While racing has always been and still is one of the most beloved genres when it comes to gaming, creators of new racing games are always trying their best to improvise and usher in new elements to break the monotony that comes in at times. And to be fair, it does work for good, as racing games with elements from other genres interspersed within it will give players a different experience all together. Such a game is Warrior Dash which combines the thrill of a racing game with the strategic elements of an RPG (Role Playing Game).
Developed by June Software and published by San Francisco based TangoME, Warrior Dash is a real time multiplayer racing game with RPG elements at its core. You can choose from six different classes of warriors to begin with, each with their own set of powers and unique traits. You can compete against your friends and other players online, in real time. You can upgrade your warrior as you progress and build him into the ultimate combo of a racing and killing machine.
AnimationXpress reached out to Warrior Dash, project leader, Shantesh Patil to get better insights about the game.
Speaking on the deal with Tango, Patil expressed, “The key to a game like Warrior Dash is to combine the real-time multiplayer experience of the game along with the aspect of being able to play with your real-world friends. Messaging apps like Tango, Facebook bring you one step closer to interacting with your friends while playing a real-time game like Warrior Dash. We found this concept intriguing and thought of combining these into the Warrior Dash game.”
Apparently, the game draws inspiration from the studio’s previous game, Ninjump Dash which was published by Backflip Studios. One might wonder that if the concept is similar, why another game on the same lines?
Patil answered by saying, “While the previous game was well received by players and did have more content at launch it was also limited in terms of player progression. When we decided to do a warrior- themed game, we wanted to put the focus on the player character and progression above just cosmetics and content. We looked at all the attributes that defined a character from their physical abilities to the powers that they can use inside the game. We then put the ability to tweak these various attributes in the hands of the player, essentially allowing two players to build up the same class of warrior in their own unique ways as they progress through the game.”
Something that is indeed interesting is the amalgamation of two of the most popular genres of gaming (racing and RPG) coupled with a real time multiplayer system which breathes in dynamism to the gameplay experience. Many single player games fade after a while if the flow of new content is not adequate, while multiplayer games thrive longer. However, they might eventually lose its player base if new content is not integrated timely, so what will be the case for Warrior Dash?
“Our system on both the client side and the back end server side has been designed to make it as easy as possible to add new content. We do plan to add new levels, characters, powers and weapons to the game and are thinking of a few interesting sub systems. However, this will only be done when we have ironed out all bugs,” said Patil, which is good sign for the game in the long run.
Each race (read: match) has a four player cap and is free to play, however it has optional in-game purchases. There are many games out there, which follow the same model but their in-app purchase options make the game pretty much free-to-play but pay-to-win, will that be the case with this game too?
“Players will be able to make in-app purchases to buy power upgrades and weapons in the game. However, most purchases are also tied to a character’s level in the game. A level can only be reached through a player’s skill and ability to win races. Any purchases that are not level locked like weapons only amplify the players’ current powers rather than giving anyone who buys it an unfair advantage. In addition we also have matchmaking rules in place to ensure that players of similar skills are matched together to ensure a fun and balanced multiplayer game for all.”
Around six to eight people and some interns worked on the game for a year and a half and as the project leader exulted, “Importantly we leveraged our existing tools and remade them to also ensure that it runs on our proprietary back end engine, code named the ‘minion engine’”.
The game has been soft launched in Australia, Thailand, the Philippines, New Zealand, Vietnam, Singapore, and India to “gauge metrics” and is expected to be fully launched around the holiday season. (November – December).
Commenting on what plans the studio has for the game, a positive Patil mentioned, “Managing friend invites, game invites, gifting and sharing with friends even outside of the game using the messaging interface is something that we have on the road-map of Warrior Dash. This will lead to a scenario where you can chat with your friends and then start a real-time game with them.”
The game is available on Android and iOS platforms and looks pretty good from the preview. Let’s see how the studio manages to market and support the game once it releases.