'카르마 엑소시스트(Karma Exorcist)'는 중국 신화의 지부를 기반으로, 개발팀이 직접 보강한 오리지널 설정을 더해 빚어낸 동양 판타지 액션 게임이다. 8인의 소규모 팀이 2년 넘게 개발해온 이 작품은 11개의 주요 구역과 20종 이상의 법보(法宝) 시스템, 그리고 인차(阴差)가 영혼을 포박할 때 쓰던 구혼쇄(钩魂锁)를 차용한 독특한 이동 메커니즘을 핵심으로 내세운다.
인벤은 4월 27일부터 5월 5일까지 진행되는 스팀 체험판 공개를 앞두고 마련된 '빌리빌리 퍼스트룩' 현장에서, '카르마 엑소시스트'의 프로듀서를 만나 게임의 세계관 설계와 제작 과정에 대한 이야기를 들어봤다.
개발 배경부터 간단히 소개해달라. 팀 규모는 어느 정도이며, 개발 기간은 얼마나 되나.
" 현재 팀은 8명 규모고, 지금까지 약 2년이 조금 넘는 기간 동안 개발을 이어오고 있다.
한국 플레이어 입장에서는 중국의 지부(地府, 저승) 설화를 배경으로 한 서사 자체가 다소 생소할 수 있다. 중국 고대 설화에 대해, 그리고 이를 게임의 무대로 선택한 이유를 조금 더 설명해 줄 수 있을까?
" 중국 고대 설화(또는 신화)에는 인간 세계(양계)와 음계가 나뉘어 있다는 세계관이 존재한다. 어떤 의미에서는 서양의 지옥 개념과 닮은 면도 있다. 중국의 신화와 관련한 문헌과 자료가 방대하지만, 동시에 그 내용들이 매우 복잡하게 얽혀 있다. 이것을 우리 게임의 세계관에 가져오기 위해, 신화 자체가 가진 논리적 허점들을 메우는 오리지널 설정을 더해야 했다.
또한 지부는 중국 민속의 상당 부분을 품고 있는 공간이기도 하다. 과거 변방 지역의 다양한 미신들이 담긴 영역이라 신비로운 색채가 짙은데, 메트로바니아라는 장르과 본질적으로 탐험을 지향하는 만큼, 이 신비로운 색채가 탐험의 재미를 증폭시켜줄 수 있다고 생각했다.
민속적 요소들을 단순히 배경으로 두는 것을 넘어, 게임 속 콘텐츠로 확장하기 위해 어떤 노력이 필요했나?
" 예를 들어 설명하자면, 사람이 죽어 윤회로 돌아갈 때, '내하교'위에서 '맹파탕'을 마셔 기억을 지우고 환생한다는 민속 전설이 있다. 이런 설정에 덧붙여, "전생의 부부가 다시 인연을 이어가고 싶다면, 맹파탕을 마시지 않고 다리에서 뛰어내리면 된다. 강 속의 수많은 악귀에게 고통을 당하게 되지만, 상대방도 똑같은 선택을 할때까지 기다리면 함께 환생해 전생의 인연을 이어갈 수 있다"는 이야기도 전해진다.
이런 민간 설화들이 우리 게임에서 서브퀘스트로 포장되어 있다. 어떤 NPC는 실제로 그 선택을 했지만, 결국 아내와 다시 만나지 못했다. 이런 식으로 민속의 한 조각이 흥미로운 이야기로 확장되는 구조를 취하고 있다.
최근 이 장르 게임들은 난이도가 상당히 높은 편이다. 플레이어에게 주어지는 성취감과, 반대로 반복되는 실패에서 오는 좌절감 사이 균형은 어떻게 고려하고 있는지 궁금하다.
" 성취감은 도전 그 자체를 완수하는 것에서 오는 긍정적 피드백이다. 도전을 성공시키면 그에 상응하는 콘텐츠 보상이 따라오는데, 이것이 플레이어에게 탐험과 보스 재도전의 동력이 된다. 게임 안에는 수치 성장만이 아니라 앞서 말한 흥미로운 이야기들도 존재하기 때문에, 소재와 콘텐츠에 흥미를 느낀 플레이어에게는 그 자체가 계속 도전할 이유가 되어준다.
좌절감 문제에 대해서는, 솔직히 말씀드리면 우리도 여러 수단을 준비해두었다. 다만 이번 체험판은 비교적 초반 빌드이기도 하고, 전반적인 폴리싱이 아직 충분하지 않은 부분이 있다. 또 하나는, 체험판 구간에서는 플레이어가 확보할 수 있는 전투 전략 수단이 아직 많지 않기 때문에 특정 상황에서 어려움을 더 크게 느낄 수 있다.
개발이 진행되면서 폴리싱도 개선되고, 사용할 수 있는 수단이 다양해지면 문제 해결 방식 또한 풍부해져 좌절감이 훨씬 덜해질 것이다. 그 과정 자체가 플레이어의 학습과 성장이기도 하다.
From my experience, there were cases where I felt that the save points were somewhat small. There was a point where I became tired as the movement path was repeated, and I wonder if the sparse placement of save points was intentional.
" This is a very important point in gateway design. If there is a linear flow If it were a game, it would be possible to place save points at regular intervals, such as every 10 minutes. However, since the game we are trying to make is a non-linear structure with a high proportion of exploration, the save point placement will also be different.
For example, a save point in an area may be difficult to reach at first, but later, when you return via a different route, you can use a device such as an elevator to reuse that point. What we were concerned about was how to make this save point non-linear due to the gateway design and provide freedom of exploration, while also being an effective aid when the player discovers it on their own.
However, if the player does not find the point, it can definitely be painful. To alleviate this problem to some extent, a temporary resurrection point called a ghost light was placed in front of every boss. However, this ghost light does not have a teleportation function.
In the announcement, it was said that the main character was born from Futo's fingers. There was relatively little explanation about the female protagonist born from another finger. Can you explain more about this character? Also, at what point will it appear in earnest?
" The female protagonist has the same goal as the protagonist, which is to solve the branch's problems, but she has chosen a completely opposite path. The main character takes the approach of “I will return all the bad karma,” which is actually a dangerous method that may produce more bad karma. The explanation is a bit complicated, but I hope you can understand it that way.
The female protagonist chooses the method of Goddess Huto, that is, “suppression and destruction.” It is an approach that suppresses bad karma rather than suppressing it. For this reason, when the two characters meet at the beginning of the game, they are portrayed as being in conflict with each other. We are in a state where we cannot acknowledge what the other person is doing.
The player gradually realizes that the female protagonist was also trying to solve the same problem in a different way. And later, it turns out that the female protagonist's method doesn't work either. For reference, the so-called "fake ending" is the ending that occurs when the confrontational relationship continues to the end without cooperating with her, and the "true ending" is the ending that can be reached only by cooperating with her.
Can the player directly control the female protagonist?
" Currently, only some content can be manipulated. In the entire section. It is not an optional play, but manipulation will be possible in some parts after the point in the story when you cooperate with her.
Is the map revealed in the announcement close to the final version, or will it be expanded in the future?
" The released map is a draft. This doesn't mean that the map will necessarily get bigger, but the amount of adjustment in the future will be quite large.
There is also a separate space called the eighteen-story hell (十八层地狱). How do I enter it?
" This is content from the latter half of the game. It is located as an independent area, and the concept It is already clearly defined and development is already underway. However, it is not an essential part of the main story, but is designed as a fairly hidden element that the player is expected to discover through exploration.
Is the route or boss there more difficult than the main story?
" That's right. The difficulty level will be set higher. It corresponds to a type of final challenge content.
Approximately how much play time do you expect until the ending?
" If you only play the main story, it is currently planned to be about 20 hours. Including the collection element, it will take about 30 to 40 hours.
Is there any additional content that can be enjoyed after the ending?
" Of course. First, there are elements that require repeated exploration to reach different, perfect endings. Another thing is the side quests, many of which are not essential to the main progression and can be returned to explore after the ending. These contents include additional explanations that provide a deeper understanding of the worldview, and also include interesting sub-stories.
For reference, the content experienced by the time you reach the ending is less than half of the entire volume. The other half can be enjoyed after the ending.
There are 8 treasures that can be equipped at once, and 3 of them can be quickly switched to quick slots. Is there a specific combination you would like to recommend? Are certain laws more advantageous in certain boss battles?
" The logic we designed basically allows all combinations to be possible. Each weapon has its own unique combat module, so choosing a combination depends on which combat style you prefer.
There are clear laws that are advantageous for each type of enemy. For example, for fast-moving and small enemies, a weapon with a tracking attack is suitable, while for large and slow-moving enemies, a weapon that rotates around the enemy and inflicts continuous damage is suitable. In this case, you can stay close to the enemy and fight stably. To supplement, the reason why we designed it to be able to quickly switch between 3 of the 8 Dharma Treasure slots is because we wanted players to be able to flexibly change their combat style in different combat environments.
Guohonsae (钩魂锁), which acts as a grappling hook, seemed to be very useful in boss battles and general exploration. How do you define the role of this tool?
" The courtship chain is a key tool that runs through the entire game. In terms of exploration, there are many areas where progress is impossible without it. Although it is not essential in battle, it is a very effective countermeasure in battles with certain enemies. It can be used to quickly approach an enemy, and can also be used to bring down an enemy that is in the air and difficult to attack directly.
The small team of 8 people is small even by indie standards. Was there any part that was particularly difficult during the development process?
" This is our studio's first single-player package game. However, the team members Since each of us had a long history of working in the industry, the actual production process itself was not very difficult. In order to create a proper world view, we had to research a large amount of data related to ancient Chinese mythology, and we had to organize and organize the parts that were not organized.
Another thing is the art style direction. I wanted to preserve the sense of Chinese mythology while simultaneously creating visuals that global players could accept. If the oriental colors were too strong, such as the ink-and-wash painting style, global acceptance could have been reduced, and the colors could not be completely removed. In this part, the art direction was changed several times to arrive at the current style.
As a developer, which is more rewarding: a scene where the player gets hit by a boss, or a scene where the player dies from a thorn or trap while moving normally?
" Personally, the most enjoyable moment is when a player discovers a device that we have carefully designed. (Laughs)
Is Korean language support provided? Is an official release in Korea also planned?
" Both are planned.
Please let me know if there is any scope to share about the official release date and external testing plans.
" Personally, I would like to release it as quickly as possible, but ultimately, I think it is more important to deliver a satisfactory result. In terms of personal planning, I have the end of this year or early next year in mind. However, since there is a process of conducting external tests and receiving feedback in the meantime, adjustments may occur here, so it is difficult to say that it is a confirmed schedule.
External testing is definitely scheduled to take place within this year. The trial version, which runs from April 27 to May 5, is one of the schedules, and we plan to conduct several tests in different stages. Test applications are being accepted through the Steam store page.
Will the difficulty level of the currently played trial version remain the same upon the official release?
" Even as of the official release, it will not be much different from now. There will be some adjustments, but there will be no major changes. It is expected that there will be no change in width.
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