First revealed to the world back in September, developer NXGames was present at G-Star 2017’s business hall seeking potential partners for its debut mobile game, Project EX. Crafted using Unreal Engine 4 and winner of the Unreal Developer Grant contest, Project EX mixes high quality graphics with elements of tactical RPG and traditional hero collection. Main heroes are trained to be commanders on the battlefield, controlling massive armies to lead fights against other players. NXGames claimed that Project EX is very much in the veins of Civilization, Total War, and Heroes of Might and Magic in terms of content, but on mobile.
One of the core issues which NXGames took time to tackle is not to overload players with too much information on the screen. While common on bigger screens, it is tough to adjust for the much smaller mobile devices. Hence, while making sure the UI is not cluttered, information must still be transmitted to players readily. Project EX is build as a 4X game, in which players control an empire and “eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate”. While most 4X games really is just about explore and expand, players in Project EX can make use of terrain and weather to their advantage to really exploit and exterminate enemies. Awesome!
The RPG elements in Project EX is not just used to tell a story, but also to guide players into understanding the gameplay better. It is also a way for NXGames to create new content and increase the longevity of the game’s lifespan. The founders took a hit at games such as Mobile Strike and Game of War, claiming they make new players feel lost and only cater veteran gamers. Project EX aims to tell stories through narratives to make every player feel welcomed, and immersed in the game itself. This is one way to lower the threshold of entry.
NXGames started development of Project EX with just 7 staff back in October 2016, which has now expended to 60 employees and now a studio under parent company Barunson E&A. The founders said there is an opportunity for high-quality mobile strategy games combined with RPG elements, as most other mobile strategy games now are just the same game under different skins. Project EX is built on the vision that it will find success in the western market as well as in South Korea. Expect features such as world raids, siege, and more!
