This week, we're bringing you an interview featuring a member of Iron Meat's development team! Today, we'll be sitting down with Ryan Rasing, a game designer and writer.
Please introduce yourself and describe your role in Iron Meat's development.
Ryan: My name's Ryan Rasing, I'm a game designer and writer here at Retroware. I worked on roughing out some of the UI elements, level ideas, and I wrote out all the achievements in the game. That goes along with helping out with QA testing whenever the need arises. I've also done backend work writing for the game, both in terms of supporting Ivan, the lead developer, and for marketing, storefront copy, and Steam posts...like this one!
Wait, so you're the guy writing all the Steam posts?
Ryan: I am.
So...you're interviewing yourself right now?
Ryan: ...Is there a problem?
Anyway, what do you think makes Iron Meat unique compared to other titles of the run and gun genre?
Ryan: Iron Meat takes a classic style of gaming and mashes it together with a gory aesthetic and premise, coupled with your typical modern features like in-game achievements, remote play capabilities, unlocking and customizing skins, and, well, you could also say that enabling local 2-player co-op is kind of a redux of a classic feature. For that, I'd just hope people can enjoy playing games with their friends and family in-person like many of us did years ago.
How would you describe Iron Meat's development from the perspective of its mechanical design?
Ryan: I think the game's evolution can speak for itself. The mechanics are simple: You run to the right and shoot at anything and everything that looks like it wants to devour you. You can also stand still and aim--a mechanic I noticed a lot of players missing out on at some conventions we attended. Admittedly, I enjoyed watching people think they could literally only RUN and GUN and not possibly stand still and aim/shoot. It's obviously a core mechanic, so I wonder if there could've been a world where a short tutorial sequence was made (or maybe a visual button prompt?)--but I'm much happier with what we ended up with. It's simple enough to learn.
Were you there since the start of the game's development?
Ryan: No, I joined the team after the preliminary work was mostly done and the game was like 30% of what it was now. I wasn't aware of just how many past iterations there were before this current build, so it's pretty cool to see how the project went from Point A to Point B in its visual and mechanical evolution. I started out doing only QA testing, but I was moved up to design several elements of the game and support its work and eventual release with my writing.
Do you think there's anything you wish you included in the game that isn't already there?
Ryan: So there was an idea before about potentially having a "gallery" menu option available. It would've been great if we had something like this in the final version, so everybody can see the amount of conceptual work and past ideas we came up with, not to mention having convenient access to the opening 2D animation and maybe every animated cutscene in the game. That way, you wouldn't have to play certain levels all over again just to watch an in-game animation--but that's just my opinion. I just feel having a gallery would've been a cool ribbon to the already cool present we gave to players.
Based on some comments on previous Steam posts, I have to ask: Are we there yet?
Ryan: Absurd question. We have always been there.
Uh, no, you guys haven't..?
Ryan: Shh, shh...
Ugh. Final question, is there--
Ryan: I decide when's the last question.
Now, hold on, you can't just--
Ryan: --interrupt you?
Just answer me this: Will there be a sequel to Iron Meat? Maybe an Iron Meat 2?
Ryan: ... ... ...
Is that a Yes?
Ryan: I think we're done here. Thanks for the interview, me! Enjoy this gameplay gif:
Hey! Don't dodge the question! The people have to know! THINK OF THE PEOPLE!
Ryan: Of course, I do think of the people. That's why YOU can experience the Meat's invasion of Earth NOW in Iron Meat! Play through 9 levels of gore and--
Yeah, yeah, yeah, they know! EVERYBODY knows that already! Answer the damn question!
Ryan: ...Nu.
Iron Meat is available now!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1157740/Iron_Meat/
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