On Life And Living is a Metroidvania western without the clichés of a traditional western | Mundo Indie
The lofty dreams of two boys who played Overwatch for fun are taking shape and are about to make up the Brazilian indie games scene.
Jamil Martinez and Davi Barbieri are the founders of the indie studio Capivara Prime. The curious name has a similar explanation.
The studio's journey so far
The brainstorming meetings take place during chess matches between the two. Every wrong move is called a “capivar”, a term stuck in their vocabulary. “Prime” comes from Martinez's fondness for Optimus Prime since childhood and is also a term used in the game Warframe, where the “primes” are the best characters. Martinez explains the concept: “Barbieri and I have in common that we've been underestimated since high school. Nowadays it's cool to be a nerd, but we were the weirdos back then. The capybara is an underestimated animal, so we use it to be the 'bad' side of the scale, while the Prime is the 'good' side. That's why we say that we may not be good, but we're the best at not being good."
That said, Capivara Prime was born, with the two partners being the only permanent employees so far. Dividing up the tasks, Martinez works on programming, game design, and narrative; Barbieri takes care of the artistic side, such as modeling, sets, animation, and so on. The other functions, such as sound design and concept art, are outsourced.
Those who attended the Brasil Game Show 2023 were able to see a very polished demo of On Life And Living up close. Until then, only people close to the partners had the opportunity to see a sample of the project in development.
The feeling of coming into contact with the general public for the first time left Martinez excited. He said: “The reception was very nice, we didn't expect so many people. There were different age groups, we talked a lot about the narrative with everyone, people said they wanted to play it, asking if it was already on Steam, etc... It was a feeling of being complete in life. I didn't know I needed it until I had it.
About On Life And Living
On Life And Living began similarly to many other Brazilian indie studios: a small idea that was polished until it became the final product that would mark the developers' name on the market.
The game is a Metroidvania that mixes science fiction with the Wild West. The main character is a man who has lost a loved one in the prime of his life and now has to deal with his grief and, at the same time, help with the political problems his colony is facing.
Just like in real life, no one faces grief in the same way. That's why Metroidvania will give the player different path options, but that doesn't mean it's entirely a bifurcated narrative.
The look of the game is reminiscent of comic books, a hobby Martinez has had since he was a child, and the mechanics will be through weapon upgrades and secret skills, which players will be able to discover on their own and make their journey easier.
Speaking of references, we can see the strong inspiration of Hollow Knight and various PS2 games, a console that marked the lives of the millennial generation, for the most part. We also have The Mandalorian series as a reference, bringing the Wild West with science fiction to the game's setting.
Another important and attractive point in On Life And Living is the presence of Brazilianness in all the narrative elements. Martinez says that yes, we can make a Brazilian Wild West, without sticking to the American classics, which are out of touch with our reality.
We'll have the presence of Brazilian vegetation in the settings, the political and historical context of various regions in the narrative, and characters that are more reminiscent of our people than something foreign. All of this strengthens the player's identification with what they are consuming, leading to greater immersion.
Regarding the choice of game format, Martinez explains: “Metroidvania is an open-world game that can't distort the narrative, because game design and script go hand in hand, making the setting something really important.”
Launch
Anyone who wants to see On Life And Living up close will have to wait a little longer. According to the studio, a demo is expected to be released at the end of 2024 and the full game in the first half of 2025. It will only be possible to play on a PC at the moment.
Check out the studio's social networks and the link to put the game on your wishlist:
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Author: Ana Lins