Posted in: Comics, Games, Indie Games, Podcasts, Video Games | Tagged: Castle Talk, girl genius, Girl Genius: Adventures In Castle Heterodyne, podcast
Girl Genius Adaptation Is A Surprise Adventure Game Hit
We chat with Phil Foglio, co-creator of Girl Genius, and Kenny Engelsen of Rain Games about Girl Genius: Adventures In Castle Heterodyne.
In this episode of Castle Talk, Jason chats with Phil Foglio, co-creator of Girl Genius, a comic series that has won the Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story three times, has been nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Professional Artist and twice for Eisner Awards, and won multiple WCCA awards. Girl Genius has the tagline of "Adventure, Romance, Mad Science!". It follows the main character, Agatha Heterodyne, through an alternate-history Victorian-style "steampunk" setting. Although elements veer from what is usually thought of as steampunk. Girl Genius co-creator Kaja Foglio describes it as "gaslamp fantasy" instead to suggest its more fantastic style.
In the chat, the comic creator talks about the process of working with a partner to create scenes and issues, and what it takes to run a comic for over twenty years. He also talks about the strength the creator can gain from the enthusiasm of the audience, from cosplayers to fans who create the Girl Genius wiki.
Then we hear from Kenny Engelsen, lead developer at Rain Games, working on Girl Genius: Adventures In Castle Heterodyne. The game is an action-adventure set in a Steampunk interpretation of old Europe. It blends comic-book visuals with a stylized 3D environment. The steampunk inspirations Rain has shown its aptitude for throughout previous games are once again on full and dazzling display. The game takes inspiration from early 3D Zelda titles, as well as classic PlayStation 2-era titles like Ratchet and Clank. It will scratch that itch for Retro-Action and also provides a variety of environmental puzzles and challenges.
Engelsen chats about the challenges of taking a beloved 2-D character and transforming them into a 3-D version that is recognizable to fans while appealing to newcomers. He also talks about the challenges of independent game production.
Listen to the chat here: