Abstract
- Impressed by the true glaciers within the Alps, Dungeons of Hinterberg’s Glacier overworld presents a novel 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 unravel 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 popularity and connections to entry new locations and meet new NPCs.
- Dungeons of Hinterberg shall be obtainable on day one with Recreation Cross for Xbox Sequence X|S and Home windows.
For the reason that unique reveal of Dungeons of Hinterberg in the course of the Xbox Video games Showcase this previous June, we’ve gotten a gradual stream of stories and data from its creators. Whether or not it was getting a primary hands-on and have a look at the mountainous overworld and dungeons throughout throughout gamescom, or studying extra concerning the social-sim facet that gamers will expertise within the idyllic city of Hinterberg throughout Xbox Accomplice Preview, we’ve been handled to plenty 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 have a look at Dungeons of Hinterberg, and immediately we had been handled to a preview of its Glacier overworld as a part 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 somewhat bit concerning the 4 overworlds and the way they operate in Dungeons of Hinterberg?
The overworlds are an integral a part 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 immediately. 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 area to discover, combat monsters, uncover some secrets and techniques, or simply sit down in a phenomenal 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 luxurious inexperienced mountain meadows of Doberkogel? Are you in a extra serene temper? Contemplate visiting Hinterwald, a picturesque forest the place you possibly can stroll between tall bushes and little streamlets, whereas recognizing some deer within the distance. Or if you wish to calm down, you would 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 technique of growing the Glacier overworld?
The glacier is an overworld that may be very expensive to our hearts, and one which was plenty of enjoyable to design. It’s the third overworld that can grow to be obtainable 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 simply get in actual life when snowboarding or snowboarding down a wide-open slope filled with snow, surrounded by mountains and a view that goes on for miles. We used Unity’s terrain system, blended with some manually constructed components, so we may create precisely the sort of exploration expertise that we imagined.
What distinctive talents can gamers anticipate from the Glacier overworld?
As already talked about, the hoverboard is among the two magic expertise distinctive to the glacier, and possibly the one gamers will use essentially 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 simply a number of the enjoyable issues you are able to do with this talent. And naturally, it turns out to be 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 unravel puzzles, hit enemies, or manipulate your setting. 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 areas in Austria and its folklore. What inspirations have instantly influenced the Glacier overworld?
The glacier overworld is definitely one the place we took plenty of inspiration from the true world. The Alps are recognized for his or her glaciers, the place you possibly can expertise a wintery panorama all yr spherical: even in summer season, you may solely be a cable automotive trip away from a mountaintop coated in ice and snow. This makes a glacier sort of a particular and magical place in and of itself. Sadly, the altering local weather has grow to be a hazard for these biomes as nicely. That’s one more reason why it was essential to us to try 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 having access to all these areas, and the dungeon portals hidden there, shouldn’t be 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 trying 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 a number 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 sort of social interactions one may have within the Forest, for instance.
Many of the socializing takes place within the village of Hinterberg, your private home base that you simply return to each night. That doesn’t imply that you simply gained’t want any assist from your folks and connections in relation to navigating the overworlds, although! Some locations may solely be accessible to you when you’ve got a adequate popularity round Hinterberg, or a strong pal to present you a leg up. And sometimes you may even meet a pal in the course of a snowy slope, who may provide you with some rewards for educating them a lesson in hoverboarding!
Due to Regina Reisinger for taking a while to talk with us immediately. You’ll be able to search for Dungeons of Hinterberg to launch day one with Recreation Cross for Xbox Sequence X|S and Home windows in 2024.