Abstract
- Impressed by the true glaciers within the Alps, Dungeons of Hinterberg’s Glacier overworld presents a singular and playful expertise of magical snowboarding, exploration, fight, and discovery, with hidden secrets and techniques, adventures, and rewards.
- The Glacier overworld is non-linear and requires gamers to resolve puzzles, full challenges, and revisit the realm at completely different factors. Like different overworlds, the gameplay is affected by the social dynamics in Hinterberg, as gamers construct their status and connections to entry new locations and meet new NPCs.
- Dungeons of Hinterberg shall be accessible on day one with Sport Move for Xbox Collection X|S and Home windows.
For the reason that authentic reveal of Dungeons of Hinterberg in the course of the Xbox Video games Showcase this previous June, we’ve gotten a gentle stream of information and data from its creators. Whether or not it was getting a primary hands-on and take a look at the mountainous overworld and dungeons throughout throughout gamescom, or studying extra concerning the social-sim side that gamers will expertise within the idyllic city of Hinterberg throughout Xbox Accomplice Preview, we’ve been handled to rather a lot of nice particulars en path to the sport’s 2024 launch!
However Microbird couldn’t allow us to sneak off into the vacations with out one other nice take a look at Dungeons of Hinterberg, and in the present day we have been handled to a preview of its Glacier overworld as half of their newest livestream. Following that, we caught up with Co-Founder and Artwork Director for Microbird Video games Regina Reisinger to get some extra particulars on the icy overworld, how gamers can construct rep, and monsters… so many monsters.
Are you able to inform us just a little bit concerning the 4 overworlds and the way they perform in Dungeons of Hinterberg?
The overworlds are an integral half of your vacation in Hinterberg: day-after-day of your trip begins with a hearty breakfast, after which it’s time to resolve which of the overworlds you need to go to in the present day. Overworlds are distinct, mid-sized areas round Hinterberg, and are all impressed by actual Austrian landscapes and biomes. All of them maintain ample alternative and house to discover, combat monsters, uncover some secrets and techniques, or simply sit down in a ravishing spot and meditate for a day.
There are 4 visually distinct overworlds that each one provide their very own taste of magic as nicely. For those who really feel like a soothing hike, why not go to the plush inexperienced mountain meadows of Doberkogel? Are you in a extra serene temper? Think about visiting Hinterwald, a picturesque forest the place you may stroll between tall bushes and little streamlets, whereas recognizing some deer within the distance. Or if you wish to calm down, you can take the cable automotive as much as Kolmstein, a glacier that’s coated in snow and ice all yr spherical.
We’ve seen gameplay within the Forest and Mountain overworlds – and now Glacier! Are you able to share extra concerning the course of of creating the Glacier overworld?
The glacier is an overworld that could be very pricey to our hearts, and one which was rather a lot of enjoyable to design. It’s the third overworld that may turn into accessible within the recreation, and it switches up how we deal with motion, by offering Luisa and the gamers with a magic hoverboard talent. We actually needed to seize the superb feeling that you just get in actual life when snowboarding or snowboarding down a wide-open slope full of snow, surrounded by mountains and a view that goes on for miles. We used Unity’s terrain system, combined with some manually constructed elements, so we might create precisely the sort of exploration expertise that we imagined.
What distinctive skills can gamers count on from the Glacier overworld?
As already talked about, the hoverboard is one of the 2 magic expertise distinctive to the glacier, and possibly the one gamers will use probably the most. Zipping alongside the snowy panorama at a dizzying tempo, grinding alongside magical rails and making an attempt to finish difficult slalom programs are just a few of the enjoyable issues you are able to do with this talent. And of course, it is useful in fight as nicely, the place you need to use it to knock over enemies and draw a flaming barrier behind you. The second talent is a magical mild ray that can be utilized to resolve puzzles, hit enemies, or manipulate your surroundings. Combining each – grinding alongside a rail whereas zapping enemies or targets round you – is a lot of enjoyable as nicely.
You’ve spoken a bit about how Dungeons of Hinterberg’s setting and monsters are impressed by places in Austria and its folklore. What inspirations have immediately influenced the Glacier overworld?
The glacier overworld is definitely one the place we took rather a lot of inspiration from the true world. The Alps are recognized for his or her glaciers, the place you may expertise a wintery panorama all yr spherical: even in summer season, you would possibly solely be a cable automotive trip away from a mountaintop coated in ice and snow. This makes a glacier form of a particular and magical place in and of itself. Sadly, the altering local weather has turn into a hazard for these biomes as nicely. That’s one more reason why it was vital to us to attempt to seize that distinctive aptitude and feeling; to share it with gamers and hopefully make them recognize this distinctive biome as a lot as we do!
What are you most excited for gamers to take a look at within the Glacier overworld when Dungeons of Hinterberg launches subsequent yr?
The glacier overworld has a really non-linear, playful feeling to it. You’ll be able to overlook a lot of the biome out of your first vantage level, however reaching and gaining access to all these areas, and the dungeon portals hidden there, isn’t as straightforward. Gamers might want to discover, puzzle, full challenges, and revisit the overworld at completely different factors all through the sport. We’re very excited for gamers to find all these spots, and are wanting ahead to seeing how they strategy navigating this particular overworld – be it on a magical hoverboard or on foot.
You’ve shared with us beforehand on how some of the social dynamics work in Dungeons of Hinterberg. Are you able to share some extra about how these completely different biomes will have an effect on Luisa? I think about a Glacier world might not maintain the identical kind of social interactions one might have within the Forest, for instance.
Most of the socializing takes place within the village of Hinterberg, your property base that you just return to each night. That doesn’t imply that you just received’t want any assist from your folks and connections in the case of navigating the overworlds, although! Some locations would possibly solely be accessible to you in case you have a ok status round Hinterberg, or a robust pal to provide you a leg up. And infrequently you would possibly even meet a pal within the center of a snowy slope, who would possibly provide you with some rewards for instructing them a lesson in hoverboarding!
Due to Regina Reisinger for taking a while to talk with us in the present day. You’ll be able to search for Dungeons of Hinterberg to launch day one with Sport Move for Xbox Collection X|S and Home windows in 2024.