Based in South Korea, developer Fincon is known in the English gaming market for its cross-platform game, Hello Hero, which can be played on the web browser, iOS and Android devices. The studio recently teased its next game, Angel Stone, which is a departure from the cartoon roots of Hello Hero in terms of graphic and design. Here is an interview with Fincon to find out more about Angel Stone.
Q: First off, please give us an introduction of yourself and tell us more about Fincon.
A: I’m Emilio “Milo” Villarruel and I’m the Community Manager at Fincon. Fincon is a mobile game studio based in Seongnam, South Korea. Role-playing games are our passion!
Q: Fincon started off with Hello Hero, a pretty cartoon-ish game which is easily accepted by gamers of a wider age group. Why the decision to turn to something “dark”, like Angel Stone?
A: The developers at Fincon come from an extensive MMORPG pedigree. Angel Stone is more a return to our roots in that regard. While Hello Hero was geared more towards a casual RPG enthusiast, Angel Stone is geared towards the hardcore RPG lover. If you loved games like Baldur’s Gate or Diablo and wished for a mobile experience that captured the essence of that, Angel Stone is a must play for you.
Q: What were some of the difficulties faced during development for Angel Stone?
A: One of our big challenges has been to deliver a beautiful, fleshed out game that could be easily played worldwide. With the Unity engine we’re able to do so and release the game on iOS, Android, and browser via the Facebook canvas for everyone to enjoy.
Q: Do give us a summary of Angel Stone’s in-game story.
A: A lot can be found out by going through our posts on Angel Stone’s Facebook page. The basics though, are that Earth has become the battleground for the war between Angels and Demons, and the Demons have won – humans are a resilient bunch though, and through the Angel’s dying efforts, have found a way to fight back.
Q: What role do players assume in Angel Stone? A savior of humanity from evil?
A: You begin as a fledgling member of the Resistance, those who have taken up the responsibility of defending humanity against the demonic destruction it faces. You will have to mature into a warrior as you fight to cleanse the Earth from otherworldly evil.
Q: Tell us more about Angel Stone’s gameplay. Will it be a vast open world, or instanced zones whenever out of town? Is there PvP planned?
A: The gameplay will focus on instanced zones so as to allow for flexible play session lengths. You’ll be able to play with a party of your friends cooperatively or against them in PvP modes.
Q: I am sensing some Diablo III vibes from the screenshots. Will there be tons of loot and items to collect?
A: As mentioned above, this should play like a “newschool throwback” homage to some of the great games we grew up with. You should have no shortage of opportunities to collect awesome equipment or build up devastating skill sets.
Q: What about the online multiplayer features? Can we expect to see features such as player towns and trading?
A: At the moment we’re still exploring some features and their effect in the game dynamic. While those specific features aren’t in the works, we organically service our games, so if community want is great enough, anything can happen.
Q: There are a number of action mobile games out there, including some pretty established ones such as Darkness Reborn from GAMEVIL. What makes Angel Stone stand out from the crowd?
A: Plenty of companies are making great titles and as gamers, we think its awesome. That said, we stick to what we know – we’re veterans of RPG development and we focus on making one game at a time. With this title having our undivided attention and expertise, alongside some unique control dynamics, we’re confident Angel Stone can hold its own well.
Q: Are regular updates planned for Angel Stone post-launch? Perhaps new classes and new maps?
A: Absolutely. While, again, we’ll have to look at how our gamers enjoy the game to decide what we update, Hello Hero is going strong into its 4th Season. We intend to actively service Angel Stone with new and improved features as the game grows.
Q: Will Angel Stone support cross-platform gameplay between mobile iOS, Android and web browser at launch?
A: Yes sir! You’ll be able to play on the subway on your way to work via mobile then tab over on your browser while the boss is looking away. We’ll be delivering a full cross platform experience from launch.
Q: When can players expect Angel Stone to enter Closed Beta? Will it be a worldwide test?
A: We don’t have a date set but we recommend keeping tabs on our Facebook page for more information.
