Atlas Fallen, the latest game by German developer Deck13 Interactive, was released on August 10th on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. While it launched to mixed reviews from critics, the game has nevertheless proven to be popular amongst some circles.
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Video games taking inspiration from one another is not a new concept; far from it, in fact. All forms of art take inspiration from others in the same industry or even from different mediums. Atlas Fallen is no different in that regard, with Deck13 admitting to looking at other games as reference and for inspiration, and then putting their own spin on things.
What other games has Atlas Fallen taken inspiration from?
Over the last few years, there have been several AAA games that are either story-driven, combat-heavy, or with lots of exploration – or a combination of all three and more. Atlas Fallen looked to several games keeping these in mind, such as God of War, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Devil May Cry, and even Monster Hunter. In an interview, game director Jan Klose had this to say:
“Several recent games felt really impressive, and our team was inspired by some big titles like God of War or Horizon Zero Dawn, while we felt it would be great fun to reach the pace of a Devil May Cry and some of the configuration fun of Monster Hunter. So, as you can see, there’s been a rich mix of influences that helped us to shape something new and unique that can stand on its own feet.”
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Why did Deck13 change genres with Atlas Fallen?
Developer Deck13 is known for its Soulslike games such as The Surge and Lords of the Fallen, which were released in 2017 and 2014 respectively. But Atlas Fallen is a more traditional action role-playing game (RPG) with almost none of the characteristics of Soulslikes present. The audience for both genres of games are different and they’re fundamentally different games, as noted by Jan Klose in the same interview:
“I think that, as a studio, you should keep developing and doing new things. With Lords of the Fallen and The Surge, we gathered a lot of experience for a more hardcore audience, but we never wanted to just copy an existing playstyle. We always tried to add our own spin to things. With Atlas Fallen, we wanted to move to a more fast-paced gameplay and we chose the features that we felt would best go along with it. So it’s a new and unique mix of gameplay ideas, but we feel it came out as something very enjoyable. We don’t think that, as a developer, you need to be assigned to just a specific genre and ruleset.”
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Jan Klose also explained that he expected the game to become easier in co-op mode, which is true for many (but not all) Soulslike games as well. In terms of taking inspiration from The Surge and its sequel, also a Soulslike game series they developed, he added that risk vs reward is a gameplay choice and theme that has carried over into Atlas Fallen.
Source: WCCF Tech
