“Steamy.”
Just because WASD Live 2024 is now over and the doors are closed until the next event, the fun is far from over. With many games played and lots of developers and publishers to speak to, in today’s interview, we’re joined by Tom Knight, a Junior Product Manager for Fireshine Games. From pixelated goodness to Castlevania inspirations, here is our complete WASD Live 2024 interview:
Tom Knight | Turning up the Heat with Gestalt: Steam & Cinder:
Miketendo64: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your role with Fireshine Games?
Tom Knight: Hi, I’m Tom and I’m a Junior Product Manager at Fireshine Games. This is my first major role in the games industry and I’m super excited to be working on something as cool and close to my heart as Gestalt: Steam & Cinder!
Miketendo64: In what capacity are you involved with Gestalt: Steam & Cinder?
Tom Knight: As a product manager, I assist the developers with all marketing and PR efforts for Gestalt on the publishing side.
Miketendo64: What first attracted you to Gestalt: Steam & Cinder?
Tom Knight: Before working at Fireshine, I had been following Gestalt for a few years. I think I first spotted the iconic drink slam GIF on Twitter and was instantly hooked by the handcrafted pixel art and the story-focused Metroidvania experience similar to games such as Ori and Hollow Knight.
Miketendo64: Can you provide us with a brief overview of what Gestalt: Steam & Cinder is about?
Tom Knight: Gestalt: Steam & Cinder is an all-new adventure inspired by classic Metroidvanias and action-RPGs, where players will embark on a gripping mission to reforge humanity’s future and save the Steam City of Canaan. You play as Aletheia, Canaan’s top Soldner, wielding long-lost tech to engage monsters and machines in deadly combat, entering a world of rust and ruin to challenge powerful rivals, smash through hordes of Clockwork automata, and work with allies new and old to uncover powerful lore.
Along the way, you’ll upgrade your abilities, take on side jobs to earn extra scrap, and delve into a history lost to time on a journey to hunt ancient enigmas threatening the very foundation of Canaan. The game has been developed by Metamorphosis Games and executive produced by gaming personalities Jesse Cox and Dodger, and we can’t wait for players to get their hands on it.
Miketendo64: Who is the main protagonist of Gestalt: Steam & Cinder and what motivates them?
Tom Knight: The main protagonist of Gestalt is Aletheia, an elite bounty hunter. As Canaan teeters on the brink of war, a seemingly routine job catapults Aletheia into a whirlwind journey to uncover long-buried secrets lying at the heart of the Steam City and fight for mankind’s survival.
Miketendo64: If you had to compare Gestalt: Steam & Cinder to another game, what would be its closest match in terms of gameplay or theme?
Tom Knight: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is undoubtedly Gestalt’s closest comparable game, putting emphasis on a narrative-driven, action-RPG experience.
Miketendo64: In terms of difficulty, is Gestalt: Steam & Cinder a game any fan of its chosen genres will be able to pick up easily, or will it require a combination of skill, patience and luck?
Tom Knight: If you’re an avid Metroidvania fan, you’ll definitely find a challenge in Gestalt. That said, the rich world and narrative is definitely the reason we were attracted to Gestalt in the first place, and we want everyone to experience both in their entirety.
Miketendo64: What would you define as Gestalt: Steam & Cinder’s best in-game feature?
Tom Knight: There’s a lot to love about Gestalt, but I’m sure there are lots of people who will appreciate this… You can pet the doggos!
Miketendo64: Lastly, would you be so kind as to list all platformsGestalt: Steam & Cinder is coming to?
Tom Knight: Gestalt: Steam & Cinder will launch initially on PC with a release on Nintendo Switch planned for the future.
For more WASD Live 2024 content, be sure to click on this link here:
About Gestalt: Steam & Cinder:
Inspired by 16 and 32-bit classics, Gestalt: Steam & Cinder fuses tight 2D platforming and exhilarating combat with an engrossing, twist-laden narrative in a stunningly handcrafted steampunk world.
Join Aletheia and a vibrant cast of characters as they race to discover the secrets of the Steam City of Canaan. Clobber armies of Clockwork golems and hunt horrors that slither through depths once forgotten. Thwart the twisted schemes of Canaan’s corrupt overseers, the nefarious Comitium. Fight for mankind’s survival and reveal the dark and dangerous truths riveted into the very foundations of the Steam City.
Enter a World of Rust & Ruin – Step into the shoes of Aletheia and tread the path of the Soldner, an elite mercenary of Irkalla who lives one job at a time. Take up the sword and gun, combining a slew of melee combos and deadly gunplay in staggering feats of skill that will leave your enemies reeling.
Chase down a frenzied mutant charging through the grimy stalls of the Irkallan Black Market, leap across the molten pools blazing in the eternal furnace of Fornax, and fight off hordes of blood-drunk Raiders that prowl the fathomless depths of the Scrap Sea in search of their malignant god.
Shatter the Chains of Fate – Canaan is vast, and inside its swirling steam lie innumerable mysteries waiting to be unraveled. After a routine job goes awry, Aletheia sets out on an epic journey to uncover ancient enigmas threatening the very foundations of the Steam City. Challenge powerful new rivals and catch up with old friends as you carve your path through Canaan. Take on side jobs to earn a bit of extra scrap and delve into a history lost to the vagaries of time.
Or maybe you’d just like to wash down your worries at Vincent’s Pub and listen for a rumor or two…
Unleash your Inner Flame – Dash, dodge, and double-jump to keep out of harm’s way and stay in one piece. Wield a furious and fearsome array of abilities and grow stronger with each foe you defeat. Spend experience points to unlock new skills and trade scrap for accessories to customize your build and go toe-to-toe with some of the most formidable creatures to ever lumber beneath the copper sky.
Hear that? The clang of a hammer stinging blood-red steel… The sinister murmur of heresies rushing through ancient pipes… Riddles echoing through vaulted halls of marble and madness. Sounds like fate has a job in store for you, Soldner—it’s time to earn your scrap.
“Thine trembling works of Reason naught but ingots gleaming darkly by the light of a cindered heart—for what art thine flesh before the mother’s touch of flame?” – Dreams of the Steam Saint Anais, XXXIV, iii
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