TwoHirogamidevelopers recently discussed Hiro’s various transformations and how they interact with the game’s paper-like world. InHirogami, players control Hiro, a “folding master” with a troubled past who is tasked with uncovering the mystery behind a sinister force called the Blight. Hiro must journey the land, battling the Blight’s forces using powerful shapeshifting abilities resembling traditional Japanese origami.
Game Rant recently spoke withHirogamicreative director Yandhie Pratopo and lead game designer Yi Han Yong about various aspects of the game, including its transformation mechanic and how it ties intothePaper Mario-like origami worldthey have created. Pratopo explained that the development team wanted each form to feel different: “We wanted each transformation to have its own feel, rhythm, and tone. The armadillo is fast and fun, the frog is playful, the ape is powerful and deliberate.” That difference was important to the overall game, with Yong also explaining,
“Once we had that world [made of origami], we shaped the gameplay to match. The idea of folding and unfolding - of fragility, resilience, and transformation - was a perfect fit for the kinds of mechanics we love building. The metaphor of paper wasn’t just aesthetic; it became a foundation for how everything interacted.”
Two of these alternate forms can be seen in the freeHirogamiSteam demo. After defeating an armadillo enemy that is immune to his usual wind gust attack, Hiro can take its form to roll through enemies and break down obstacles. Hiro can also unfold into a simple sheet of paper to glide short distances or float along gusts of wind. Other pre-launchHirogamigameplay revealsdepict an ape form that can swing along vines, a frog that can jump higher and perform a slam attack, and even a crane that can fly.
Each of Hirogami’s Transformations Feels Different
Yong added that the development team viewed each transformation as “a different verb, a way to interact with the world.” They alsowanted each in-game environmentto not only reflect its inhabitants visually, but also present a challenge to the transformation featured. As Pratopo explained,
“More than just being visual, these areas mechanically reinforced the transformations used within them. That consistency helps players feel more immersed and in tune with each world, and the interplay between form and world design helps make each chapter feel distinct and thematically cohesive.”
Hirogamiwill launch on September 3, meaning that it will still be a few months before players can see how the game’s many different transformations and level designs come together to make a thematic experience.Hirogami’s showings atthis year’s Steam Game Festand the State of Play have certainly brought some attention to Bandai Namco Studios Singapore and Kakehashi Games' origami adventure. Interested gamers can already try out the first level in the free Steam demo ahead of its eventual launch.
Hirogami
WHERE TO PLAY
Hirogami is a 3D action platformer inspired by the ancient Japanese art of origami (paper folding).Everything you encounter has been crafted to convey the physical, often fragile, natural world of paper, amidst a story interwoven with threads of wistful intrigue.Discover new forms to traverse the world,solve puzzles, and best your foes. Roll through obstacles and enemies alike as a hardy Armadillo, traverse the treetops and pound pests as a mighty Ape, and leap to previously unreachable heights as a formidable Frog.A powerful force of digital creatures - the Blight - is invading the world, defiling the delicate natural balance that has held sway for an age.As Hiro, an enigmatic performer (and master of the art of folding) from Shishiki village, it falls to you to cleanse the mind-warped inhabitants of this world, and to bring peace back to the land.Explore every nook and cranny and discover all the world’s hidden secrets.Unfold into a sheet of paper to ride fiery updrafts, or to slide under deadly traps. Or become a paper plane to traverse dangerous chasms.This origami world is a fragile place, and you’ll need your wits about you to protect it.Wield Hiro’s paper fan to blow away the Blight, or pound, pummel, or poison them using your litany of papery powersBask in a soundscape composed using traditional Japanese instruments and styles- specially crafted to evoke the variety of themes, characters and settings of Hirogami.
