One Of Ereban: Shadow Legacy's Key Features Was Inspired By Splatoon
A ton of indie titles are slated to release in the near future, including "Ereban: Shadow Legacy," a stealth platformer currently being developed by Baby Robot Games out of Barcelona, Spain. The game puts players in the shoes of Ayana, a descendant of a forgotten race who wields a collection of powers and gadgets to help her take on an army of robots. One of the powers Ayana has at her disposal might seem familiar to some.
In a news update, Baby Robot Games noted that some of the genre's most prominent IPS, such as "Metal Gear, Solid" "Splinter Cell," and "Dishonored," influenced the stealth elements in "Ereban: Shadow Legacy." Viewers can easily detect these inspirations in some of the gameplay footage. However, one of the other core mechanics in "Ereban: Shadow Legacy" didn't descend from past stealth entries at all — it stemmed from a much different kind of game.
Splatoon's Inklings inspired the Shadow Merge
In the "Splatoon" series, players control characters known as Inklings. These characters are essentially anthropomorphic squids that exist in humanoid form. "Splatoon" centers on not only firing copious amounts of ink at enemies, but also the ability to switch to an Inkling's natural squid form and swim through whatever color of ink your team uses in a match. This mechanic was the main influence behind the Shadow Merge in "Ereban: Shadow Legacy."
While playing as Ayana, players will be able to use the Shadow Merge to essentially "swim" through shadowy areas. In a recent presentation unveiled at the Gamescom 2022 Future Games Show, designer and co-founder Alex Márquez revealed that this mechanic was lifted straight from Nintendo's third-person shooter franchise. "We took a whole different game as reference, 'Splatoon,'" Márquez said. "And after testing how it was to move through the shadows in a similar way they do with the ink, we immediately realized the huge amount of possibilities this opened."
A mechanic in a stealth game based on a defining component of a family-friendly title? You just never know where you'll find inspiration for your next creative endeavor.