The Hidden Ones, a fighting game adaptation ofThe Outcast, sees players engage in stories, duels, and trials to emerge victorious. It delivers stories focused on these characters, features fast-paced and engaging combat based on their martial arts, blends all of that with a cinematic touch, and focuses on a fair and balanced PvP experience. There are a lot of things going on inThe Hidden Ones, but the heart of it has to go back to the characters ofThe Outcast.
Game Rant recently spoke withThe Hidden Oneslead designer Fox Lin of Morefun Studios about Lu-Jinand how the team approached his combat and Inner Demon State. Throughout, we also spoke a little bit about the character design process implemented at Morefun Studios.The following transcript has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Q: Can you discuss your overarching character design process, specifically where you began with Lu Jin?
A: We usually start by creating the original concept of a character, including their personality and background story. Then, we proceed to design the character’s image, combat style, and skills. For a character from the original franchise, we analyze their personality and combat skills as depicted in the manual. We’ll even bring Mi Er, the author ofthe Manhua, into the discussion if needed. After learning the basics of a character, we then create the first draft of their move sets. By compiling the move set design and look, we now have a rough draft for the character. Once the character’s rough draft is approved internally, we move on to creating the character’s original artwork, model, and animations.
Taking Lu Jin as an example, we want to show his demonized form during his battle in Longhu Mountain, where he was besieged by enemies and forced to unleash his inner demon. In this state, he becomes a frenzied killing machine. If he were to rely too much on defense in actual gameplay, it wouldn’t align with the character design we envisioned for him. So the first thing we decided to do was sacrifice his defensive abilities in exchange for stronger attacks. In the early stages of his development, we went for a moderate design, where a short press of the defense button would allow Lu Jin to perform a Standard move. However, after internal discussions, we decided to go all-in and fully amplify his aggressive gameplay.
As a result, we decided his combat style: his defense now has a cooldown, but he is rewarded with two Standards by pressing the defense button twice consecutively in a short period. We wanted to encourage more attacking andaggressive gameplayfrom Lu Jin’s players. Once we finalized his prototype, we began multiple rounds of iterations to reach our ideal version of Lu Jin in terms of both his lore in the IP and his in-game performance.
Q: How many iterations did Lu Jin take in development to get him where he is now? What was the biggest challenge in getting him here?
A: The direction of his character design has not undergone tremendous adjustment. For Lu Jin’s design, we went through a total of seven iterations, which included the white 3D model, three rounds of animation updates, and three rounds of special effects iterations. During special effects iterations, we focused on how his basic attacks and skills combined as a whole. We also ensured that the special effects for Lu Jin’s different moves were balanced, preventing any effect from feeling too abrupt. The most challenging part of the iteration process was shaping his movement style and conveying the intense, maddening nature of his demonized state. We also spent quite some time figuring out how to incorporate the original manhua’s portrayal of the Universal Talisman, one of the powerful Eight Secret Arts that Lu Jin possesses, into thespecial effect design. Eventually, we shaped Lu Jin into a demonized figure with reddened eyes and blasting hair, whose ability fills the air with thunder Talismans. We want players to perceive him as a fighter who goes all out once he unleashes his inner demon.
Q: From early concepts to the current stage of Lu Jin, what has changed the most?
A:As mentioned previously, there have been no major changes in the design direction. With each iteration, our focus has been on fine-tuning the details of the character and optimizing the combat effects. For example, we experimented with many different versions of Lu Jin’s model just to alter the amount of his hair. Initially, we aimed to replicate his manhua appearance with scattered voluminous hair. However, we found that it hindered the character’s combat animations. We then made several adjustments to Lu Jin’shair volume, reflecting our commitment to refining the details.
Q: Can you talk a little bit about how Lu Jin and his inner demon fit into The Hidden Ones/The Outcast lore?
A:During the night assault on Longhu Mountain by The Fulfilled, an evil sect among the Outcasts, following the Grand Luotian Ritual, Lu Jin, a respected member of a decent sect and a close friend of the Heavenly Master, joined the efforts to defend Longhu Mountain and found himself besieged by The Fulfill’s forces.
In this battle, Lu Jin encountered the ‘Heart Labors Formation,’ created by Gao Ning, one of the Wild Four of The Fulfilled, a group of four members who use different desires as weapons. This formation manipulates the emotions of those trapped within, pushing them toward extreme feelings. Faced with this dilemma, Lu Jin made a bold decision to use the formation to his
advantage. He deliberately plunged himself into a state of extreme anger and hatred, unleashing the ‘inner demon’ that had been buried deep within him for years—the tragic memory of the massacre of his former sect. He wanted to harness this fury to strike down members of The Fulfilled and protect Longhu Mountain.
Q: Lu Jin appears to be an aggressive fighter. Has that always been consistent? What playstyle would you say fits him best?
A: Lu Jin’s skills are designed to emphasizeextreme aggression. To master Lu Jin, players should focus on repeatedly pressing the defense button to perform his Standards, maximizing offensive advantages while utilizing Cancel in duels. When an enemy is knocked down, a short press of the defense button triggers a sweeping attack, allowing players to maintain constant pressure on their opponent.
If you are playing against Lu Jin, here are some tips: Since Lu Jin has a wide array of Standards, players can capitalize on defense and counter-attack opportunities following his moves. Also, take advantage of his defense cooldown by lunging at him.
Q: How does the team decide how each character should play, and what made you decide Lu Jin should have this demonic approach to combat? Was it gameplay or narrative first?
A:The development team places a strong emphasis on narrative when designing characters. The game is adapted from the original franchise Hitori No Shita: The Outcast, which tells the story of a group of superpowered individuals and delves into the background of many different Outcasts, not limited to the protagonists. Therefore, for characters that appeared in the original IP, we conducted extensive research on their personalities, fighting styles, and potential martial arts genres before incorporating them into the game.
Taking Lu Jin as an example, we wanted to preserve his original self-sacrificing spirit when facing a predicament, where he is determined to defend justice at the cost of entering his demonized state. After unleashing his inner demon, he loses his sanity, which is visually represented by his reddened eyes and his blasting hair due to the rampage of his Chi. His posture also reflects his frenzied condition.
Complementing his physical transformation, his combat style is highly aggressive. Skills that feature multiple dashes and the trade-off of regular defense for multiple “Thunder Talisman” Standards allow players to maintain constant pressure on their opponents. However, the cooldown of his defense requires exceptional strategic thinking.
Q: What were the goals when developing Lu Jin’s lightning-based skills?
A: Lu Jin’s skills are inspired by the Thunder Talisman from the Universal Talisman, one of the Eight Secret Arts. This element of thunder is reflected in his Standards and Ultimate. In the design process, we aimed to create the sensation of “thunder talismans filling the air.” In the original manhua, the Heavenly Master comments on his old friend Lu Jin’s Universal Talisman: “He uses thunder talismans like spilling beans.”
With this in mind, we emphasized the oppressive feel of Thunder Talisman in Lu Jin’s skill effects during battle. For the skill effects of each character, we aim to create differentiation based on their depictions in the work or their personality. This helps players better understand each Outcast’s uniqueness in theirmartial arts genresand the feelings they convey in battle.
Q: The Hidden Ones takes a very cinematic approach to martial arts combat. When making Lu Jin’s cinematics, how did you approach his unique demeanor/stance for the combat/cinematics?
A:Our approach to art focuses primarily on controlling the overall visual presentation and character portrayal. When it comes to character portrayal, our method of achievingcinematic storytellingis to strive for authenticity in depicting each character. This means utilizing animation and motion effects to accurately represent the inner states of the characters. For example, when Lu Jin unleashes immense power after being demonized, we didn’t just want to present him as a “cool” character who strikes cool poses.
Instead, we chose to reflect his true inner state at that moment through his design, opting for somewhat crazy, even morbid expressions. As a result, we ultimately shaped Lu Jin to embody his madness in a demonized state, expressed through eerie body language. This approach, we believe, is the most authentic and aligns with the original work’s description of his mental state at that time. Similarly, when creating other characters or story animations, we also place a great emphasis on analyzing their inner worlds and strive to integrate these insights into their visual representations.
Q: How do you hope players receive this character?
A: We hope that, for players familiar with this IP, we meet their expectations for this character. For those new to the IP, we also hope that, through our portrayal of Lu Jin in his inner demon state, they can feel his decisive determination to risk everything in the face of adversity, and in turn, they can appreciate the unique charm of each Outcast. For all players, we want them to enjoy theexhilarating combat experiencethat Lu Jin’s unique mechanics bring. By explaining his design and mechanics, we hope players can gain a solid understanding of Lu Jin’s gameplay and develop their own distinctive playstyle and understanding.
Q: Is there anything else you want to share about Lu Jin for those interested in playing him?
A: As previously mentioned, we meticulously refined the details of Lu Jin’s hair to achieve the best combat effects. Similarly, for every character, we dedicate ourselves to the smallest details. We hope that players can enjoy excellentaudio-visual effectsand a thrilling combat experience during gameplay. This is where our passion truly lies.
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