After an exclusive release for PlayStation 4 and the Epic Games Store last summer,Axiom Verge 2recently made the jump to Steam and PS5. Theindiemetroidvania franchise, created by solo-developer Thomas Happ, deals with nanotechnology, dimensional travel, transhumanism, and other heady themes while delivering crisp and challenging platformer action.
Metroidvanias, whether they areAAA 3D releasesor 2D Indie Platformers, have proven themselves a crowd-pleasing format, and the originalAxiom Vergedistinguished itself from the competition with a robust upgrade system and a complex sci-fi narrative. Game Rant spoke to Happ about theAxiom Vergefranchise, including his development philosophy for the sequel, the possibility of adapting the game to different genres or media formats, and other plans for the future.
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Learning New Lessons
Happ had little to say about how development ofthe originalAxiom Vergeinformed his sequel, but the philosophy behind his approach to development is interesting all the same.
“There were a lot of little lessons, like, how much time I spent designing things that ultimately didn’t matter as much. Mostly I just wanted to do new things so as not to make it feel like a chore.”
As with all creative endeavors, hindsight is 20/20, and certain endeavors will seem inefficient or unnecessary in retrospect. But by taking on new challenges - such as gameplay that eschews gunfire for melee combat, and a hacking system that ambitiously expands upon the original’s glitch mechanic - the work of development becomes less tedious. It also helps ensure that the sequel will have an identity of its own, which is crucial in the increasingly-competitiveindie metroidvania genre.
Happ also mentioned that he regretted trying to make certain aspects of the mechanics data-driven, due to the challenging nature of debugging such systems. With twoAxiom Vergetitles under his belt, and a multitude of questions left unanswered, it will be interesting to see where Happ takes the franchise in the future, and what form it will take.
Open to Adaptation
Happ is in no hurry to reimagineAxiom Vergeinto another format, though he has considered several other genres of gameplay for the universe, includinga run-and-gun shoot ‘em up, or a strategy game. And he is open to the idea of a streaming adaptation of his sci-fi opus.
“If someone from Netflix or HBO or something wanted to make a sci-fi show based on [Axiom Verge], that would be something I could consider, since it hopefully wouldn’t mean I need to stop making games for it to happen.”
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One of the greatest challenges creators face when adapting material to a new medium is the time commitment required. Developinga successful adaptationentails learning skills associated with the new medium, and addressing unexplored aspects of a universe, which can be a full time commitment. But by handing the reins to a larger creative entity, Happ could continue to pursue his passion for developing games, as well as his current focus: caring for his son.
What the Future Holds
Thomas Happ has written about his son, Alastair, on his personal blog, and the unique challenges they are facing. Alastair suffers from a rare brain dysfunction known as Kernicterus. While his mind is fully functional, his motor control is deeply impaired and tasks that most people would take for granted, such as movement and talking, are exceedingly difficult. Even with the aid of assistive features and otherresources for disabled gamers, Happ doubts his son will ever be able to play games like Axiom Verge which demand quick reflexes and deft button inputs.
While Happ wants to continue to develop games in the future, his primary goal is establishing a safety-net that will support Alastair throughout his entire life. Consequently, Happ is working on a type of AAC (Augmentive and Alternative Communication) software to help his son communicate. With any luck, Happ will be able to fully provide for his son and return to his passion soon.
Axiom Verge 2is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, and Switch.
