All’s fair in blood and gore.
Having recently attended a preview event for Gori: Cuddly Carnage and getting the chance to play the upcoming hit in all its handheld glory, August 29, 2024 can’t come soon enough. Nevertheless, with Wired Productions hosting and Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium being the designated venue for the event, we also got to catch up with a couple of the developers from Angry Demon Studio.
It’s always a pleasure to speak to John Kalderon, Caroline Petri and William Sahl, now that we were able to conduct an interview with John to learn all the gory details about Gori: Cuddly Carnage, the time has come to share what he had to say:
John Kalderon | Gory Details Galore with Gori: Cuddly Carnage:
Miketendo64: Before diving right into the full interview, we always like to start things off nice and light. Therefore, would you be so kind as to introduce yourself to our readers and tell us a bit about yourself and your background?
John Kalderon: My name is John, and I am one of the co-founders of Angry Demon Studio. I started my linear career that led me to Game Development in the military which then led to editing films. (This is a long story for a future interview).
I worked with editing, VFX and much more for about 2 years when I decided to go to school to become better at my 3D work.
During my time in school, I met the other co-founders of Angry Demon Studio and we made Unforgiving – A Northern Hymn, our first commercial horror game revolving around Swedish folklore. Since then, we’ve been working together, and we’re excited about our third and biggest launch ever for Gori: Cuddly Carnage.
Miketendo64: And as a quick follow-up, what is your role at Angry Demon Studio / Wired Productions and what is the full extent of your involvement with Gori: Cuddly Carnage?
John Kalderon: I’m the main Writer, Game Designer and 3D artist (Environment, character, lighting etc.) of Gori: Cuddly Carnage.
Miketendo64: What is it about the horror genre that you love so much?
John Kalderon: Horror games have been a big part of our lives since childhood; they’re ingrained in who we are.
Miketendo64: What kind of a game is Gori: Cuddly Carnage and how does it play?
John Kalderon: Gori: Cuddly Carnage is a hoverboarding skate-and-slash. It delivers fast-paced movement combined with heavy combat and powerful attacks. It looks like a skate game, but it plays like a regular hack-and-slash.
Miketendo64: If you had to compare Gori: Cuddly Carnage to another game, what would be its closest match in terms of gameplay or theme?
Interviewee: It’s like Airblade for the hoverboarding, Lollipop Chainsawy and Devil May Cry 5 for intense combat, and Sunset Overdrive for its humor and movement.
Miketendo64: What is the story behind the events of Gori: Cuddly Carnage?
John Kalderon: Humanity has been destroyed – and it’s up to Gori, along with his deadly but wise-cracking sentient hoverboard, F.R.A.N.K, and morose AI companion, CH1-P, to shred and slay the evil Adorable Army!
Miketendo64: Can you tell us a bit more about Gori and F.R.A.N.K, the two main protagonists of Gori: Cuddly Carnage? What motivates them?
John Kalderon: Gori is a synthetic cat, known for his sharp intellect and endearing quirks. His best friend, F.R.A.N.K., is a humorous, sentient Hoverboard with a knack for getting into amusing predicaments.
Together, they embark on a journey to locate their creator, Professor Y. Driven by curiosity and a desire for answers about their origins, Gori and F.R.A.N.K. navigate a series of entertaining, challenging and blood-soaked adventures, all while deepening their unique bond and uncovering the mysteries behind their creation.
Miketendo64: What can you tell us about the allies Gori meets along the way, and Professor Y, the only living human who showed Gori and friends love?
John Kalderon: Unfortunately, I can’t share details on these since all info on these subjects would be major spoiler alerts. I can share that there will be quite a few quirky characters that our 3 heroes meet on their journey.
Miketendo64: How long would you say a complete playthrough of Gori: Cuddly Carnage takes?
John Kalderon: I would say that a regular playthrough would be about 8 hours. This would be without completing the challenges, collecting keys and unlocking… The true ending! *Cue dramatic music!*
Miketendo64: In terms of story and content ideas, were you able to implement everything you wanted into Gori: Cuddly Carnage, or were there some things left on the cutting room floor?
John Kalderon: During the development of Gori: Cuddly Carnage, some story elements had to be left out. We made these decisions to maintain the game’s overall quality and ensure a polished experience. Rest assured, everything crucial to Gori’s adventure is included, delivering the captivating journey we envisioned.
Miketendo64: With Gori: Cuddly Carnage featuring such a distinctive art style, what was the journey that led you to choose this aesthetic?
John Kalderon: Our distinctive art style in Gori: Cuddly Carnage is a testament to the incredible talent within our studio. It was a collaborative team effort, with everyone contributing their creativity and ideas. We continually refined and improved the style to ensure it perfectly captured the unique and vibrant world of Gori.
Miketendo64: How many different designs of Gori did you go through before landing on the final character design?
John Kalderon: We found the design quite quickly since we knew right away that we wanted our main character to be a cat.
Miketendo64: Was Gori: Cuddly Carnage always as blood-filled and gore-packed that it is now, or was it toned down or even more gruesome before being adapted to how it is now?
John Kalderon: The blood and carnage have always been an integral part of the game since day one.
Miketendo64: For those who might find Gori: Cuddly Carnage too gory, is there a setting that censors out or replaces the blood?
John Kalderon: Yes. In Gori: Cuddly Carnage, we offer a highly accessible “tinted blood setting” that transforms the blood into “Purple Toy Juice.” This feature ensures that players of all ages can enjoy the game while maintaining its vibrant, playful aesthetic.
Miketendo64: When did development for Gori: Cuddly Carnage first begin and what inspired its creation?
John Kalderon: The development started in 2017 and the main inspirations for the game’s creation was Airblade and Devil May Cry 5.
Miketendo64: At what stage was Gori: Cuddly Carnage at when you first partnered with Wired Productions?
John Kalderon: We had finished the prototype and were at the start of production of the full game.
Miketendo64: When developing Gori: Cuddly Carnage, was there anything you were able to accomplish in this game that you wanted to when working on your earlier titles? Be it finally making a previous idea a reality or something else?
John Kalderon: Finally achieving simultaneous release on all platforms was a dream we couldn’t quite reach before. Also, embracing limitless creativity—any idea, no matter how wild, became possible.
Miketendo64: Being as though Gori: Cuddly Carnage is developed for multiple platforms, can we expect the same level of performance and graphics for all platform releases, or does the Switch version run a little differently when compared to other platforms?
John Kalderon: Bringing Gori: Cuddly Carnage to life across various gaming platforms has been an exciting journey filled with unique challenges. Each console presents its own set of technical hurdles, from hardware limitations to differing performance standards. Our team has worked tirelessly to ensure that no matter where you play, the experience is as smooth and engaging as possible.
In our quest to make Gori: Cuddly Carnage accessible to everyone, we’ve occasionally had to make difficult decisions. When sacrifices were necessary, we focused on preserving the core essence of the game. Our top priority has always been to maintain the heart and soul of Gori’s adventures—the fast-paced combat, funny dialogue, and smooth controls.
Miketendo64: When developing Gori: Cuddly Carnage, what were some of the biggest hardships you encountered that you’ve had to overcome?
John Kalderon: Creating Gori: Cuddly Carnage has been an arduous journey, marked by significant personal tragedies and hardships, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath. Our team faced numerous challenges, not just in terms of development but also on a deeply personal level. Despite these struggles, we persevered, driven by our passion for bringing Gori’s world to life.
While we prefer not to dive too deep into the specifics of these personal hardships, we overcame them together, more as a family, then as co-workers.
Miketendo64: And what were some of the hardships you endured when trying to bring Gori: Cuddly Carnage Nintendo Switch compatible?
John Kalderon: Bringing Gori: Cuddly Carnage, an Unreal Engine 5 game, to the Nintendo Switch presented unique challenges. The console’s small screen (shared by other handheld consoles) and its 2017 hardware required meticulous optimization to ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience.
Balancing visual fidelity with performance was crucial, and our team dedicated significant effort to make sure that Gori’s adventures shine brightly on the Switch without compromising the core gameplay. Despite these hurdles, we are proud to deliver a captivating and seamless experience for Switch players.
Miketendo64: Was Unreal Engine your first choice for Gori: Cuddly Carnage, or were other engines considered first?
John Kalderon: No other engines have ever been considered for us. We love Unreal Engine 5 and Epic Games is an amazing company to work with.
Miketendo64: Depending on how things go post-release, is Gori: Cuddly Carnage an IP you could see yourself doing more with, in terms of DLC, or even another game, or is it a solitary outing?
John Kalderon: We absolutely love Gori: Cuddly Carnage, and if the opportunity arises, we would be thrilled to create more content and expand the IP universe. Whether through DLC or even a new game, we’re excited about the potential future adventures of Gori.
Miketendo64: Being the Nintendo site that we are, with the likes of WayForward, Brace Yourself Games and Forever Entertainment getting the chance to work on Nintendo IPs, if you had the chance to work on ANY Nintendo IP, which one would be your dream come true and, if you were in charge of the entire project, what kind of game would you like to make?
John Kalderon: Working on Pokémon or Zelda would be an absolute dream. Imagine crafting a vibrant, immersive world filled with adventure and discovery—it would be incredible.
Miketendo64: At this point in the interview, we like to give our interviewee the chance to talk about or recommend other games they have worked on, or games they love in general. With that said, are there any games you’d like to give a mention?
John Kalderon: If you’re into Swedish folklore or futuristic Viking horror, definitely check out our earlier titles like Unforgiving – A Northern Hymn or Apsulov: End of Gods.
Miketendo64: After all is said and done with Gori: Cuddly Carnage, what comes next for Angry Demon Studio? Do you have anything else lined up in the pipeline for 2024 and beyond?
John Kalderon: Right now, everything revolves around Gori, but as soon as we have our next big step, you’ll be the first to know!
Miketendo64: Final question of the day, is there anything you would like to say, or any additional comments you would like to add, for our readers and your fans? The floor is yours.
John Kalderon: We poured our hearts and souls into Gori: Cuddly Carnage, and we truly hope you love playing it as much as we loved creating it. A huge thank you to our amazing community for all your support—it means the world to us.
[Preview] Gori: Cuddly Carnage | Cuddly Carnage in the Palm of One’s Hands
A huge thanks goes out to both Wired Productions and Angry Demon Studio. We can’t wait to experience Gori: Cuddly Carnage in its full entirety.
About Gori: Cuddly Carnage:
Humanity has been destroyed – and it’s up to Gori, along with his deadly but wise-cracking sentient hoverboard, F.R.A.N.K, and morose A.I companion, CH1-P, to slay the evil Adorable Army with lethal combos.
Fuelled by insatiable demand, ‘Cool-Toyz Inc.’ created ‘Ultra Pets’. The ultimate companions that never hunger, never require bathroom breaks and are impervious to the ravages of time. Little did anyone expect the mutation that transformed these perfect pets into twisted toys straight from your nightmares, hell-bent on wiping out humanity.
Master explosive weaponry and devastating combos in an epic battle to prevent the Adorable Army from conquering the galaxy, and rescue Professor Y, their missing creator and only human who showed Gori and his friends love. Push your combat and platforming skills to the limits as you fight your way through twisted landscapes filled with environmental hazards, razor-sharp adult humour and a bone-crunching, pulse-pounding soundtrack.
These reluctant heroes must track down and obliterate the generals of the Adorable Army, and with the help of a wild cast of unlikely allies – discover the truth about Cool-Toyz Inc. and unravel the secrets of this thrilling, action-packed hack ‘n’ slash adventure. Get ready to unleash the cuddly carnage!
