A new game is coming for the castlevania game style fans. Trying to create a new game that feels like an old one is Oscar Celestini and he is the sole developer working on Mastema: Out of Hell, which is now on steam. Celestini is creating this game using Clickteam Fusion 2.5. The only part of the game he is not working on is the music and producing, which he has partnered with Gianluca Pappalardo to create the music to fill the dark atmosphere and with Forever Entertainment as producers.
The story places you as a lost soul with no memories of the past that finds itself trapped in hell. Trying to get out of hell, find out the reason why you are dead, and why you are trapped deep in hell will be the objectives that drive this soul to persevere through all the challenges they will face. Using a sword that was once used by an angel who lost it after dying in a duel with the devil, demons and minions alike will fall by your hand!
This game will take you inside horror and danger, pin you against creatures and demons, fight huge bosses, avoid traps and solve puzzles! There are also going to be plenty of unlockable options for you to check out once you beat it. Hopefully these options add some replay ability to this new classic.
Q&A with Celestini
This game sounds cool so far. What inspired you to make this game?
"Principal inspiration was Great Giana Sisters for C64, but also mega drive platformers as Chakan The Forever Man, a bit of Super Mario, Earthworm Jim, and Ghouls and Ghost."
Nice line up of games! They are the ones that also inspired your art choice?
"The art is a sum of my game experience. Was very different at the start six years ago. Was higher resolution and unlimited colors, but I changed to have a better 16-bit feeling on it."
Oh, so this project has been in development for six years?
"Almost 7. I changed and started it about two times and I stopped it for two years. But I love the main chara, so I wanted to complete it. First was a metroidvania with complicated maps, but I was not able to handle alone. That's why I changed it into an old style platformer."
Interesting. How hardcore would you say this game is? Or will there be difficulty options?
"It's an arcade. No difficulty options. It's a hard game; not impossible. The publisher and his testers asked me to make it less difficult two times and I made it a bit easier. There is a save state, but it will allow you to start the zone, not the exact level."
Oh I see, so we are actually getting a slightly easier version than you originally intended? Do you think you would create a DLC or update that allows the difficulty you originally had in mind as an option?
"No, no other difficulties available. I just know that harder gamers will play it with no save state. I think with no save state, you can complete the game, if you can, in an hour and a half. But I'm sure at the first try it's impossible to complete. So many hours of game play needed."
So you can turn the save state off, or adjust it?
"No, is really simple. At the start, you can start a new game or just continue your journey from the latest progress. It's basically an autosave."
Will there be multiple weapons in the game?
"You've got a basic fire, if you get the bonus, but you'll loose it dying. And five special attacks you can use one time, but you'll find walking around and destroying bins or statues."
Do you mean only one time in the entire game?
"No no, you find it, get it and use it. If you find it again, you'll use it again."
Ok, so you get five special attack options that can be used one time per find?
"Yes, but you can't collect them. Just one each time. If you've gone one and get another, you'll loose the precedent. You've got to think about what kind of special attack is better in a zone."
What can players expect while playing Mastema?
"Players will have old feelings in a new game and that's what I'm looking inside each new game, but not easy to find. I hope to give them that experience. I don't want to do a new game with old graphics, we've got this in thousands of useless games. I want a new-old game."
Very cool, this hardcore game sounds like a fun challenge for sure! Will there be Easter Eggs or special unlocks for beating the game at a speedrun pace, or perhaps even for not dying?
"Yes, I made some little Easter Eggs tributes here and there and an unlockable level select once you've completed the game. Some secrets and warp rooms, but I can't tell more."
