In the emerging made in Italy videogame, Giuseppe Licata from Palermo makes his way: here is our interview with the author of Swoon!
The exclamation point is a must, given the enthusiasm of the protagonist of ours interview: let’s talk about Giuseppe Licata, which we have had the pleasure of consulting for you about Swoon!, an indie platformer who gives Steam is about to reach also Nintendo Switch. On the occasion of the port, in fact, he himself contacted us to open up about the ideas he intends to bring to the platform and in the sector. Taking advantage of his offer, we asked him some questions, trying to touch as many points as possible. His responses have provided us with numerous food for thought.
Italy yes, Italy no, Italy jumps
The basic idea was to start the interview with Giuseppe Licata by asking him the reason behind the choice of a platformer to bring Swoon! to life.
Swoon promises to be an interesting experience. Where did the idea of proposing a platformer in the emerging made in Italy videogame scene come from? Is it just about standing out from the crowd or is there something more?
I wanted to create a video game different from the ones you see all the time, I know that this theory is a bit at the basis of the indie genre, but I wanted to deepen some aspects that are usually mistakenly overlooked. Among these there is the level design that in the Platformer genre has multiple roles both artistic and technical and if you do not pay due attention to aspects like this you risk losing at the start. For this reason I consider this particular genre. The platformer is still a timeless classic, and I wanted to leverage this. The aim was to create a game that does not age over time. Wanting to stand out I think is a good thing, but Swoon! gives more weight to the gaming experience and fun, because for me it is essential that a mood remains imprinted and that the desire to move forward grows as you play.
Among the big names – Interview with Giuseppe Licata, author of Swoon!
We couldn’t help but notice in our interview that Nintendo Switch, for better or for worse, both a prodigal environment of platformers, but according to Giuseppe Licata Swoon! has the numbers to stand out.
The arrival on Nintendo Switch also means debuting in the same family of consoles that has kept the platformer torch alive for years: a safe haven due to the public who love the genre, but also an environment in which it will be necessary to elbow for precisely the same reason. . Do you find it a double-edged sword?
Without a doubt, Nintendo has always been a source of inspiration and that’s the main reason I wanted to create this game. Being released in the midst of other games of a certain caliber makes me want to experiment more. Comparison is fundamental in these cases, so certain standards must be maintained but it is equally important to know how to distinguish yourself.
Muse – Interview with Giuseppe Licata, author of Swoon!
Connecting with what we said earlier, we asked in our interview if Giuseppe Licata had poured into Swoon! from the specific sources of inspiration. With one in particular, we can’t help but nod.
Speaking of the arrival on Switch, there are some classics of the Big N (and not) that you took inspiration from to bring Swoon to life! on an artistic level?
On an artistic level I wanted to give vent to the imagination, so the various concepts and the mood of the game are the result of personal studies carried out over the years. For sure somehow the Nintendo style will have influenced me but I have not been inspired by games in particular for Swoon!, Although sometimes the settings of the game are reminiscent of Donkey Kong Country.
Reinventing the wheel – Interview with Giuseppe Licata, author of Swoon!
Propose new ideas right in the genre of platformers it has now become very difficult: Giuseppe Licata knows this and in our interview the author of Swoon! he wanted to emphasize the intentions behind his game design choice.
What innovations do you plan to bring to gameplay in a genre where having your say without being inspired by other ideas has become so difficult?
Swoon! it is not the classic side scrolling platformer, precisely because it is in 3D and not in 2D, therefore it uses all three axes and boasts amazing graphics. To give an example, although the game is mostly in side scrolling mode, enemies can attack you from the sides and cross the screen in the opposite direction, it takes advantage of the mood of the classic Platformers but has implemented new techniques, it is a mix between retro and modern, it offers skills to unlock and unconventional level design, an exploratory, fun game that lends itself to different play styles including speedrun. It uses physics, particle effects and is designed to have a unique gaming experience.
In conclusion
We report below the last questions to which Giuseppe replied.
Do you think there are still little represented genres in the made in Italy videogame or are there others already redundant?
I believe that made in Italy is still a niche in the exploratory phase, I don’t think there are more represented genres than others at the moment. But I think that the Platformer genre offers many variants not yet known, contrary to what is thought.
What would you like to say to the readers of TechGameWorld.com?
A tip to all those who try their hand at video game development is to try to create something new, never seen before. Studying other games to understand what works best is certainly important, but it is essential to create something unique.
We thank Giuseppe for his availability. Now it’s up to you to tell us yours: what do you think of the game coming to Nintendo Switch? Let us know below, and as always don’t forget to stay on TechGameWorld.com for all the most important news for gamers and more. For your purely gaming needs, you can instead find the best discounts in digital format on Instant Gaming.