Eternal Return is a survival arena game that combines MOBA and battle royale gameplay into one experience. Available on Steam, Eternal Returnfeatures a number of playable characters, skin packs, and maps. Fresh off the Cobalt Protocol mode update, Seunghoo Kim from Nimble Neuron discussed the game and its future with Screen Rant.
Like many of the best MOBA games, Eternal Returnprovides a lot of variety for players to choose from. Whether it's characters, battle royale gameplay, or through crafting, there's a lot that can be done in-game. The new Cobalt Protocol patch is a 4v4 game mode that relies on fast-paced combat. For those wanting even more battle royale gameplay, there's a lot to get excited about.
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Seunghoo Kim from Nimble Neuron recently discussed Eternal Return with Screen Rant.Topics included what development was like for merging these two genres together and what inspired the devs to create the game in the first place. And as with many live games, there's plenty to look forward to in the future.
Since Eternal Return combines MOBA and battle royale gameplay. Where did the idea come from to merge those genres?
It all began when we felt that bringing the 2D map from the original Black Survival to a 3D version would make the game even more immersive. In the original Black Survival, there were parts which were not fully visible to the players (such as moving between different areas), so when a skilled player made an awesome play, it would make you question, 'what just happened?'
We began creating Eternal Return because we were intrigued by the worldview and characters of Black Survival. The world and characters were constrained to a 2D world, so bringing these aspects into a 3D world meant that the players would be able to follow what's going on when played in a battle royale format. We also believed that this would prove to be an entertaining experience as a spectator. To convey this experience, we developed the game as a strategy game with an isometric view since FPS or TPS games are quite limited in terms of field of view. While the skill tree is a key element of its strategic gameplay, the original Black Survival is a MOBA style game. Thus Eternal Return is a fine combination between a MOBA and a battle royale.
Were there any creative difficulties with combining MOBA and battle royale gameplay?
It was difficult to mix the crafting, fighting, and survival elements together. Since there are many elements combined together, it's important to provide a good experience in terms of UI and UX. While the game improved a lot compared to back when the Early Access first started, we still continue to improve these aspects of the game as we collect community feedback.
To interpret the battle royale genre into a MOBA style game, we had to think hard about what to bring and what not to bring from the original system. It took six to seven months just to establish the key parts of the game during the prototyping period. In the end, quickly starting the testing phase and growing together with the community greatly helped us overcome the difficulties we faced.
How would you say Eternal Return sets itself apart from games like Black Survival?
I think the biggest difference is that the original Black Survival was a 2D text-based adventure combat format, whereas Eternal Return was adapted into a 3D battle royale combat. Adapting the game to a 3D battle royale allowed us to get a clear view of how the battle royale progresses, and we were able to make the characters and worldview more immersive than before.
Eternal Return is very character-driven. Do any of you have a favorite character? And what do you like about them most?
This is probably the most difficult question to answer. Each character in Eternal Return is likable in their own unique way. Daniel gets more powerful during the night hours, as there are day and night hours on the battlefield in Eternal Return. Isol can turn fights into his favor by creating traps. Nadine gets stronger every time she defeats a wild animal. Sissela restores her health better and her skills become more powerful as her health decreases. These are just a few examples of how each character's unique quality makes them interesting to play. I hope everyone can try each character and experience their unique characteristics.
Eternal Return has a few different game modes. Do you have a personal favorite?
Personally, I've been enjoying squads more recently, but each mode (solo, duo, squads) is appealing in their own way. Solo mode allows you to experience and enjoy the skills and qualities of what makes each character unique, and squads allow you to play out a strategic experience as you cooperate with fellow squad members. Duos are a good mix between solo and squads, so it's the main mode that's being used for our e-sports content.
In addition, a new 4 vs 4 game mode will be available on June 9, called Cobalt Protocol. In this mode, the team with the most points wins. You gain points by capturing objectives, battling and killing enemies.
Eternal Return is still in Early Access at the moment, but what are some things we can look forward to seeing when the game fully launches?
We're planning on fully launching the game once we feel the game's strategic depth is sufficient and when we feel that we're ready to provide the players with the best experience. We also believe that we'll need to prepare a new feature that would meet the expectations of the players when the game officially launches. I hope you can understand that it's too early to share any further details at this point.
Of course! To end on here, is there anything you’d like to say to fans of Eternal Return - and newcomers as well?
Eternal Return is a game that has developed up to this point together with the players and the community from the start. Without player and community feedback, Eternal Return would not exist. The development team will strive to provide great content and an enjoyable experience in return for all of the love and support the players have shown us for Eternal Return. We ask for your continued support and feedback!
For those who have not yet experienced Eternal Return, we encourage you to try it out for free right now on Steam. I'm certain that you will enjoy the unique gameplay from the combination of the battle royale + MOBA genre, plus its interesting world and characters.
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Eternal Return is available in Early Access now on Steam.
