Developed by UK-based developers, Lo-Fi Games Ltd., Kenshi is an open-world, sandbox, squad based, RPG, PC game which is set in a rocky, unforgiving landscape where all you have to do is survive.
I recently caught up with the CEO of Lo-Fi Games, Chris Hunt, to talk about developing the game and the difficulties of going from a “one-man show” to working as a team.
ESpalding: Welcome, Chris. Many thanks for giving me the opportunity to talk to you. Could you start by giving our readers a little brief about your studio and a little introduction to your game?
ES: So, how did the idea for Kenshi come about? Where you inspired by anything?
ES: For quite a lot of the early development, you were a one-man team. How did it feel when the team you have now came together?
ES: Kenshi is a game which encompasses lots of different well-loved gameplay mechanics – RPG, sandbox, working with squads, and RTS. Was it hard to work all these aspects to gel in the game and what was the hardest obstacle to overcome to do this?
ES: The game is currently in Early Access, are there many things which still need ironing out? What are they and do you have a full release date in sight yet?
ES: What seems to be the general reception to the game? What do players seem to like and dislike the most?
The most common reaction is to the balance. You start off very weak. The first thing everybody does is run out of town and charge at a group of bandits, then get beaten up in a second. Most players are conditioned to expect to just run around killing everything, so this first event is always a shock to them, but for most people it’s a pivotal moment where they stop and think, “ok, this game is different, I’m gonna have to change the way I think about this.” This is the moment when a lot of players start to fall in love with the game, and you’ll see this same event mentioned in both positive and negative reviews alike.
And that’s exactly what I want, it’s tuned to a specific type of player and isn’t for everyone. When someone tells me they stayed up all night playing Kenshi instead of sleeping or getting ready for work that’s when I know it’s a job well done.
ES: Kenshi has been around for a while now and, being based in the UK, you must have seen much change in the indie dev arena in the UK. What would be the notable differences between then and now? Do you think it has changed much?
ES: As mentioned, you started off as a one-man team so you know the struggles which come with that and having a “day job” while trying to get a game off the ground. Do you have any advice to any readers who are sitting on their lonesome reading this and thinking about making games?
On the other hand, support has grown and it’s a lot easier to make a game now as there are better engines available. Back when I started Kenshi the only way to make a game was to learn C++ and cobble your own engine together out of parts. Now you can grab the Unreal engine and spend more time focusing on the gameplay and content and stuff that really matters.
I want to once again thank Chris Hunt for giving me the opportunity to chat to him about his latest game. I would like to wish Chris all the best for Kenshi, and any future projects his studio had to come.
For anyone interested in seeing what Kenshi is all about, there is a downloadable demo on the developer’s website. The game is expected to release at some point during Summer 2017.
