Original Gedonia turned out to be a very original role-playing game, which found support among connoisseurs of the genre. It is noteworthy that the project was carried out from beginning to end by one person, Oleg Kazakov. Now he is studying a sequel. We spoke to the developer about working on the original Gedonia and its sequel.
In a nutshell about the first Gedonia
The original Gedonia entered early access on June 1, 2020 and was released in October 2022. The game is made on the Unity engine and has simple graphics, stylized as projects from the past. At the same time, it has all the features of modern RPGs: an open world, leveling, eight different factions, and the ability to build your own house. The game has sold hundreds of thousands of copies and currently has 89% positive reviews on Steam.
In September 2023, Gedonia 2 was announced. While Oleg made the original game single-handedly, a team of six people is working on the sequel.
Have you played the original Gedonia?
Interview with Oleg Kazakov
VG times: Let’s start with the first part. Role-playing games are often developed by large teams with hundreds of employees. You did everything alone. What motivated you to do such a difficult job?
Oleg Kazakov: I have a special development method that allows me to bring even large projects to fruition step by step. I bring all my business to a logical conclusion.
VG times: Which role-playing games inspired the first Gedonia?
Oleg Kazakov: I’ve spent a lot of time in the games in the series The older roles and World of Warcraft. Among the early projects I can mention the first two parts of Fallout. They were the ones that inspired me during the development of the original Gedonia. In the sequel I try to take all the elements of my game to a whole new level. Moreover, it contains certain ideas from recent history Baldurspoort 3.
Other Game Interviews
VG times: I wonder what you didn’t mention “The Legend of Zelda.” But with Breath of the Wild was compared to the first Gedonia by many journalists. Do you think these games are similar or are they still different?
Oleg Kazakov: The gameplay is different, the similarities are only visual. It seems to me that people comparing them only pay attention to the picture.
VG times: What big changes await players in the second part?
Oleg Kazakov: The main innovation is the rise of a cooperative, from two to four people on the server. Depending on the number of users, the difficulty level will change. The more players, the higher the number of enemies.
I also note that all characters will get full voice acting. Quests will become long, branching and deep. With their help, you will influence the world of the game. For example, it is possible to enter into a war between factions, helping one of them and completely destroying the other. And completely conquering a certain zone will give you additional bonuses.
VG times: Will the heroes have skills that allow them to complement each other’s abilities during co-op?
Oleg Kazakov: Yes, we plan to implement a rich leveling system with 12 skill branches. Among them will be those focused on close combat, shooting and stealth. A separate branch concerns music. With its help, you can play the role of a bard and improve the skills of your party members.
VG times: Are you using neural networks during the development of Gedonia 2?
Oleg Kazakov: We use them to quickly visualize our ideas. For example, artists can imagine where to go or get inspiration. But in the game itself, everything is done manually. The situation is similar with ChatGPT. Some ideas can be developed using neural networks, but then everything is brought to mind by me personally and only then implemented in the game.
VG times: The second part will first be released in early access, just like the original Gedonia? Or will you be releasing the release version right away?
Oleg Kazakov: I haven’t decided on this yet. Most likely there will be early access. But I will announce this towards the end of the year.
VG times: Is there currently a plan to release the game in 2025?
Oleg Kazakov: Yes, that’s right.
VG times: Thanks for the interview. Good luck and see you soon.
Are you looking forward to Gedonia 2? Or are you interested in completely different projects? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Source: VG Times
Christina Moncayo is a contributing writer for “Social Bites”. Her focus is on the gaming industry and she provides in-depth coverage of the latest news and trends in the world of gaming.