as those from id Software and Valve, in what is a case of looking back to move forward. Hill explains: “One of our initial thoughts when founding Bonsai was that we wanted to create contemporary games with that classic feeling, so looking back to move forward is an apt expression for what we set out to achieve. “I think we have stayed largely true to that vision
throughout the development of Luna Abyss – we knew that we wanted the gameplay to be pick up and play, drawing upon some of our favourite classic shooters. That got us really thinking about how an FPS adventure game with bullet hell elements would feel and how something like that could work.” Of course, we wouldn’t quite describe Luna Abyss as a
“Boomer Shooter” (though some might) and the team at Bonsai Collective have also been sure to take influences from all sorts of places, as good game developers do. That can be things as simple as innovating and addressing problems they’ve had with other titles, or taking inspiration from the coolest of sci-fi anime and manga, as Benni Hill explains: “We have several inspirations from many different
areas. Tonally and environmentally, we have been inspired by manga such as Tsutomu Nihei’s BLAME! and anime like Hideaki Anno’s Neon Genesis Evangelion. In terms of gameplay we were inspired by the classic shooters we played growing up like Half-Life and Metroid Prime. The bullet element came from the visceral action of the Nier franchise and seeing how they utilised bullets to create really exciting combat spaces and patterns. “One of the main problems with FPS games with
bullet spread” he continues, “is the peripheral vision you inherently lose compared to a third-person or top-down shooter – and we knew from the start we wanted this to be primarily a story shooter experience and not overtly difficult and punishing.” “There has been a trend for the difficulty of these visceral experiences to be a barrier to entry in some
favourite experiences, we knew we wanted Luna Abyss to be an experience that was accessible to players who want to play those type of games, but maybe struggle with the intense dexterity required.
“In terms of gameplay we were inspired by the classic shooters we played growing up like Half-Life and Metroid Prime.”
“To solve both the bullet-hell-in-FPS issue and
accessibility we developed a z-targeting style lock on mechanic that allowed players to orient themselves around bullet emitting enemies, but also create focus attack points that didn’t require precise aiming. This worked well and became a core component of the game. Of course for players that really want a challenge, not using the lock-on is also an option worth a try if you really want to challenge yourself!” As for what’s next for Bonsai Collective after Luna Abyss? That’ll probably depend on what the gaming audience’s reaction to their debut title is like. “We are thinking about what is next,
and where we want to go beyond Luna Abyss, but right now it’s too early to say much on the matter,” explains Hill. “We’re keen to see how gamers feel and listen to their perspectives and suggestions to help us drive where we go next. Whether that’s with Luna Abyss or another IP, our hearts are firmly committed to telling great stories with great action.”
franchises. Although some of those games are our January 2023 MCV/DEVELOP | 19
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