The group at Jyamma Games has unveiled its third Developer Diary outlining some of the creative processes used to help make its upcoming Italian-inspired Soulslike game,Enotria: The Last Song. Revealed at Gamescom 2024, this particular Developer Diary speaks in greater detail about the Level Design, Asset Creation, and Accessibility Design that went into creating the journey throughEnotria: The Last Song. Here’s a closer look at some of the things that developers spoke about and what players can expect when the title launches in September.
Making A Soulslike Accessible To All Via Smart UI Design
One of the challenges that Jyamma Games addressed when creatingEnotria: The Last Song, was how to make it more accessible to all players without compromising the gameplay elements too much in one direction. The group behindEnotria: The Last Songunderstands that certain expectations come pre-loaded into the Soulslike genre. Although overall game difficulty that targets hardcore players is one of the major selling points for a Soulslike game, developers don’t believe that a game should be hard just for the sake of it. The UI and UX designers at Jyamma Games understand this and have put a lot of thought and effort into creating the combat and gameplay experience in Enotria: The Last Song.
This includes looking into things like Accessibility and making sure that all players have the tools they need to ensure they can use their skills to overcome enemies. Things like larger text for players with difficulty seeing and better visual cues for players who are hard of hearing are just some of the things that developers considered when crafting the experience in Enotria: The Last Song.
The Importance Of Good Level Design
One of the main focus points of any good Soulslike experience is the Level Design. Levels should offer challenge and be engaging and entertaining to navigate. They should also offer up good variation. Jyamma Games has considered all of these points, and more, when crafting each of the areas inEnotria: The Last Song. Much like other Soulslike experiences, players will find themselves heading through an array of areas, each with its own unique identity that makes it look and feel like a living and breathing space. Developers made a point that they wantedEnotria: The Last Songto have its own unique and vibrant identity, while still maintaining some of the monikers and elements that make for a good Soulslike experience.
Each zone inEnotria: The Last Songwill appear as a labor of love, with meticulously crafted assets that fill each space with detailed items and decorations. The many locations spread throughoutEnotria: The Last Songwill feature their own stylization that helps them stand out from the rest. Quinta, for example features architecture based on Tuscany, while the Falesia Magna draws inspiration from the ancient Etruscans, mixed with the empire-like structure of Rome. Many of the zones inEnotria: The Last Songare rather sunny and beautifully vibrant, a direct affront to the traditionally dark and gritty atmosphere of most Soulslike games. That said, there are still some very dreary areas present inEnotria: The Last Song, including the dark and foreboding Mantelloni Garden. It’s clear that Jyamma Games has spent a lot of time researching and absorbing Italian history and folklore and those elements stand out in the Level Design and Asset creation for their upcoming release.
Enotria: The Last Song will be released September 19th, 2024 for PC viaSteamand the Epic Games Store, as well as PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X/S
