Interview with Michael Herbster, level designer on BloodRayne Betrayal

Back at E3 2011 I had the chance to meet Wayforward level designer Michael Herbster and play a little bit of, the then un-released, BloodRayne Betrayal. Shortly thereafter we sent some questions off to Michael about the game. We were interested, you may say intrigued, about the idea of a new BloodRayne game, and Michael was able to satiate our bloodlust for information almost completely.

(Note: These questions were originally sent to Wayforward on July 11, 2011, but due to their heavy workload  were only returned answered to 4Player yesterday. Thus, some of the discussion involves some fairly rudimentary questions regarding the mechanics of an unreleased game. )

JC: As a franchise, Bloodrayne has primarily existed as a 3rd person action title. How did you come about getting involved in making a Bloodrayne game, what led to the decision to change to a 2D perspective and what does Wayforward plan to bring to a franchise which has received a somewhat tepid reception in the past?

MH: Majesco, the publisher who owns BloodRayne, approached WayForward with the idea of doing a reimagined sidescrolling game. We had previously worked together on A Boy and His Blob (Wii), which came out great. As masters of 2D, it was only natural for us to take the franchise in this direction. As for the original games, we tried to incorporate the feel of BloodRayne without being beholden to anything. We redesigned it as a superfast action platformer and didn’t look back.

JC: What can you tell us about the levels in Bloodrayne Betrayal. Will the player be solving puzzles as they go along? Also, the art style may be reminiscent to some players of the Castlevania games. Will there be any backtracking or Metroidvania type exploring to be found?

MH: This game is separated into levels, and no backtracking is required to complete the game. However, there is hidden stuff to find in each level, and a score to strive for. By breaking the game into bite-size, speed-runnable pieces, we are hoping that players will perfect each stage and muscle for rank on the leaderboards.

JC: What can you tell us about the development of both the art style and fighting animations in the game?

MH: The art style was somewhat of a difficult birth! We changed the visuals pretty far into development to the style we have now. While we had to reanimate a few sequences and shuffle around the BG art, the graphic novel style was completely worth it. If you unlock the in-game concept art gallery, you can see some screen shots of the game in development with the old art. It looks so crazy now that I have been looking at the new stuff for so long!

JC: How many weapons will the player be able to use? Are these found throughout the levels or is there a skill system which allows players to invest in weaponry and melee skills?

MH: Rayne has all of her moves available to her from the outset of the game. She picks up an additional gun that is useful in many situations, but there are no unlocked moves or skill trees. We want the player to improve their skill, as opposed to artificially pumping them up with RPG stat increases. Don’t get me wrong, there is a time and a place for that, but BloodRayne has been designed as a pure test of skill.

JC: After playing a bit of the game at E3 2011, I found the game to be both extremely fun yet extremely challenging as well. What gameplay mechanics have been included to ease the bite of difficulty for newer players? (pun completely and utterly intended.)

MH: BloodRayne: Betrayal has a learning curve for sure. It’s a tough game that rewards player competence. However, we have modern conveniences like infinite lives, in-level checkpoints, and health and ammo upgrades. You will never run out of continues and have to restart everything from the beginning. But if you just try to mash through, don’t be surprised if your ranking is not superb!

 JC: In the demo we saw, Bloodrayne Betrayal has some really grandiose boss fights against some very large bosses. What can you tell us about your approach to boss fights in general. Also, how many boss fights can the player expect, and have you created them all to be as massive as the one we saw?

MH: We always try to make the Boss fights as big and crazy as possible! BloodRayne is no different. Boss fights should provide variety to the gameplay as well as spectacle. Obviously, they should also move the game’s story forward or reinforce the themes of the game. For example, in the first boss fight, you can make good use of your handgun and head hop manuever to do massive damage.

I like to think of the boss fights as the songs in a musical theatre production. Reinforce the themes, excite the audience, give some spectacle, and move on!

JC: What were some of your main inspirations when creating Bloodrayne betrayal? And what in your own gaming background led you to see this project as a labor of love?

MH: Ninja Gaiden Black (Xbox) and Mega Man X (SNES) are two major influences. Of course, the design is also informed from the combined childhoods of the whole team playing platform games, brawlers, and fighting games. We incorporated the gameplay that we love and the stylistic touches we cherish. Because the game’s development was guided so much by the team, our bond with the game is quite strong.

JC: This being your debut game on XBLA and PSN, do you intend to develop more titles for these platforms, and will we see the game on any other platforms such as PC or handhelds?

MH: There is always a possibility of extending the game to other platforms if the demand is there! As for developing more console titles… it’s safe to say that WayForward has a lot going on!

JC: Is there any game+ included in the game, or anything that would encourage a player to engage in mutliple playthroughts. In that same vein, is there any future DLC planned?

There is all the leaderboard stuff and the competition from that, but there is no new game plus. Also, there is currently no DLC planned. We gave you the whole game when you bought it the first time!

BloodRayne betrayal is available now on XBLA and PSN.