A Robot at the End of the World: Talking Corebreaker

When it comes to fast-paced action-platformers, aQuadiun’s Corebreaker is a promising upstart. Centered on Nova, a robot designed to awaken when humanity has fallen to machines, the Steam demo already showcases responsive controls, intense gunplay, and rogue-like elements.  Recently, we had the opportunity to speak with aQuadiun’s Marcel Omori on the creative vision behind the title:

Tech-Gaming: Let’s talk about your first game, 2018’s Galaxy Champions TV.  What was behind the decision to make a top-down, closed arena shooter in the style of Smash TV?

Marcel Omori: It actually started as a game jam project for Ludum Dare. I can’t quite remember the theme, but because of the tight 48-hour deadline, my friend and I decided to go with a top-down shooter. We thought it would be quicker and more manageable to develop under pressure.

For something built in such a short time, we were surprised by how fun it turned out. That’s when we had this idea: “What if we made a full game inspired by Smash TV, which we played a lot as kids, but with more weapons, upgrades, and enemy types?” So we decided to go for it, and that’s how Galaxy Champions TV was born.

T-G: Looking back, what were some of the difficulties you faced during the development process?

MO: Since Galaxy Champions TV was our first commercial game, initially we had no investment. We had to balance working our day jobs while using our own income to fund development. We were basically using our paychecks to build our “dream” game.

Managing finances, paying bills, and constantly wondering if it was really feasible to keep going… it was psychologically very hard. The uncertainty and pressure were tough to deal with.

T-G: Corebreaker revisits some of the closed areas, but opt for a side-perspective? What was the reason behind this shift?

MO: I like to try new things, so I wanted to develop a platformer game this time. Mega Man X was my favorite platformer game, I played it a lot during my childhood. That led to the idea: “What if I made a game with Mega Man-style gameplay, focused on jumping and shooting without aiming, but in the roguelite genre?“ And that’s how Corebreaker started.

T-G: Weapon variety is an essential constituent in any roguelike game. Corebreaker‘s Steam demo reveals bouncing bullets, lightning, and lasers. What’s the secret to maintaining balance in a varied arsenal?

MO: This is my first time developing a roguelike game, so I wouldn’t say there’s a “secret” to it, I’m still learning a lot. But what has worked for me is to keep playing, testing constantly, and most importantly, listening to player feedback.

I also believe that what really makes a roguelike fun is not only how many weapons and upgrades you have, but also the quality of their combinations. Quality is what creates interesting synergies and satisfying gameplay. Just having a large number of upgrades doesn’t make the game fun on its own, so we are trying our best to make those make sense in our game.

T-G: Another crucial ingredient is meta-game progress. How does Corebreaker reward player persistence?

MO: Keep in mind the game is still in development, so things may change. But right now, I’m building an achievement-based progression system where unlocking achievements grants access to new tiers of upgrades and weapons. This encourages players to chase goals and experiment with different playstyles.

There’s also a loop system: when players complete a run, the game restarts with tougher enemies and new NPCs unlocked that offer additional upgrades and weapons. On top of that, there’s a leaderboard to keep competitive players coming back, trying out new builds and strategies to beat other players’ scores.

T-G: Both Galaxy Champions TV and Corebreaker feature intense explosions. What’s the motivation behind this?

I think almost every player who enjoys action games loves explosions, just like in action movies. They make everything feel more intense and immersive. I also see explosions as one of the key elements that add “juice” to the game. They help make every hit feel more satisfying and the gameplay more dynamic.