Starlight Re:Volver is an upcoming roguelite game with plenty of action. Every frame shows appreciation for the golden age of anime and magical girls. Anime Corner had the great opportunity to talk with Daniel Zou, the CEO of Pahdo Labs, and Alijah Ladd, their Creative Director, about the upcoming game.
To put it simply: the game devs are weebs like us. The 90s had peak anime and mahou shoujo. We were able to ask the creators about their inspiration, what the upcoming game will be like, and how the players can help bring it to life.
Q: In your words, Starlight Re:Volver wears its anime inspiration on its sleeve. What anime series or studio inspired you? The sheer movement and energy in the trailer reminded me of Studio Trigger, and the transformations seemed reminiscent of Sailor Moon.
DZ: That’s exactly right – creatively speaking, Sailor Moon and Kamen Rider were major inspirations, and visually we took inspiration from Studio Trigger – Promare and Summer Wars.
Q: You see Starlight Re:Volver as a love letter to 90s anime. How did your love of anime inform the game development process?
AL: Especially early 90s, yeah. Our team has a shared love of anime that helps a lot with the creative process. It helps us speak the same language. Creating a new IP can be hard, but it’s a lot easier when there’s an entire vault of anime and manga, of pure fun and genius, to look to for inspiration.
Q: How would you best describe Starlight Re:Volver’s gameplay?
DZ: Starlight Re:Volver mixes our favorite aspects of rogue-lites and MMORPGs. The core combat loop is multiplayer with punchy, flashy isometric action. Players can also enjoy a social hub world with “town skills” like fishing, arcade, music, stargazing, and cloud chasing, drawing inspiration from the social/cozy aspects of MMOs in a Japan-inspired setting.
Q: Is it all combat or is there a story mode that players can explore?
DZ: Although Starlight Re:Volver is gameplay-focused, players will unlock each hero’s story through “memory fragments” – manga panels and cutscenes. Lore interspersed throughout the world provides a way for players to immerse themselves in our fantastical world.
Q: What sort of gameplay bonuses can players look forward to? Like special power-ups, collectibles, alternate skins, etc. You can’t tease people with pictures of martial arts gear and swimsuits and not deliver.
AL: Haha. Divers will of course be very customizable, both in their gameplay and appearance. Each Diver has a NIM form as well as a So Mi form which can be independently customized. Each dive into So Mi is a character-building experience where players specialize their characters in different ways. There will be plenty to collect, from Weapons/Equipment to NIM Tools, to Dekos (cosmetic items) to consumables (lanterns, fireworks…) to fish, and more.
Q: What’s the most fun part of Starlight Re:Volver?
DZ: Making decisions to build your hero in a completely different way each time – each hero can build into a variety of primary roles, e.g., bruiser, ranged DPS, etc. but also rare charms and unique stat interactions can make for uniquely satisfying power fantasies that are different each run.
Q: What should players expect from Starlight Re:Volver’s early access version?
DZ: In the early access version, players should expect 4 playable characters and a variety of dreamworlds, “threads” to challenge and explore. There will also be an online town hub, “Nishi Island Metropolis”, where players can gather, socialize, and play a variety of activities. Our early access build will be constantly updated, with new characters and threads being added and NIM becoming more full and lively over time.
Q: What’s the lore behind it? Who are these fun characters?
AL: There will be 4 playable Divers at early access. All of them are Nishi Island locals, each coming from a different circle and representing a different piece of Nishi’s identity. For example, Effy is from the outskirts of Nishi Island near Sōzō Summit, a wild and fierce volcano that rumbles with latent power—much like Effy herself.
Q: What is the meaning behind the title “Starlight Re:Volver?”
AL: Each Re:Volver has an RE Type. Effy’s is RE#013 Renegade. The #013 is kind of like a relative age; the 13th Re:Volver ever made. No one in our (current) story has seen the very first, RE#001, but it’s said to be one enchanted with the power of stars. That’s the Starlight Re:Volver.
See if you can catch the other characters’ RE Types and figure out the hidden meanings behind them.
Q: I know parents shouldn’t play favorites, but who is your favorite character?
AL: Of our first 4 characters, I’d have to say Kira. Kira was a character that came very naturally to me. She was the easiest to write. But Kira and Effy are opposite sides of the same coin, and you see this reflected in their designs. Fire and ice. Sun and Moon.
I think for the larger Pahdo team, Vivi is maybe the crowd favorite.
All that said, we actually have many more characters planned, and my real favorite is one we haven’t introduced yet~
Q: Starlight Re:Volver is a multiplayer game, right? Can the game be played solo? Some people (like me) are introverts who prefer to fly solo.
DZ: The game is online multiplayer, but can be enjoyed in group sizes between 1-4. The combat portion of gameplay is best experienced in teams of 4, but smaller groups are allowed to play for a greater challenge. There are also activities in the town portion that are best for various group sizes or solo.
Q: What should players most look forward to when early access begins?
DZ: Players should look forward to mastering their characters and learning their stories; each character will have a variety of build paths that can be experienced through successive dives. Old-school MMORPG players can also experience nostalgia through our online town experience.
Q: What’s the best way players can provide feedback during the early access period?
DZ: Similarly to our pre-alpha tests, we will have feedback channels and Q&A sessions on our community Discord.
We’d like to thank Mr. Zou and Mr. Ladd for the opportunity to talk about Starlight Re:Volver and the development process. There’s no release date quite yet, but it’s coming to early access soon. Let us know what you think about the game in the comments below.
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