Playing through adventure platformer Otto and the Ancient Worlds, it’s easy to see the influence that classic video games had on indie studio Obvious Gravity. The game features slightly polished eight-bit graphics and a fast-moving hero character wielding a trusty whip.
However, for development lead Jordan Marx, Otto isn’t just an homage to the video games he played growing up. It’s also a title deeply steeped in history, legends, and folklore from all over the world. Game ZXC spoke with Marx about how some of those influences made their way into the upcoming game.
Otto and the Ancient Worlds is a Crash Course on History and Folklore
Otto is a 2D platformer whose graphics Marx said are 8-bit “through rose colored lenses.” The player takes on the role of the title character, who is an archeologist that discovers an ancient book containing scores of worlds based on real life and fantasy. After Otto opens the book and spills those worlds out into his own, he must embark on a journey to return everything to the way it was before.
To create the worlds the player must explore, the team at Obvious Gravity had to hit the books. Researching historical events and folktales was a big part of Otto’s development, Marx said.
“We had to do extensive research for the game. We read a lot of stuff on the internet and in books while we were choosing what each stage was going to be.”
As an example, Marx said that the team wanted one level to be based around the works of William Shakespeare. To create a convincing environment that reflected that, Obvious Gravity spent time reading the Bard of Avon’s plays and familiarizing themselves with his characters.
In another level, the player learns about the Norse myth of Fenrir, a giant wolf entity that is known for carrying a sword in its mouth. “As you’re playing through that stage you might find an NPC who will tell you about Fenrir, and to be careful,” Marx said. Players will also interact with a depiction of the Norse god Tyr, who had his hand bit off by Fenrir, Marx said. “He’ll tell you a bit more about how he lost his hand.”
Otto’s stages also introduce players to other characters and events from both real-world and fantasy stories. The game has a level based on a Grimm Brothers fairy tale, one that takes place in Ancient Egypt, and several that trace their roots to Greek mythology. There’s even an entire level dedicated to “an Irish dwarf magician of legend,” Marx said.
Otto and the Ancient Worlds has its Roots in Vintage Game Titles
Marx was not shy about Otto’s Nintendo heritage. The game’s movement and combat mechanics, plus the player character’s whip, are heavily inspired by Castlevania. Other features, such as the game’s collectible NPC characters and environments, have echoes of other classic titles like Brave Fencer Musashi or Super Metroid.
Another big influence on Otto’s development was Mega Man, Marx said. One way the Blue Bomber’s influence is apparent in Obvious Gravity’s game is through its use of player outfits. “Each level has a hidden outfit that you can find that’s associated with the stage,” he said.
As an example, one stage that’s inspired by a Grimm Brothers tale has the player navigating a swamp to find a frog princess. The imagery on the level uses a lot of cherries, Marx said, so the devs designed a specific suit for the level aptly named “cherry knight.” When a player dons the cherry knight outfit, they gain the ability to launch cherry bombs from their whip.
The influence of classic games can also be heard in Otto’s soundtrack, which is largely chiptune melodies. That, Marx said, was a learning experience for Obvious Gravity’s composer, who had never created music in the electronic style synonymous with 8-bit games. “He was sort of learning with us throughout the years,” Marx said. “Over time, though, he got really, really good.”
One way Otto stands apart from older titles, especially classic Nintendo games, is in its difficulty. That wasn’t always the plan though, Marx said.
“It was sort of our mindset at first that we were making a kind of Nintendo game, and Nintendo games are really hard, so ours should be too.”
That wasn’t the right approach for a modern take on a classic platformer, he said. After player feedback, Obvious Gravity polished the difficulty so that it would increase gradually as the game progressed. That angle made more sense, Marx said. “The player feels good, and once they get to the harder parts of the game, they feel rewarded once they get through it. That was good growth on our part.”
Otto and the Ancient Worlds is in development for PC. The game will appear as part of IndieLand 2022 on Friday, November 11 at 6:00 p.m. PST.