PAX Australia has always been a great opportunity to get out there and mingle with developers, to see what they’re working on, and go hands-on with a demo to determine whether it takes your fancy or not. In some ways, it’s the speed dating of the video game world – a fleeting chance to impress players in the hope that they’ll want to spend time and money on a game once it’s released.
But like in speed dating, first impressions are everything and it’s easy to crash and burn almost instantly. I’ll be honest, I’ve dabbled with plenty of games at PAX that I instantly knew weren’t for me. What I love most about PAX and indie games in general is when you pick up a game and not only does it surprise you with its quality but you immediately know this is a game’s development journey you’re going to follow.
This brings us to Blackheart, the debut game from the New Zealand studio Hyporeal. On paper it’s a top-down dark fantasy action-RPG inspired by games such as Hades and Hyper Light Drifter, which is not usually a pitch that would be enough to suck me in. However, from a quick glance it had a great art style, so I decided to take the demo for a spin and I am glad I did because not only was Blackheart my favourite game from PAX Aus 2022, it’s a game I believe has huge potential. Plus, as part Kiwi, I can’t help but feel a small sense of national pride.
Chatting with the game’s creative director and Hyporeal founder Josiah Hunt, who was incredibly humble, the passion and excitement he has for the project is borderline infectious. I found myself invested in Blackheart’s development and eager to learn more about the world and how the game came about.
Hunt tells me that the story of Blackheart is based on two books that he wrote during high school and university. It focuses on Azriel, a young noble who is the youngest member of an influential but dysfunctional royal family where every member of the family has their own plans to be in charge. Early in the game, Azriel strikes up a relationship with Ocassus, an otherworldly creature known as an Ether Spirit who shares their knowledge and power with Azriel. At first, Azriel wants to use his newfound power for his own personal gain, but he soon realises the responsibility that has been bestowed upon him, and as such he endeavours to unite his family as the threat that looms over the world continues to lurk and grow.
The demo was only about 15–20 minutes long, but right from the start I was hooked. The art style is simply beautiful with a bold and at times vibrant colour palette that fits the world and the narrative perfectly. Hunt says that all the art is based on briefs that he gives the team, who then translate them into visual representations. But it’s not just the visuals, it’s also the animations that are impressively slick and help the game feel good to play.
What’s more impressive, is that this is the work of just four developers. Hunt explains he had been tinkering with the game idea for a while, development on Blackheart started in 2020 after Hunt founded Hyporeal, who prior to that was making ends meet as a freelance web developer on the side.
Hunt says that once he knew the New Zealand government was beginning to back video game projects he knew he had it to give it his best shot, and thanks to grants from CODE – the New Zealand Center of Digital Excellence – Hunt was able to start Hyporeal and his gamedev career, which allows him to work full-time on bringing Blackheart to life.
While Hyporeal has been the recipient of a couple of funding grants, the team is actively looking for publisher support to help fund the next stage of the game’s development. From my brief time with Blackheart, it’s a title that wouldn’t look out of place on the Devolver Digital, Annapurna Interactive or United Label roster.
There have been some positive conversations with potential publishers, and if Hyporeal manages to find the right partner for Blackheart, then it will likely release mid-late 2024 on consoles and PC. If no publisher is found, the team may look at crowdfunding options to finance the game.
As my hands-on continues, it’s evident that Blackheart’s gameplay is simple but in a good way as it’s intuitive and engaging. Players will use the left thumbstick to move Azriel around the world and can dash by using the X/A button on a controller at the same time. While the right thumbstick is your primary attack, which has three uses before it must recharge (which happens in a few seconds after depletion). My opening primary attack was a fireball, and later in the demo I unlocked an ice attack that dealt slightly more damage.
The triggers are how players will utilise their secondary and utility abilities. In the demo I only had access to two secondary attacks – the ability to inflict heavy damage to a group of enemies in a specific area and the ability to slow enemies and deliver damage to enemies in a chosen area.
Once a combat sequence is initiated, the Azriel will be walled in and must defeat all enemies before they can progress. Dying will see Azriel go back to the latest checkpoint, which are triggered by interacting with shrines/stones in the area.
Perhaps the best part about the game’s combat was the soft-lock that essentially works like aim assist. Hunt says that this feature came about after his time playing Children of Morta and that it’s a necessary feature given trying to precisely pinpoint enemies with thumbsticks can be frustrating. Although, he reveals that “masochists” will have the ability to disable this in the final game.
When talking about the Hades and Hyper Light Drifter inspiration, Hunt explains that it’s more than simply gameplay influences.
“I still remember seeing the Hyperlight Drifter Kickstarter trailer,” says the Blackheart creative director.
“The absolute awe it made me feel right from that opening shot with the character standing in front of those decaying titans. It was an instant back from me, and I want to instil that same sense of awe in players of Blackheart.
With Hades, Hunt explains that Supergiant Games’ smash hit “felt like a natural place to draw inspiration from” given the narrative is very character focused.
“People tend to react with delight when they see Blackheart’s dialogue for the first time,” Hunt excitedly tells me.
And I can see why, with the brief dialogue moments showing a side of Blackheart that we didn’t get to see much of in the demo, and I’m intrigued to uncover more about the story.
As my time with the demo came to an end, I had explored every nook and cranny I could find, hoping to discover as much as I could about the game. But as I scrolled the menus, I know there’s a lot more to Blackheart than what my tasting revealed, such as the Passive Skills menu or the items in my inventory I was unable to use, or the character Sage who I could upgrade skills via. I consider asking Hunt about these, but he’s deep in conversation with another group of punters who are about to play and hopefully be impressed by Blackheart.
It’s hard not to root for Hunt and Hyporeal with Blackheart, as it’s clear the game has been made with a ton of love, and as I said earlier, first impressions are everything and I could not have been more impressed with Blackheart. Everything from the gorgeous art style to the slick animations, to the combat that is simple yet satisfying, just oozes a level of quality where you know you’re playing something special. With Blackheart, the sky is the limit for Hyporeal, and I can’t wait to play more when the time comes.
