Cralonis a first-person indie dungeon-crawler developed by Pithead Studio co-founders Jennifer and Björn Pankratz, who have previously worked ongames likeElex,Gothic, andRisenprior to Piranha Bytes' closure. After hunting a nefarious demon and falling into an old mine shaft, it’s up to Cralon to find his way back to the surface. Throughout the adventure, players will encounter numerous friends and foes as they traverse varied locations and struggle to survive.
In an interview with Game Rant, Pithead Studio discussed the combat, exploration, and storytelling gamers will experience when they eventually play thedungeon-crawling gamefor the first time.The following transcript has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Q: What aboutCralondrew you to the idea of developing this game?
A:The idea has basically been around for a long time. We both enjoy playing this type of 3D dungeon-crawler and were already very enthusiastic about titles likeArx FatalisorUltima Underworld. The role-playing factor, mixed with quests and exploration, were more in the foreground than in more recent titles. So, we thought it would be a great idea to relaunch such a gameas an indie title.
Q: Can you discuss a little of how you are leveraging your previous work at Piranha Bytes forCralon?
A:First of all, we love classic role-playing games likeDungeons and Dragons.Inspiration from the pen-and-paper genre has always found its way into our work. We also thought about how to implement tried-and-tested systems, such as a flexible dialogue system with choices, a journal, or even a map in Unreal Engine 5.Cralonis reminiscent of our older games in terms of content, but with a new, more modern and slimmed-down look and feel.
Q: In general, what can you tell us about the storytelling approach toCralon?
A:While hunting a demon, you have fallen into the abyss of an old mine and are trapped in the darkness. During your adventure, trying to find a way up, you will meet different types of creatures that can be friendly or hostile. You can choose to help them and talk to them via a fully voiced dialog system, make new friends, solve quests and puzzles, and make decisions. We love the idea that the choices of the players matter and have consequences, because people play slower and think twice about their next move when they know the game will react to their choices. Besides that, there will be a lot to explore, like letters, books and background information. You can even find hidden items in inspectable objects.
Q: Likewise, what can you tell us about your dungeon design approach to the old mine? What’s the aim for it in tone and atmosphere?
A:We want to give each level a different theme and look. There will be bigger hubs to explore and different shaft inhabitants with their own backgrounds and problems. Every level of the mine will have its own main faction. That’s why we usually describe the title as anArx Fatalis-like game, but more modern and an indie version. The shaft is based on an old mine, similar to those often found in our home region, the Ruhr area. Due to the fantasy setting, however, some areas are thematically different. There issomeIndiana Jonescharmbut also some dark, creepy elements. This should keep things exciting for the players.
Cralon’s Protagonist and Approach to Combat
Q: What can you tell us aboutCralon’s protagonist? Are they a fully-developed character or something more like a silent protagonist?
A:Cralonwill be a fully-developed character. You will find out a lot about his past, his motivation, and his background during your journey. This will be an important part of the main story.
Q:Cralon’s protagonist is hunting a demon when they fall into the old mine. What can you tell us about the overarching worldbuilding? What’s a “demon” inCralon?
A:The demon is an evil, huge creature with glowing red eyes and huge wings, that is haunting people in a nearby village. You can have a look at our key artwork. Other hostile creatures you meet in the shaft will have red eyes too, and it’s part of your story to find out why and what’s going on to uncover the dungeon’s secret.
Q: Does magic play any role in the setting, and if so, do players have access to it?
A:Not as usual, like playing a magician. At the moment, we are planning different kinds of munitions, like firebolts or poison, for example, and some “unusual” events and riddles, but this will be part of the story.
Q: What can you tell us about the RPG elements inCralon? Is there a traditional leveling system, and in general, what can you say about character progression?
A:There will be RPG elements such as XP, an inventory and crafting, but the detailed design of this part is not finalized yet, so we will tell you more about it later.
Q:Can you talk about your approach to side quest design and how they are provided to the player?
A:In addition to optional quests that influence the plot, you may find letters, hints, events and items, for example, that open up quests and are part ofriddles in the dungeon. You can follow those hints and quests, but you don’t have to.
Q: What can you say about your approach to combat? What is the focus when designing encounters within the enclosed space of a dungeon?
A:The combat will be a purist real-time battle with melee and ranged weapons. Since this is a first-person game, we were inspired by the first-person combat inSkyrim. Enemies will be able to defend themselves in different ways and, if you do not want to fight them, there will also bethe possibility to sneak. When you crouch, an eye indicator (comparable to the gameThief) shows whether you are seen or not.
Q:Speaking to fans of Elex, Gothic, and Risen, what would you tell them first and foremost aboutCralon?
A:First of all, thank you for your interest and loyalty to all of you who have accompanied and supported us for so long. It has not always been easy, but we still have a great passion for developing computer games, and we still have many ideas.Cralonwill be something new. There will not be a large open and free game world. It will be an open tube game, with free hubs to explore and more focus on exploration and adventure and RPG elements, such as inspecting items. It will contain many elements that players know from us, but in a purist version. The screen will mostly remain clean and there will only be indicators when they are needed. The player character will not always be taken by the hand, and you will be allowed to decide how to play. It will be more compact, more direct and denser. We are aiming for a playing time in the low double-digit range and, above all, want to offer a coherent, immersive gaming experience. If youenjoy dungeon-crawlerslikeArx FatalisorUltima Underworld, you should keep an eye on it.
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