DRAKE

Dev Spotlight: Chapter VIII - DRAKE

I had the honor of interviewing Dmitrii, the game director for DRAKE, an upcoming space western action RPG.

Q. What inspired you to develop your game DRAKE and what led you to the decision to make it a space western?

I started with the idea of a Martian-inspired survival RPG, where players need to manage a station on a frontier, Mars-like planet. I'm a space-nerd with a master's degree in physics, particularly focused on orbital mechanics. I love it when real physics is involved in a story. The Expanse series was a huge inspiration for me too.

As the concept evolved, we shifted towards a narrative-driven RPG, focusing more on roleplaying than survival simulation due to the immense scope of the latter. I delved deeper into storytelling and world-building, which led to the emergence of space cowboys. It's also worth mentioning Firefly - the series I'm in love with - and anime like Trigun or Cowboy Bebop.

Drake, a frontier planet undergoing active colonization, provided the perfect backdrop for various factions vying to shape its future. The space western theme became a stylistic choice that allowed us to infuse the game with a plethora of captivating mini-stories within the larger RPG framework.

Q. How long have you been working on DRAKE and what were some of the hurdles you experienced when you first started?

It's been about six years already. In 2018, I got involved with the game Ash of Gods Redemption. I served as one of the directors for the trailer and handled in-game animations and VFX. That experience pushed me to start working on my own game as a pet project.

Initially, I created a small prototype (just a 2D sprite of a character moving by pushing buttons) and showed it to a friend with experience in game development. And he told me "What the heck is this? Let me help you fix it." So, Arsenii, the co-founder of our company, joined the project.

Later, from 2019 to 2022, our friends joined our squad to contribute to different aspects of the game. Most of them are somehow involved in CG productions. The character design was done by Eugenia, who also works for Total War: Warhammer, and the 3D models of the characters were created by Andrey, who was previously involved in the Atomic Heart project.

Initially, our lack of proper experience was our biggest hurdle. Looking back, I would approach many things differently, starting from the concept and planning of the game. In 2018, we were simply creating something we wanted to try making, something we would love to play, without considering how to deliver it to the world. Now, I prioritize thinking about what would resonate with the world and how to bring it to them, and then focus on making it happen.

Nevertheless, Drake has been a valuable learning project for us. We've undergone several pivots, with the most recent being about a year ago, and since then, we've finally started gaining momentum in production and marketing. We have even cooler plans for this year, so stay tuned!

Q. Games like Divinity: Original Sin and League of Legends use the isometric view for their games, and it's a wonderful direction, especially paired with beautiful graphics. Why did you decide to make DRAKE an isometric view RPG?

When we first started, the game was completely 2D top-down, like Hotline Miami, based on sprites. This approach seemed easier in production, and we wanted Drake to be our first project to establish a universe, so we sought ways to optimize our resources.

However, we soon realized that implementing 2D animations for an RPG with numerous characters would be quite challenging. Experimenting with 3D characters in a 2D environment proved unsatisfactory, leading us to explore a complete shift to 3D, which surprisingly took only two weeks. The code wasn't significantly affected.

Thus, we gradually transitioned to a top-down 3D perspective. I often use the term "isometric" since it harkens back to RPG classics, but my programmer corrects me, reminding me that the game isn't orthographic, making it top-down rather than isometric. Perhaps a term like "bird's-eye view" or "aerial RPG" could fit better. We need to invent some cool name for this, like Spatial RPG!

In DRAKE - our Spatial RPG - we are really trying to play with the depth to break away from the 2.5D feel of the top-down perspective. We change the camera angle to highlight specific objects and occasionally move out of the top-down view entirely for cutscenes to make your experience more cinematic.

Q. Can you talk a bit about the story behind DRAKE? What is the main character trying to achieve and what obstacles are standing in his way?

Drake is a planet rich in Amber - a resource crucial for life extension therapy during long space flights. This makes Drake a hub of faction tensions, with some seeking power, some pursuing justice, while others dream of obtaining vast Amber deposits to elevate their social standing and wealth.

The main character flees from their war-torn home planet after losing everything, including a close friend. Drake becomes their new home, and they seek purpose there. Initially joining the prospectors, they stumble upon something much more important than Amber: an artifact promising eternal life, raising the stakes significantly.

As the player controls the character, they must decide which faction to align with, unravel the mystery behind the artifact, and, most importantly, determine their role in this story.

So, the main feature of DRAKE is its dynamic storyline, which evolves based on the player's meaningful choices. For example, when introduced to the artifact, players have the freedom to decide whether to take it or leave it. This choice significantly influences the trajectory of the story, leading to either a heroic 'chosen one' narrative or a more nihilistic one with a character who refuses to follow the trendline.

Q. What is everyday life like for your average citizen on the planet of Drake?

The concept of Drake is to envision modern society transported back to the Wild West but on another planet, complete with advanced technology and progressive medicine capable of extending life by 200-300 years.

This creates a significant divide, where the wealthy can live much longer while the poor struggle to survive digging the mud. The essence of this setup prompts the question: imagine having not just 30-40 years of active life, but five to six times more. What would you do to attain it? How would it change your life? Would you align with an autocrat promising you therapy for the service or rebel to make life-extending therapy accessible to all?

And eternal life — are you even prepared for it? And what about humanity itself? These are the kinds of profound considerations that occupy my mind when answering your question, and I hope players of the game will experience similar moments of introspection.

Q. DRAKE is an upcoming isometric CRPG but how soon is upcoming? When can we expect a release date for DRAKE and what is the best way for people to stay informed of its progress?

When it's ready, that's for sure. We're currently seeking a publisher to provide additional funding and assist us in bringing the game to the world. Our current plans aim for a release between 2025 and 2026, although the game development industry is a bit uncertain right now, so we hope our plans will come to fruition eventually.

The best way to support us at the moment is to tell your friends about our game and encourage them to do the same, and, of course, add it to your wishlist on Steam.

You can also follow the development on Twitter or reach out to us directly on Discord.

Thank you for your time. See you, space cowboy...