“We’re just scratching the surface…” | Superfuse interview with Creative Art Lead, Bas de Smit

Superfuse is a comic-book-style dungeon-crawler from Stitch Heads Entertainment and Raw Fury. It’s set in a future universe where decadent multi-billionaires call themselves “gods” and use superhuman Enforcers to solve all their problems – including dealing with the Corruption, a mutating disease spreading through the star system.

We recently brought you our early access impressions of the sci-fi loot em up, and we recently got a chance to speak to the game’s Creative Art Lead, Bas de Smit, about some of the influences behind Superfuse’s unique look and interesting skill system.

Besides, say Diablo, what were some of the main influences behind Superfuse?

Torchlight and Path of Exile are both sharers of the genre that have been influential to us. When it comes down to non-gameplay related influences, series like the Boys and Invincible were major for the tone of the game, and Batman Beyond for visuals.

Superfuse has a unique skill and progression system – how did you come up with that?

We always loved the idea of a very flexible skill system, ideally one that is approachable. The system has gone through so many iterations, most of which would be unrecognisable compared to what we currently have.

Also, will the skills synergise well between characters during multiplayer?

Superfuse offers plenty of skills that are particularly useful when playing with others. The Berserker can bring powerful buffs, a massive Lightning Shield to block enemy projectiles, or the Provoke skill which grabs the attention of enemies, allowing your friends to focus on taking out the threats. The Elementalist’s ice tree offers chilling effects to slow enemies down, or massive Ice Walls to control the battlefield and keep your party safe. Finally, the Technomancer’s Tekhead Minion blesses your crew with massive damage buffs to both Skills and regular attacks. Players who often choose to play together may end up creating a build for that purpose, whereas a solo player may go a very different path.

Have you designed Superfuse with a specific endgame in mind or will that come later in development?

The launch of Early Access features the Solar Map, an endgame feature that is unlocked when completing the campaign. It allows players to take on contracts, which are procedurally generated locations for players to continue levelling up, finding rare loot, and taking on the strongest enemies in the game. Contracts vary in difficulty, making some challenging and others easier to complete – as well as a variety of other variables, such as increased Luck, Experience Gain, or enemies who boast one buff or another.

Are there plans to release Superfuse on console?

Right now, our focus is 100% on the Early Access launch and ensuring that Superfuse is the best game that it can be. Of course, our long-term aim is to bring the game to as many players as possible, but that is for the future.

We’ve seen games like Path of Exile work in the Games as a Service space? Was that ever considered for Superfuse?

We hope to continue providing updates to Superfuse for a long time. Early Access will be a critical period for us to gather feedback and suggestions from players and we hope to share more soon about our longer-term plans.

It has a great, comic-book-like art style. Was it always the plan, or a decision made to increase appeal?

We love comic books and always wanted to take a stab at including this style in the game. One of our artists has a background specifically working on comic books and was brought in to lend his expertise to the look of Superfuse. We’re thrilled with all the positive feedback on this approach.

The universe of Superfuse is very cool, with the God-like crime bosses ruling the galaxy with their Enforcers. Is there a lot of lore within the game?

We’re certainly just scratching the surface so far and spent a lot of time crafting a world rich with lore and interesting opportunities to explore in terms of narrative. Players who spend time exploring Eros may uncover old radio recordings or visions from the mysterious Portallers, which tell stories of past events in vivid, but often cryptic detail.

Superfuse is currently in Steam Early Access. Read our early impressions here.