The story of how to turn a dream into a real project

Chaotic Brain Studio, an indie studio that dazzles us with its first steps. indie games They are really indispensable within an industry that is constantly changing and moving. Because yes, developing video games and bringing them to fruition is not an easy job, but rather a real odyssey in which many variants converge.

We have had the opportunity during these weeks to prepare a special interview aimed at you, lovers of indie, of the unique gems that this industry leaves us, and of one of the future releases that we are most looking forward to. We are talking about Chaotic Brain Studios, creators of Neon Bloodthe first game with which they debut in the world of digital entertainment.

We leave you the interview to the Chaotic Brain Studio team about Neon Blood and its beginnings, in full below.

Entrevista a Chaotic Brain Studio

[Las preguntas estarán marcadas en negrita. Las respuestas estarán marcadas en negro con punto introductorio en azul.]

1.1 Developing video games is never easy, especially when it comes to developing unique titles from Europe. How was ChaoticBrain Studios formed? What was your dream when embarking on this journey?

🔹ChaoticBrain Studios was born from the union of two friends who were studying the same degree and had the task of making a TFG, for which they decided to make an RPG video game. After finishing the degree, we decided to continue the idea, to continue with the study and it was thanks to this that we met wonderful people who are part of the team.

Our dream with ChaoticBrain Studios has always been the same, we are video game lovers and the goal has always been to make a small place for ourselves in the video game industry with Neon Blood and make the best game possible.

1.2. In an increasingly complex industry with an infinite variety of games and studios, what do you think makes you unique as an emerging studio?

🔹It is undoubtedly a very complex industry and there is a variety of games and studios that is simply wonderful, all of them with an inhuman quality, especially in the Spanish indie industry, among all the quality, one part that makes us stand out in this incredible industry is making the games that we want to play both in art and on a narrative level, but above all on an aesthetic level, having a platonic love for PixelArt and 2.5D or HD-2D aesthetics.

1.3 From the perspective of taking your first steps in the video game industry, what do you think are the main challenges when developing games and telling stories?

🔹Making a video game is like assembling a Swiss watch, you have many pieces, all important to each other, and making all the pieces fit together well is the most complicated part, so production is a fundamental pillar.

To tell stories and transmit them to the player, it is about putting passion and heart into it, creating those pieces as you would like to find them in your favorite video games, so that when assembling that Swiss watch, everything makes the player feel part of that universe in which you want them to enter.

2.1. What was the inspiration behind Neon Blood? Do you think it will revolutionize the Cyberpunk-detective RPG genre with its upcoming release?

🔹Our main references from the beginning have been video games, such as Octopath Traveller, Cyberpunk 2077, The Red Strings Club or Anno Mutationem among many others, as well as films such as Akira, Ghost in the Shell or Blade Runner, all works that have captivated us as players/viewers. As for revolutionizing the genre, it is very complicated, hopefully, we will try to aim high, but it is still our first project. By making ourselves known to the world and allowing people to enjoy the universe that we propose to them, it is already revolutionizing our minds and being fully, ‘ChaoticBrain’

2.2. What do you want to tell with the story, what would be your message?

🔹With the story we want to emphasize a society that is not so far from reality. When you start playing you will see hints of very marked inequalities, substance use, even very exaggerated body modifications, but in the end it all comes down to the feeling of freedom you have and what the reality behind those choices is, planting the idea of ​​how easy it would be to lose your individuality in exchange for a life without problems.

2.3. What are the highlights of Neon Blood that could make Nintendo fans fall in love with it?

🔹We are very happy to announce that Neon Blood is coming out for Nintendo Switch in digital and physical format thanks to our publisher Meridiem Games, and the truth is, we have done tests and although on other platforms it looks good, on Switch the game is simply beautiful, being possibly one of the greatest charms. In addition, when you begin to unravel the story, you will want to know how it continues, so being able to take Neon Blood with you is the best option to be the best detective of all. Viridis

2.4. Neon Blood is your first game, and the cyberpunk genre has attracted a lot of attention over the years. Where did the main idea for this project come from?

🔹For this we have to go back to the beginnings of Neon Blood in 2020 where Alejandro Chipelo and Daniel Pérez, the founders of the studio, had been eagerly awaiting the launch of Cyberpunk 2077 for years and had just enjoyed the Octopath Traveller video game, so faced with the task of having to prepare a TFG to finish our training in video games, we decided to create a protoversion from Neon Blood which attempted to combine in a somewhat unrealistic way those two games that generated so much interest in us.

Shortly after we started working on Neon Blood, the pandemic hit, which in a way allowed us to escape from the global chaos in which we found ourselves developing our idea and working on it.

After finishing our studies, we decided to trust the idea, continue working and give shape to th at project by forming ChaoticBrain Studios and meeting in the process our Pixel Artist, Roi Iturregui, and our colleagues at Wild Cat Records who have been in charge of creating the Original Soundtrack of Neon Blood, reaching the point where we are today, finishing the final touches and preparing to launch our first video game to the market.

3.1. Developing, especially from the perspective of an indie studio, and especially one that is just starting out, is never an easy task. What message do you want to give to those independent studios or creators who want to make a unique contribution to the industry with their talent and creativity?

🔹To all those studios or independent creators who want to enter the indie industry, don’t stop trying. The industry is not at its best right now, but there is hope in the indie industry. When we wanted to dedicate ourselves to this, we found many doors closed, so we decided to look for our own space. If you put passion, a little sacrifice and a lot of heart into it, work hard and some company will notice you, or if you’re crazy like us, you’ll want to start your own.

3.2. Connecting with the player is a fundamental pillar to know how to win over an entire community. At iGamesNews we support your project and the indie world and we love to see ideas and work so well cared for. Highlight 3 key points through which Neon Blood and you as a studio will succeed in awakening the interest and affection necessary to live the game and the experience to the fullest.

🔹Sometimes we jokingly refer to Neon Blood as our “baby”, it’s our first project, it’s our dream and it’s on its way to becoming a reality. We’ve put love, passion and countless hours into it to make it our letter of introduction to the world, a love letter to the video game industry. If we had to choose three points, they would be the three members of the studio. For the incredible art and animation done by our Pixel Artist, Roi Iturregui, for the care and almost sickly detail that our Environmental Artist/Technical Director/Swiss Army Knife Alejandro Chipelo puts into the scenarios and for the deep and interesting story told by our Narrative Director Daniel Pérez.

3.3 And finally, we would like you to tell us why the world of video games is much deeper than many think, and how stories like Neon Blood can change the lives of many players.

🔹Many times people are not aware of what a video game is and they misinterpret it as those little machines or geeky things, but a video game is another form of art, a piece that contains other smaller ones, since without art, music or story there would be no way to put the finishing touch with interactivity so that you can enter those worlds that are proposed. Although the idea of ​​​​changing the lives of many players is superb, if just one person enjoys Neon Blood as we have done when making it, if just one person is left with the mental image of the settings, the animations or reflects on the ending, we will have achieved our little dream.

That said, it has been a great pleasure to get to know the great professionals behind the studio better, to better explore the initial concepts and what they may surprise us with. Neon Bloodas well as Meridiem for making the distribution of this project, the first from the Chaotic Brain team, possible. Are you looking forward to their game? We’ll read your opinion.