By Brandon Coates
Our intention for this game has always been to offer an absurd and funny experience while developing our own interpretation on tried and tested game mechanics. There are a lot of things that need to be done for a game to have the right “feeling.” There are games that rely heavily on visual presentation and sound effects to elicit a feeling from the player, like Journey(2012). While mechanically a simple game it is critically acclaimed because it understood what “feeling” it needed. There are other games, like Dwarf Fortress(2006) that do not rely upon art or sound design and fully commit itself to being mechanically complicated but also creatively freeing. However, it still makes the player understand it’s style and theme through it’s gameplay.
Kick Some Bass is like most games where it imparts it’s theme through a combination of art and gameplay. The simple description of our game, where our hero Jim Jimson catches a fish then has to fist fight it into submission is self-evidently funny. However, if it was presented with the latest 4K graphics and going for an ultra-realistic aesthetic then it would tread in the uncanny valley and create feelings in the players our team does not want. Therefore, we are going for an exaggerated art style with lots of color and exaggerated proportions. With this combination of humorous gameplay and cartoonish visual presentation we hope to deliver a fun and memorable experience.
