Hi fellow assassins!
Time to explore the concept of the first two sectors of the game. Blade Prince Academy is a tactical RPG set in a blend of dark fantasy and cyberpunk influences and we aimed to transcribe this atmosphere while making memorable and challenging enemies and creating visually cool environments. We wanted to share some insights on how their concepts and ideas shaped the game.
Sector 1, an introduction to the universe of the game and its gameplay
Sector 1 is the first area you will explore after witnessing what happened at the Academy. You start the adventure facing the miscreants and the misfits of the city who teamed up to disrupt the missions and security of the Academy. Making this sector accessible to new players is then necessary so that you can learn and experiment with the game mechanics. Therefore, some enemies that are too difficult have been deactivated for the beginning of the game, like the berserker and the bombers, which are quite challenging when starting the game.
Sector 1 follows the Acid Pills Gang in its first part, the ones responsible for the carnage at the Academy where the tutorial takes place. Phoebos and his team track down their leader, Acid Hair, to avenge the Blade Princes and keep the honor of the Dark Mages intact. They discover that Acid Hair and his boss are linked to the Brotherhood of Torment, an organization that serves to foreshadow the upcoming battles and the enemies we will meet in Sector 2.
The main inspiration for this sector was Borderlands for the Shallows, as it mixes a lot of technologies and landfills. The Acid Pills gang can be compared to Borderlands characters with human or animal bodies, with cyberpunk upgrades to help them destroy you! We really like Acid Hair's room in this sector, it represents his personality well. Details like the cathodic TVs you can find in the environment are a sign of the not-so-advanced technologies they have in this area.
From Sector 1 to Sector 2, going deeper into the conspiracy
The Catacombs are the second part of the story, contrasting in atmosphere and visuals. But also on the gameplay part, there are more enemies using ranged attacks, with a greater focus on magic damage. This second sector follows the progression of the learning curve. Many curses and afflictions, like bleeding and burns, will be inflicted on the heroes. We wanted to make the fights even more challenging after discovering and getting the hang of the game mechanics. In this sector, we focus on the impact of alterations. Whereas in Sector 1, we had only one alteration, here we have three, which are very present. There are some specific enemies waiting for you, and they are much harder to defeat.
In the level design, we also have more variations of settings than in the first sector. You will also unlock new characters in this sector, you will therefore have new tools and these characters will let you make interesting choices on team composition at the start of the mission. This sector is the home of a quite challenging and complicated boss.
The story of Sector 2 revolves around the Brotherhood of Torments and its leader, Poison. The Blade Princes must fight against hordes of Cultists to uncover hidden truths about the Brotherhood, the reason why they are involved in the attack against the Academy and their eagerness to take down the Black Mages. They will have to chase Poison throughout the sector, fighting powerful cultists and demonic abominations along the way.
For the Catacombs, the intention was to do a more classic dungeon to contrast with the first sector. The inspirations were Darksiders and the classical dungeons in the D&D franchise. Cults are important in this sector, so you can see various statues and altars. We are really proud of the parts where the cults are the center of attention. For example, we have a room with a huge statue of the God of Destruction.
If you can’t wait to learn more about the world of Blade Prince Academy and want to discuss the game with us, join our Discord! Follow us on Twitter/X, Instagram, Tiktok or Facebook to stay up-to-date, and you can also subscribe to our Newsletter!
We have a lot more exciting news to share with you in the coming months! Stay tuned for more content, development updates and other insights into the development of Blade Prince Academy.
- The Blade Prince Academy Team -