Summary
- undaunted is a game about killing giants: colossal, ethereal beasts roaming the Shattered Isles.
- Players can craft gear from the monsters they defeat. Malkarion pieces can be used to build a complete set of armor and weapons.
- The Malkarion is a completely new experience for players who can play it today.
undaunted is a game about killing giants: colossal, ethereal beasts roaming the floating islands of the Shattered Isles. But what good is it to produce these creatures?
Malkarion, the last “boss” in the brand new escalation experience, is the newest member of Dauntless. In building this beast, the team began with comprehensive concepts before refining them.
“Sometimes we need a giant based on a particular element, and I begin to conceptualize and methodically narrow things down,” says Jasper Sandner, Concept Artist at Phoenix Labs. “Then the team will start to develop gameplay ideas that are inspired by the graphics. There is a lot of discussion and everybody contributes to this process. “
This was no different at the Malkarion.
“We were looking for an air shock giant, so my art direction narrowed and I began to draw within certain flying archetypes. We also knew that we wanted to portray elegance. We have chosen to combine these flowing shapes with sharp, contrasting, lightning angles to maintain a sense of power in the design. “
“We wanted this to be our first dragon-like encounter in Dauntless,” Sandner continues. We wanted the players to feel that. “
The design of the giant was only half the battle. In Dauntless, players make equipment from the monsters they defeat. Malkarion parts can be used to build a complete set of armor and weapons, and Sandner was also responsible for the design of the equipment.
“I started with the same design language I used for this giant, looking for ways to use square, aggressive shapes and combine them to look smooth and flowing.”
Scale-like parts fall into the armor and a three-piece paint set was drawn directly from the giant’s palette. Each piece is reminiscent of the malkarion and the feelings of pride, elegance and aggression.
It also has a cool hood.
As the creature’s designs were in progress, the combat design team worked hard to build the mechanics behind the fight.
“We were wondering what the journey to mastering the malkarion would mean to the player,” says Reid Buckmaster, creator designer of Phoenix Labs. “How would this fight feel in the 100th battle? We always try to add or develop something new so that our chest grows with every giants. “
The design team also considered which challenging fantasies players still need to bid. They wanted to give players new opportunities to feel powerful. “We always try to make larger and worse giants than before, but we also wondered what is their personality and what makes them particularly intimidating?”
When it comes to new mechanics, the Malkarion has much to offer.
“The Malkarion does many things that other giants can not do, as hunters can climb the Malkarion and circle it on the battlefield while doing great damage,” says Buckmaster, but this mechanic was not in the original concept In the end, Buckmaster and his team felt it was more exciting to climb giants. “
The Malkarion can also pick up players with their pines before hitting them in the ground.
“So far, no other giants could hold a hunter in their jaws or jaws, but we now have the opportunity to let them do just that.”
These new mechanisms help to differentiate the Malkarion from other giants in Dauntless, and at the same time increase the team’s toolbox for encounters. Paired with the unique aesthetic design capabilities of the artist team, the Malkarion is a completely new player experience. And it’s one thing they can play today.
This week’s Stormchasers update includes Escalation, Malkarion, and more. Log in and record it with the terrible Malkarion. But first you have to defy the maelstrom.
Good luck, Slayers, and keep your eyes on the sky .
