, it’s a pixel game. It’s also side-scrolling and isn’t the most popular genre so far. So, if we think about genres, what were the best ways to reach these players?

And of course, you know, we want 3D, and we have this particular art style. I took inspiration from games like Dark Souls, Sekiro and Nioh. Because I actually love those games, it plays much closer to the original Dungeon & Fighter, a core, hardcore action RPG. So we really wanted to emphasize the sense of playing the original and being true to it.

SB: There is a continual discussion about setting the difficulty level of these more hardcore action games. Not only does Khazan have a simple mode option, but it also has this Lacrima system, allowing you to continue fighting bosses and progress. What did you think about the difficulty level?

my: I was asked last year on Gamescom if I was planning on adding difficulty settings, so that’s a funny story. But then, in winter, like last December, they actually added a simple mode, right? And when we first thought about setting difficulty and worked hard on it, we wanted players to really feel the hardships Kazan was experiencing, all the difficulties he was standing up, but then we really thought to ourselves. For example, what do you want the player to feel at the end of all this?

Of course, there’s a sense of accomplishment from experiencing all these challenges and getting better, but I also wanted to make this experience much more accessible to players and learn what I feel like I’m immersed in the dungeons and fighters.

There was a lot of internal debate about whether or not we should add difficulty settings, but we ultimately decided to do so. Personally, I like Souls Games, but I don’t say I’m an expert master player in Souls Games. With that in mind, we wanted players who may not be good at controlling or evacuating could make progress through repeated progress so that they could truly enjoy the game.

BS: I was very impressed with the way the team is constantly involved with the players and interfaced with them. Considering this is a single-player hardcore action RPG, the fact that you’re always doing as a team, here’s the version of the game you play.

When you think about how to use the word hardcore, you immediately think, “This game isn’t for me.” But in reality, “it’s possible and in fact you can choose to play the game the way you want” (it was really nice).

SB: As someone behind the scenes, what do you think about AI growing in the gaming industry?

my: We definitely know what AI can do, the ethical debate we have around it, and definitely the voice acting. Personally, in the field of game production, in the space where you develop games, AI definitely increases accessibility, allowing small teams to come up with great ideas, develop new games in many different genres, and truly make the ideas come true.

But we also need to be very aware of the fact that we are in this very chaotic midfield here. There is a lot of debate as to whether this is ethical or not. With many cases of copyright infringement, you need to learn where to draw the lines and how they need to be manipulated within a safe boundary. So, there are definitely many possibilities, but that also involves more debate.

BS: Yes, that’s the same thing. This means that AI isn’t inherently bad. It is the human fingerprint that holds it. AI is a very toxic word because it’s no longer about AI and is about everything around it. As you roam around GDC now, you will hear many conversations about the importance of machine learning and how valuable it is.

I’m an actor and obviously it’s a very hot topic right now for what we’re doing. What Sag-Aftra is doing now, what the actors are fighting for is very important, and I think it’s a very good thing that they’re increasing importance in public places. Ultimately, AI is not the problem. AI can be a great, great tool for people to use with their right hand, but it’s like all the dystopian apocalyptic films of the 90s. It’s like a ski net, man, will it come? And it must be on the right hand. It can be used in the right way, and can be convenient and great, but like you said, it requires regulation.

Technology is moving so fast that regulations can’t keep up, so you need to make sure you’re in place. So once this technology goes to a level where something crazy is going on, they already have regulations in place and don’t hinder them in the first place.

SB: What are you playing now when you’re not working on Kazan?

my: As a developer, I love games and I love playing games, so I first entered the industry, but that was ironic because I couldn’t play much. I’ve heard many other developers say, “Oh, I love playing games,” but you’ll hear a lot of developers say that, as it’s actually more research like games these days. I don’t want this comment to sound too business, but I’m actually playing Kazan and it’s great.

BS: I recently bought a steam deck. I was a PlayStation kid from a very young age, and that was my main game and is still my main gaming machine. However, I realized I was very travelling myself and felt that I needed to “get a steam deck.”

On my way here, I was a 4-hour vampire survivor. I had a half-life of about 3 hours 2, and it’s still going on. My words, can that game last? And I think they’re like RTX out there It’s just came out. The game series that really caught me in the past few months is the case with the rise of Golden Idols and Golden Idols.

I think they are great, and even in these three games I have listed, they think they are on the same idea of ​​video games, but they tell the story in a completely different way. Vampire survivors don’t actually tell the story, but it’s great to be able to reveal the story to us in all these ways. I think the Golden Idol series is really, really, really special.