Stellar Blade was a great first attempt for director Hyung-Tae Kim and Shift Up for console gaming. South Korean video game developers are more accustomed to developing mobile games but Kim leaps into a more ambitious and unpopular ecosystem in their homeland.
The game was a massive success and resonated well with the gaming community given the similarities of combat systems that appealed to many. Players were enamored by the design of the Tachy and the developers shared an interesting story of how it came to be.
Director Hyung Tae-Kim Worked on Stellar Blade on a Hospital Bed
In a recent interview, the developers revealed the story behind Tachy’s character design during the boss fight was worked on by Kim as he was recovering in a hospital.
The inspiration behind Tachy’s boss design actually has an interesting backstory, There was a time when Mr Hyung-Tae Kim was sick for a bit while he wasn’t doing so well in terms of his health and spent some time at the hospital. And at that time, the concept art team lead was working on the design and he drew the legs and the wing part of the character.
Kim has dreamed about this project for quite some time and even designed cosmetic items that were ahead by a decade. The director worked on his passion project in both sickness and health in the most literal sense which is a testament to how much this means to him.
It was a team effort and Kim’s commitment is a shining example of teamwork. The lead concept artist worked on the wings and legs while the director did the body and in a cathartic way, working on the game could have helped with his recovery. Who knows what the original design would have been for Tachy if Hyung-Tae Kim was able to finish it himself, but all we know is that the finished product is a fantastic one.
Stellar Blade Was a Result of a Group Effort From Shift Up
The director knew the risk he and his team took as they made a partnership with Sony to develop a console game that was unheard of in South Korea which led fellow game developers to cast doubt on the project’s success.
Fortunately, Kim’s will is stronger and the game has achieved impressive accolades like having the highest-user rated score on Metacritic for a PlayStation 5 title. The director knows how to read the community and realizes it was now or never for Shift Up to make a move in the game industry.
The boss fight was emotional but the players didn’t have trouble given the similarities and the strong influence the Soulslike genre had on the game. Kim wanted to replicate the same success with a twist and had to focus more on the combat than the narrative which ultimately worked out.
Kim was committed to making sure this project sees the light of day even in his fragile state which can be used as an inspiration for fellow game developers. Perhaps more indie and mobile game developers will do the same knowing it is possible to grow as creatives.
What are your thoughts about Tachy in Stellar Blade? Let us know in the comments section below!
