Old School Gamer Magazine chats with Derek Bradley (Co-Founder, Multithreaded Games), who lets us know how a story written in High School and a love of games the likes of Final Fantasy Tactics, Suikoden 2, Xenogears, Shadow Hearts, and Earthbound turned into a passion project among friends that found itself on Kickstarter.
About Bevontule: Altar of Roots:
Bevontule takes place on a vast and isolated land mass surrounding a central ocean known as the Inner Sea. Discovered some 1,500 years ago by a number of refugees fleeing their own war-torn homeland, it quickly becomes clear that despite its welcoming appearance, Onich harbors dark and deadly secrets that were left alone … presumably for good reason.
Join a diverse cast of characters and stave off the looming calamity about to hit this troubled continent – or unwittingly hasten its arrival. Explore a beautiful open world inhabited by war-ravaged nations, rebel factions … and a far more insidious enemy. To fully understand the existential threat presently posed to Onich – and perhaps humanity itself! – you must traverse expansive plains, aid survivors in ruined towns, explore dangerous caverns, and safely navigate forbidden ruins where decaying structures are the least of your worries.
The journey ahead will not be easy: Ferocious and highly-intelligent creatures – from colossal dragons to deadly insects – roam the land and will attack at a moment’s notice. Take down enemies in tactical, turn-based combat where every move (and every second) counts. One misstep could be your party’s undoing; intricate planning and execution are vital for survival. Unlock, learn, and equip hundreds of combat skills, attribute bonuses, and world-based buffs. Need a break from the main campaign? Take on numerous side quests to face optional bosses and discover some fun minigames!
For more on Bevontule: Altar of Roots, Click Here.
Old School Gamer Magazine: How was Bevontule: Altar of Roots born?
Derek Bradley: The game was based on an original novella that I wrote during high school. Later on, my partner Andy Fenton and I obtained game development degrees, quit our day jobs, and founded Multithreaded Games – where we’ve dedicated our energies to Bevontule for the past few years.
Old School Gamer Magazine: What makes this game special?
Bradley: Bevontule features a novel, gridless combat system that is very much tactically-influenced. However, it’s also clearly influenced by Japanese and Western RPGs – from character customization to open-world exploration. Bevontule will offer players an eclectic-yet-coherent mixture of styles and influences.
Old School Gamer Magazine: What games from the past have influenced Bevontule?
Bradley: Many Square/early-to-mid ’90s role-playing games – including Final Fantasy Tactics, Suikoden 2, Xenogears, Shadow Hearts, and Earthbound … among (many) others!
Old School Gamer Magazine: What did you learn during the development process?
Bradley: No matter how well-developed your game is, it’ll never see the light of day without public interest and sufficient marketing. You have to build a following early and get people excited as soon as humanly possible.
Old School Gamer Magazine: Any fun stories?
Bradley: Bevontule is based on an original novella that we once printed out and kept in a large white binder during high school circa 2001. We’d actually managed to lose track of it over the years – until last November, when it suddenly resurfaced after 15 years of absence! Needless to say, we were stoked to skim through it and see what had changed.
Old School Gamer Magazine: What makes your Kickstarter campaign special?
Bradley: Bevontule is a labor of love, having been primarily created by just two people over the course of a two-and-a-half year development cycle. We are incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved during this time, and as one forum poster put it: “This is indie development at its finest.” We agree – and we hope that the dedication and resolve we have shown so far will inspire others.
Old School Gamer Magazine: Bottom line: Why must someone play Bevontule?
Bradley: Bevontule is for those looking for action-packed, turn-based tactical combat – and a deep and involved plot – with a tinge of nostalgia from the golden days of JRPGs. If that sounds good, imagine it with modern graphics and other enhancements.
Old School Gamer Magazine: The game is beautiful. What inspired the art?
Bradley: The art is largely inspired by the vibrant colors of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and the realistic style of contemporary Final Fantasy titles.
Old School Gamer Magazine: What’s next?
We have our fingers crossed to meet our Kickstarter goal! From there, we’ll take some time to regroup and will be working feverishly to enter Early Access sometime later this summer.
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Patrick Hickey Jr. is the author of the upcoming book, “The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult and Classic Video Game Developers,” from McFarland And Company. Featuring interviews with the creators of 36 popular video games–including Deus Ex, NHLPA 93, Night Trap, Mortal Kombat, Wasteland and NBA Jam–the book gives a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of some of the most influential and iconic (and sometimes forgotten) games of all time. Recounting endless hours of painstaking development, the challenges of working with mega publishers and the uncertainties of public reception, the interviewees reveal the creative processes that produced some of gaming’s classic titles.
Patrick Hickey, Jr., is the founder and editor-in-chief of ReviewFix.com and a lecturer of English and journalism at Kingsborough Community College, in Brooklyn, New York. Over the past decade, his video game coverage has been featured in national ad campaigns by top publishers the likes of Nintendo, Deep Silver, Disney and EA Sports. His book series, "The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult and Classic Game Developers," from McFarland and Company, has earned praise from Forbes, Huffington Post, The New York Daily News and MSG Networks. He is also a former editor at NBC and National Video Games Writer at the late-Examiner.com
