Hello all, Juan Raigada (Lead Developer) here:
When I decided I was doing a randomized, multi playthrough, permadeath game (what people now are calling a roguelike-like) I faced the question on to whether tie a strong story to the game (which could be difficult given the mechanics-driven imposed narrative) or to be light on story and let the visuals speak. But visuals can only get you this far. I love a good story and I was determined to try to tell one with Heart&Slash.
The good news was that, Heart being a robot, it was easy to integrate the mechanic driven stories into a main narrative. After all, robots can be repaired and/or their memory cloned, so it's no big deal story wise that you keep trying and failing to escape QuAsSy.
So the time came to figure out what was going to be our main story arc. The main theme of fighting conformity and finding one's own identity was already in place, but I felt it was too lighthearted. Too easy.
That's when Slash came in.
By creating a love interest for Heart, not only are we equipping us with some tools to tackle the meta-game (the love story will be a persistent "quest" that will span multiple playthroughs, like certain quests in Shiren the Wanderer). We also have the opportunity to expand and be more nuanced on the "search for one's identity" theme.
Trying to be unique, trying to be yourself, is all good. But in reality, it's not always that easy. There are external factors that somehow suppress our personality (work-environment, culture...) and many can be deemed as negative if they limit self-expression. But some of these factors are not actually negative at all.
As people (and yes, robots are people) one important sacrifice we do is to limit our own welfare for those who matter to us. This happens at most levels in human relationships, but "love" (or the relationship with whoever you have chosen to share your life with) is the most extreme of all these.
And love is not always good. Sometimes it can be too much. Sometimes one member of the couple can suppress the other one. Or sometimes two personalities are so strong that they can't adapt to the other and suffer because of it.Thus, framing our search for identity around a love story allows us to explore the nuances of what means "being yourself".
The relationship between Heart & Slash will not be an easy one. Slash is a rough veteran of the dystopian world where Heart&Slash takes place, while Heart is a naive newcomer that believes he can make a difference. As Heart, you will meet Slash (and try to capture its attention) through several playthroughs.
But how you do it will depend on the player. For each 'quest' (each opportunity to woo Slash) you will have a couple of opportunities that will end up defining the relationship. And how the meta-game will end.
Will you choose independence, or will you change in order to be loved? Or will you find a balance that will allow the relationship to thrive?This is what Heart&Slash will ultimately be about...
