THE MIND BEHIND LEMNIS GATE

We often get asked about how we came up with the innovative concept for LEMNIS GATE. For that reason, we interviewed our Game Director, James Anderson, so you can learn more about the project from the originator himself!

Q: WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH GAME DEVELOPMENT? 

A: I've been making video games for over 22 years now. I've contributed to different things on various games, including audio, programming, game design, level design, even some 3D art - although it was pretty rudimentary. I've always loved games and will always want to make them! The technology curve keeps everything so fresh I have a hard time seeing the magic disappear.

Q: WHAT GAME MOST AFFECTED YOU?

A: Tough one! The original Doom and Duke Nukem were massive in defining the FPS genre and demonstrating how amazingly immersive a video game could be. I think those games were a huge influence and shaped both me and the industry pretty heavily. Other honorable mentions: Descent, Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, The Dig, Quake… There are so many I lost count!

Q: WHAT WAS YOUR INSPIRATION FOR LEMNIS GATE?

A: As an old gamer, I felt my reflexes slipping away. I used to play a lot of counterstrike, quake, unreal (those righteous early competitive shooters) when I was younger and I like to think I wasn't half bad. Nowadays, I get schooled by youngsters and it doesn't feel good to see how slowly your frag finger reacts compared to days of old!

I strongly believed we needed a game where old-timers get a chance to rock once more, a game where experience counters youthful reflexes. This is where the idea for LEMNIS GATE was seeded, and my word it needed to be made.

Our goal with LEMNIS GATE was to disrupt what 'FPS' meant at a fundamental level and create something new which wasn't just a variation of what's out there but more of a fundamental change in how you play. As an indie studio competing in such a packed AAA space, a unique gameplay hook was absolutely essential, which I think we've managed to pull off to a really high degree. A lot of players have likened our turn-based strategic gameplay to a game of chess, so I think that's a brand new angle we're bringing to the FPS genre which strategy players will also be able to enjoy.

Q: WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE THING ABOUT LEMNIS GATE?

A: I believe it's the fact that we've managed to innovate in such a well-established genre (FPS). I'm really proud of the team's work and how much we have achieved for such a tiny indie studio. I also have to give a shoutout to Epic for UE4. The engine is quite amazing!

Q: WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES WHEN MAKING LEMNIS GATE?

A: Two things come to mind as the most significant challenges, one technical and the other design-related.

Technically, we have to make sure that for every consecutive playback of the time loop, every event happens exactly the same as it did the first time. This means every move you make, every bullet, every grenade flying through the air needs to be recreated with perfect timing and precision. One decimal place off and the butterfly effect kicks in, leaving you with drastically different outcomes. It was quite a difficult problem to solve!

Now for game design! As a turn-based shooter, we had no other games to learn from. How exactly would it work? What kind of game modes, characters, abilities, weapons would make sense? We had many questions and assumptions which didn't end up working with our time loop mechanic.

Luckily, we are avid prototypers & white boxers at the studio! We were able to test lots of these assumptions rather quickly using prototyping techniques and decide what was best for the game.

Q: WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WERE STUCK IN A TIME LOOP?  

A: It would be gloriously fun (at least for a while) saying ridiculous things to people you know and experiencing what their reactions would be. Enjoying a consequence-free existence pretty much means you have the freedom to say or do whatever you want! I would also play some LEMNIS GATE, you know? To be stuck in a time loop within a time loop, Inception-style!

If you have a question of your own, join us on Discord and ask James yourself!

Share this article