Space Punks is a new loot shooter from Flying Wild Hog, creators of the upcoming Trek to Yomi and modern Shadow Warrior games. In contrast to many other looter shooters, you don’t play this title from an ego perspective, but from a top-down perspective. Today the game starts in Open Beta on the Epic Games Store.
On that occasion, I had the opportunity to ask Michal Kuk, Head of Kraków Studio of Flying Wild Hog and Game Director of Space Punks, a few questions. They deal with what makes the free-to-play title what it is, what to expect in the beta and how the game will continue in the future.
How does Space Punks stand out from other looter shooters?
Michael Kuk: First off, Space Punks is a co-op game and a top-down, fast-paced action game. This is what makes it stand out the most, as there aren’t many games like Space Punks, especially in a sci-fi setting. Basically, we do whatever we do to make sure you and your friends enjoy Space Punks!
With Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, a new, big looter shooter has just been released. How do you intend to assert yourself against the strong competition?
Michael Kuk: To be honest I haven’t played Tiny Tina’s yet, for now I’m concentrating on Lost Ark but it’s on my list! As of this writing there is no direct competition to Space Punks. There is no game that offers a co-op experience in a top-down game as a looter shooter and on top of that really fast-paced action and focuses on multiplayer.
The beta press release mentioned an overhaul of the core gameplay loop for said beta. Could you explain this further?
Michael Kuk: During the Early Access period we invited many players into the game and thanks to their feedback and the data we collected – e.g. From things like the way people play, what they want to see in the different missions, and what characters they use – we were able to gather enough information to rebalance the game from many different angles.
This includes things like the time and effort it takes to level up a hero or gather enough resources to start crafting. Likewise the cost of crafting or the time to unlock different planets. Basically, we reworked every single aspect of the game based on information gathered from players during Early Access.
How does the new endgame content The Crack work, what can players expect there?
Michael Kuk: The Crack is our take on a first step towards the endgame. The Crack won’t be the only endgame content, it’s just our first. The game will offer an endless experience, challenging players in every aspect of the game: cooperation, power, skills, game time, equipment and talents. It uses every single aspect of the game to ensure there is a meaningful goal for each player in the final stages of the game. There’s something that players can challenge themselves or each other, and it’s something really big that they can come back to and experience something new every day.
How long should the beta run, will new content be added in the meantime?
Michael Kuk: We’re not sure how long it will take. We want to make sure that the open beta runs until everyone is happy with the game. When we finish all the features and they are accepted by the players, they keep coming back to play more, the quality is good and it’s a lot of fun. Only then will we say it’s time to exit beta.
The plan is to update the game every four to six weeks. We plan to add a lot of content. Small things like art assets, bigger changes like new enemies, new modifiers, new weapons and equipment, to big things like whole new planets, new missions and new chapters.
What are your content-related plans for the future? How do you intend to motivate players and encourage them to play?
Michael Kuk: First of all, we want to challenge players with missions. Of course we want to make sure they can play. But the main focus is the fun you have playing with multiple players instead of playing alone. We aim to achieve this by offering a new experience in terms of a fast-paced, cooperative, top-down, looter, shooter, slasher game. That’s the main motivation, but alongside that we also want to introduce new planets and new universes for players to dive deep into and be a part of!
Will the game come to consoles later?
Michael Kuk: Yes absolutely. It’s too early to say which consoles it will be on at this point, but we want to make sure Space Punks offers the best possible gaming experience on the consoles we choose to play.
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