A common theme we have noticed over the years amongst indie developers is a drive to go off and do something on their own. When we met with the folks from We the Force Studios during Pax Prime to chat about their upcoming title called Randall, we honestly didn’t know what to expect. Based in Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico, We the Force Studios actually began as a service company specializing in Web Development around 2012. It was around 2013 that the group decided that they were going to pursue their passion in gaming and begin development on their first game: Randall.
A unique platformer with a very strong fighting system, Randall will eventually be released for PS4, Steam, and Vita sometime in 2016. With only a 15 people team, the developers at We the Force have noticed that there is a lack of development back home. They are hoping to encourage others to start developing their more games in Mexico. But let’s start learning a bit more about the studio behind this unique platformer.
With We the Force being primarily a Web Development shop, I wondered what was the biggest challenge they might have encountered while working on Randall so far. I was a little shocked that they found the most difficult part about the whole process was actually learning how to develop a game. It’s something that I have struggled with but they eventually spent most of their time learning, developing and testing to see what worked and what didn’t work. Then equally spent even more time going back and tweaking Randall to get it ready to show off for others, all while still working on client projects. They even hired a few Unity developers to help them learn for a week and eventually just went full steam ahead with game development. We the Force admits that the learning curve for Unity is long and hard but very well worth it once you get the hang of it.
Randall is set in a dystopian world that doesn’t seem like a departure from our own future. Society is content living under the constant surveillance and absolute power of a malicious dictator. The people are oppressed but they don’t realize that they are oppressed. In this police state players take on the role of Randall, a powerful telepath with a touch of schizophrenia. Players start playing and realize that there are two voices coming from the same guy. One of those voices eventually becomes the game’s narrator, however, as the game progresses you start realizing that he’s not as reliable as you first thought.
Randall is definitely a challenging platformer with a robust fighting game mechanic. Randall’s mental abilities allow him to control and play as every single character on screen, seamlessly swapping between them and exploiting every power that they have. Meaning you can play with every single character you encounter throughout the game—no matter if they are good or bad. No one is off limits. With inspirations like Guacamelee, fighting games like King of Fighters and challenging platformers like Super Meat Boy, we instantly understand how unique Randall is.
For only being in development of a little over two years, Randall looks amazing! And personally, from one Web Developer to another, I know how difficult it is to switch over to something you’re totally unfamiliar with. I look forward to checking out the continued progress as well as the eventually release in 2016!
To keep up with We the Force Studios, check them out on Facebook or give them a follow @WeTheForce.
+Fun and Challenging Platformer –
Extremely tight controls and old-school difficulty make for a very explosive brawling platformer that will test the combat and puzzle skills of any gamer.
+Mental Power –
Use physic abilities to manipulate enemies into doing what you want them to do.
+Playing as the Bad Guys –
Randall can take control of every opponent in the game, which means enemy weapons and abilities are at your disposal. However, taking over minds will have you see the world in a whole different light.
+Intuitive Fighting System –
When the mind needs a rest players can use brute strength with a sophisticated array of fighting skills to beat foes into compliance.