Hello, Timehackers! It's time for another monthly dev diary. In this fourth sharing, we're taking a closer look at the art design of SlashZero and sharing a few stories from behind the scenes—including character details and narrative tidbits that have never been revealed before.
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(Note: The images and videos below are works in progress, included to show how our ideas evolved during development. Please refer to the final in-game version for the finished experience. GIF quality has been reduced due to file size limits; HD videos are available through our community channels.)
Why Cyberpunk and Cyberpunk in anime style?
"A 3D Anime style, side-scrolling action game with a cyberpunk aesthetic—one built around rebellion, relentless combat, conspiracies, and the search for truth. Once that direction was clear, the real work began." — Jun, Game Director of SlashZero, who is leading the game design and development
(Game Concept Art)
Our choice went beyond the team's love of the genre and its visual style. The ideas behind cyberpunk often come up in our conversations, both at work and in our free time, and we wanted to explore some of them through the game.
Cyberpunk raises profound questions: where consciousness ends and the body begins, how people become alienated from society and themselves, and what freedom looks like or truly means... In the end, we stepped away from these complex questions and looked toward the very core of punk itself: rebellion. Compared to those grand and abstract ideas, it is pure rebellion and resistance that truly interest us—the struggle that everyone must face in their own lives.
What are the core ideas of SlashZero
Games have often been dismissed as mere escapism or self-indulgence. But we believe this medium is capable of exploring some of the most honest and fundamental questions we face.
With SlashZero, we want to deliver exhilarating combat while exploring a few simple questions: how do we view intelligent beings, and how do they understand themselves?
When the game is complete, we hope the ideas we explore will also give players something meaningful to appreciate on an emotional and intellectual level.
To tell that story, we first needed to find the right visual language. We looked back at the cyberpunk games that had influenced each of us—whether realistic or pixel art, 2D or 3D. The genre can take so many forms that the creative possibilities feel almost endless.
Ultimately, we chose 3D cel-shading because it plays to our team's strengths. Making it a side-scroller, however, was a major new challenge we deliberately set for ourselves.
Nyx - Our First Character: Rebellious Yet Warm-Hearted
From Early Concept to Final Design
Our earliest concept for Nyx was a sleek, high-tech adult male character. Silver and blue dominated his palette, with energy waves inspired by Hextech from League of Legends and Marvel's Arc Reactor. We also considered giving him extensive cybernetic enhancements like Genos from One-Punch Man.
After many discussions and iterations, better ideas gradually replaced that original concept. Nyx eventually became the character he is today—a rebellious, fiery teenager. A teenager taking up the banner of rebellion brought exactly the sense of impulse and youthful passion we wanted.
For a young character, too many cybernetic enhancements risked making him feel cold and mechanical. So we reworked the original concept: Nyx would fight primarily as a human of flesh and blood, with a distinctive arm and eye that allow him to stand against terrifying foes.
(Nyx)
Designing Blades That Feel Real
Even in a science-fiction setting, we want the details to feel believable. Where Nyx carries his two blades, how he draws them, and how the design keeps him from cutting himself may not directly affect combat, but these details still matter.
(Blade Showcase and Parry Effect)
Rather than placing the twin blades at the waist or hips like many designs do, we moved them to the back to better fit the side-scrolling perspective. To keep the mounting structure from interfering with his cape, both blades sit over one shoulder.
(Nyx Sheathing His Blades)
Just as the design was nearly finalized, our concept artist came up with a transformable draw-assist mechanism. After trying the motion himself, he realized how difficult it would be to draw a blade from that position. As an assassin-type character, Nyx needed to be able to draw and strike in an instant.
We ultimately rigged and implemented the transforming mechanism, then put it through a full round of animation tests. (The side-scrolling perspective means players will barely see it during combat, but we still spent plenty of time getting it right.)
(Transforming Blade Mechanism)
A Mysterious Arm, an Overwhelming Power
Even after all that work on his blades, Nyx's greatest weapon in a true crisis is still his mysterious arm.
An unstable energy surges through this arm, allowing it to turn his fighting spirit into tremendous power when danger strikes. The truth behind it may finally come to light later in the story.
(Nyx's Ultimate, Hand of Radiance)
Who Is Nyx? Find Out for Yourself!
In the story, the Null Void once came under attack. Rui, its frontline Timehacker, managed to safeguard its last hope. Shortly after the attack, two Timehackers suddenly appeared in the Null Void. One of them was Nyx.
Nyx has no known past—not even to himself. HIEROS-I calls him "the one who betrayed reality," and his struggle to understand who he is forms a crucial part of the story.
Fina - A Powerful Android with a Hidden Past
Fina was the second character we began developing. With everything we had learned from Nyx, her early development went much more smoothly.
Devastating Firepower
As a highly capable solo combat unit, Fina is proficient with a wide range of weapons. Her preferred arsenal includes the Executor dual pistols and the Annihilation Beam. Other armaments, such as Armor-Piercing Bullets and LS-7 Micro Bombs, are distributed across different chips and await activation.
(Fina's Weapon Designs)
Every member of the Nirvana Forces carries a kinetic engine: a compact, highly stable fusion reactor. It provides Fina with a steady, near-limitless supply of power. However, its external port is exposed on her back, creating a vulnerable point she must protect.
(Fina's Kinetic Engine)
When Fina draws on the engine's immense power, the energy surge causes visible changes throughout her body. Her hair begins glowing uncontrollably, while sharp, angular patterns emerge across her skin.
(Charged Special Attack)
A Member of an Android Unit
Unlike Nyx, Fina was never designed to operate alone. She was part of an android unit that once fought HIEROS-I on humanity's behalf before vanishing without a trace. Her clothing, her weapons, and even her body all bear the hallmarks of that unit.
(Fina's Badge)
Fina carries a badge from the Nirvana Forces. After losing all her memories, it remains her only connection to the unit. In a crisis, she throws the badge into the air and fires a rapid volley at it.
Fina calculates exactly how each round will ricochet off the badge, using the deflected shots to strike enemies from several directions.
(Fina's Ultimate)
The Nirvana Forces play a crucial role in the story of SlashZero. The unit was built with identical bodies and united by a single mission—defeat HIEROS-I.
The Nirvana Forces were ordered to intercept HIEROS-I at St. Rosenburg, but no one knows how the battle ended. All that remains is a city destroyed by a thermonuclear weapon.
Did the Nirvana Forces give their lives to complete their mission, or does the destruction conceal a deeper truth? The answer will gradually emerge as the story unfolds.
(In-game assets are still in production. Stay tuned for the next chapter of Fina's story!)
What's Next?
Both currently playable Timehackers specialize in fast, light attacks. Slower, weightier combat styles have yet to appear in the game. Future characters will fill that gap, and we also plan to experiment with mechanics such as throws, stance management, and transforming weapons.
The current build also features several memorable companions. Some of them may become playable characters in the future.
That's all for this dev diary. We can't wait to bring you more exciting characters and new ways to fight. Be sure to follow our community channels and join the latest events. See you next time!