- Sick metal Developer Felix Schade has discussed the inspirations behind his game’s art direction
- He originally intended to make an origami-themed game, but he switched to gritty sci-fi
- He was also greatly encouraged by Light Memory: Infinite
Sick metal Developer Felix Schade has discussed the art direction for the recently launched action game and revealed one of his biggest inspirations.
Damage developed Sick metal over the course of nine years, initially working from his bedroom and posting clips of his early efforts online. The resulting flurry of attention on social media eventually caught the attention of gaming giant Ubisoft, where the company agreed to publish his title. This gave him the funds to create a now 11-person game studio.
The game was recently released into Early Access and is available via Steam, with a mostly positive reception from players so far. In addition to a unique shape-shifting mechanic, it stands out thanks to its gritty sci-fi art direction that almost looks like a cross between Warframe and that Shadow Warrior series.
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Sick metal However, it didn’t always seem that way, and in an interview with TechRadar Gaming, Schade revealed how its art direction has evolved over its long development time. He said his original vision for the game was something origami-themed, “where you can fold your piece of paper into different origami figures, each with their own unique skills” in a bright and colorful world.
“In the beginning, I was just trying to figure out what I could do on my own. This origami setting, it worked, but it didn’t really feel like me,” he added. The big change in direction came when he started to work further Sick metal full-time in 2020: “When I really took it more seriously, it was really important to me that [the game] was something I could be fully passionate about.”
From a setting and visual perspective, it had to be something that I really resonated with personally,” he continued. “Otherwise, I don’t think I would have the stamina to do this for nine years!”
He also singled out a particular indie game that was a great source of encouragement. “At that time there was a game called Light Memory: Infinitealso made by a solo developer,” he recalled.
“The game really gave me so much inspiration and the confidence that something visually striking can be done by a very small or solo dev team. He proved it and I thought, ‘okay, I can do this too’.”
When asked why the direction he settled on appealed, Schade simply said, “I love it. It’s just cool.”
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