Hello everyone! I’m Jérémy Hartvick, Director of Game Design at Deck13, and I’m currently working on the recently announced Atlas Fallen. Atlas Fallen is a heroic-fantasy action-RPG that will take you to a ravaged sand-covered world where fierce creatures await to engage you in spectacular combat. The combat system differs from our previous productions, it was one of the biggest challenges we faced… and that’s what I’m here to talk to you about!
Our Deck13 team has accumulated a lot of experience in close combat duels, and we wanted to continue in this direction, but with a different angle and completely new mechanics, aiming for even faster and effects-laden fights that require knowing -do and timing. We’ve designed the combat to be easy to master, but we’ve also loaded it with tricky mechanics to execute perfectly.
While retaining a visceral feel as well as certain moves that were central to The Surge series, Atlas Fallen’s combat is primarily defined by speed and fluidity. We kept ideas like the body part targeting system and the implant system, using a different approach to better support the accented RPG look. We’ve taken everything a step further in the direction of advanced character management and move customization, so you can approach combat your way.
Gameplay feel is our primary concern when it comes to designing Atlas Fallen. We left out the strict constraints of realism to focus on giving a thrilling and compelling feel to the game. One of the main design elements to achieve this is Sand Gliding, which allows the hero to move through the vast world of Atlas Fallen. It’s key to the game’s high mobility system, and it brings incredible speed and verticality to the spectacular combat action.
Another powerful aspect of Atlas Fallen’s combat system comes from the Hero’s Gauntlet. Rather than using actual weapons, this gauntlet’s magical power allows the hero to manipulate the sand that covers the world and transform it into a transformable weapon. Thus, there is no need to hand in a weapon before removing another, and switching between them during combat becomes a seamless transition.
This leads to an epic combo-driven dynamic, which in turn powers another core element of Atlas Fallen’s combat system: the Momentum Bar. It consists of a gauge that fills up as you multiply combos, gradually powering up the gauntlet for increased damage and additional skills. It gives a wonderfully irresistible feel to your attacks.
In short, we’re exploring how far we can push a combat system based on speed, agility and dynamism, and how this can be combined with an RPG world that offers a lot of exploration. We think it’s great fun and we’re sure you’ll love slaying awesome beasts with the power of sand!
Atlas Fallen will be released on PlayStation 5 in 2023. Add the game to your wishlist now and stay tuned for more information!
