Duskfade wears its inspirations proudly. Weird Beluga’s upcoming action platformer draws heavily from PS2 classics like Kingdom Hearts, but the studio is equally determined to carve out an identity of its own. We spoke to Game Designer Esteban Marin Illana about reviving a beloved style of adventure, balancing nostalgia with modern expectations, and what it takes to bring that classic formula into a new generation.
The conversation eventually turned to game preservation as well. Looking beyond Duskfade’s launch, Illana said the team hopes the game will sell well enough to receive a physical edition, not just for players, but so they can give the project what he describes as “a permanent physical legacy.”
Duskfade has been generating a lot of excitement since its reveal. Looking back now that players have had the chance to experience the demo, what has the response from the community been like?
Honestly, we couldn’t be happier. We expected a lot of people to play the demo, but more than the number of players, what really surprised us was how quickly people connected with the demo and its characters.
Some players have already spent more than twice the length of the full game in the demo alone, whether that’s speedrunning it or trying to reach places they were never supposed to get to.
Has there been any feedback from players that has surprised you?
More than any specific piece of feedback, what sometimes surprises us is just how contradictory it can be. Some people find the boss far too easy, while others are practically begging us to lower the difficulty.
In the end, fixing a bug is often the easy part. The real challenge is figuring out which changes will improve the experience for the greatest number of players while still staying true to our vision for the game.
When you first started work on Duskfade, what was the core experience you wanted players to walk away with?
We’ve always wanted to capture the nostalgia of sitting down for an afternoon with your PS2, with nothing on your mind except unwinding, having fun, and getting completely immersed in a new world. Thankfully, that hasn’t changed from day one.
You’ve been very open about drawing inspiration from PS2-era action platformers, particularly Kingdom Hearts. Despite how beloved that series is, very few developers have tried to build something in that style over the last twenty years. Why do you think that is, and what made you decide now was the right time?
I believe Kingdom Hearts has a unique visual identity, built around the combination of Disney’s characters and worlds, which creates a significant barrier for other studios looking to make games in a similar style. Fortunately, it’s still possible to capture those same feelings of wonder and fantasy by creating an entirely new universe, which is exactly what Duskfade aims to do: an original fantasy world with that same spirit, but with slightly darker undertones.
The players who experienced Kingdom Hearts in their younger years have grown up, but they haven’t lost their desire to explore the kind of adventures that game gave them. That’s why I believe now is the perfect time to bring those feelings back.
When you’re working from such clear inspirations, how do you balance capturing what people loved about those games while making sure Duskfade develops its own identity?
I think we’ve always had a very clear idea of Duskfade’s identity. Our inspirations have never been a secret, but neither have the boundaries we wanted to draw between our game and Square Enix’s series.
Of course, there are similarities; Kingdom Hearts has been a major influence, especially on the artistic side, but once you actually get your hands on the game, you quickly realize they’re not nearly as alike as people initially assumed.
That was probably the biggest challenge in the beginning: showing people that Duskfade has a heart of its own. Thankfully, at this point, I think we’ve managed to do that.
Players often say they miss the PS2 era of action platformers, but expectations around controls, camera systems, and pacing have changed considerably since then. What have been the biggest challenges in bringing that style into a modern game?
The camera has always been one of the biggest challenges in 3D platformers, and that is especially true for Duskfade. We discovered that a game with such a high degree of mobility works best in large, open environments, allowing the camera to stay out of the player’s way while minimizing clipping issues.
On the other hand, the PS2 came with far greater technical limitations, forcing artists to make the most of every available resource through the stylization of environments and characters. Today, those technical constraints are much less restrictive, but we still need to recreate those same feelings by avoiding an overly detailed or photorealistic look. The real challenge lies in finding the right balance between modern visual fidelity and the unmistakable PS2-era aesthetic, reimagined with today’s graphical standards.
Do you think there’s been a growing appetite for those kinds of games again, and has that influenced your confidence in making Duskfade?
It makes sense to think that, but in reality, it hasn’t had as much of an impact as people might expect. Trends and players’ tastes change so quickly that by the time you try to jump on what’s popular, it’s already too late. That said, as development progressed, seeing that there was genuine excitement for a game like ours definitely helped us make certain decisions and gave us the confidence to keep moving forward.
From the beginning, our focus was simply on making the game we wanted to play, one that captured the feeling of the games we grew up loving. We were chasing that little spark we all had inside us, and thankfully, after almost three years of development, that spark is burning brighter than ever.
Is there a mechanic, level, or feature that the team is particularly excited for players to experience in the full game?
We’re especially excited to see players take on the bosses, and especially the minibosses, as they perfectly blend intense one-on-one combat, where dodging and timing your openings are key, with the fast-paced platforming they’ve mastered throughout the adventure.
What are your hopes for Duskfade once it launches, and what do you hope players take away from the adventure?
We hope players enjoy the game and, when they finish it, are eager for more. We hope they experience the story as we did and learn something from its morals. Life hits harder with age. If just one player is able to savor the present a little more and appreciate their elders, it would be a complete success.
And, on another note, we hope the game sells well enough for us to release a physical edition before it’s too late. Not just for the players, but for ourselves too. We’d love to have a copy of our own game and know that it has a permanent physical legacy.
We would like to thank Esteban Marin Illana for taking the time to answer our questions. If you are looking for more of our thoughts on the game, you can check out our Duskfade Demo Impressions to get our first gameplay impressions.
Duskfade releases on August 13th across PC, PlayStation 5, XBOX Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2. A demo is available now on PS5, XBOX, and PC.
Are you looking forward to the release of Duskfade next month? Would you be interested in a physical release of the game? Let us know in the comments below, and join the Gamer Social Club Discord to chat about your favourite games, play in community game nights, take part in giveaways, and more!
