Day of the Devs 2017 - Runner 3

Day of the Devs Post Preface:
     Thanks to a very impromptu invitation from my friends, I was able to attend this years Day of the Devs (DotD) event in San Francisco. I treated DotD as I have the past few speakers and events I've taken part in and took notes on the games being showcased. A huge thank you to all of the developers I spoke with for being so open to my questions!

Runner 3 - Choice Provisions
Interviewed - Garrett, Alex Neuse

     I f***ing love BitTrip. I'm actually a fan of rhythm games in general but that's besides the point. I purchased most of the games when they were released for WiiWare and bought the 3DS physical collection when it came out. I own Bit Trip Presents: Runner 2 Future Legend of Rhythm Alien on steam, and have a 70% achievement completion including Perfectionist and Hardcore. Runner 3 was a game I HAD to play when I found out I was attending DotD. When I played the first level of Runner 3 I proceeded to collect all of the optional gems, skipped the checkpoint, and messed up the timing of the bullseye at the end of the level like I would usually do in Runner 2: fantastic.

A very similar appearance to the Bit Trip Presents Runner 2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien

     In terms of gameplay not much is different which means if you weren't a fan of Bit Trip Runner or Runner2 then this most likely won't be for you. However if you aren't a fan of rhythm games in general or just aren't good at them, I would seriously consider picking one of the aforementioned games or Runner 3 when it's released. In a way the game can be treated as a platformer where every level is auto-scrolling and the invisible wall is always right behind you; you only need to time inputs for jumping (and now with double jump!), floating after jumping, kicking, sliding, and a few others to get to the end of the level (supposedly blocking isn't making a return). What makes the Runner series especially statisfying and interesting is the fact that all levels have a background song that accompanies the main melody created by performing all of those actions; every jump over an enemy or gate destroyed creates a sound that along is a single ping, but together is a symphony. Playing the game is almost like playing an instrument in that sense, except not really.
     Some new additions to the Runner formula this time around include vehicle segments. The two that I saw being demoed included a rocket ship which could be moved vertically along the screen and a rocket car which moved horizontally while speeding you forward. Additionally there is now a ground pound that I forgot to test out, more difficult optional paths that are the only way to collect gems, a death counter to help you realise how hard the game actually is, a dynamic camera rather than the static one kept the game moving in to two dimensions in previous installations, and the same "delightful" art style seen in Runner 2. Also more Charles Martinet which I think is really their best selling point.

An example of one of the new vehicle segments where Commander Video is driving a rocket powered slot car!

     A question I was curious about was whether or not the music of the game was developed before the levels or if level design came first. As I had sort of expected the answer is both. Sometimes the time would work off of a song and other times they would focus on a mechanic and incorporate a melody later. Alex Neuse, one of the founding fathers of the Bit Trip series, said that he believed the levels that were built around a song were the strongest as they would naturally "rise and fall" with the music creating a satisfying flow to the level. Additionally when designing levels, knowing the BPM of the music helps them establish the layout and difficulty of a particular stage.
     One of the last things I was told about Runner 3 during my demo was that it will be much more difficult than Runner 2 and I look forward to getting my hands on the game and putting that claim to the test, as well as finding the no doubt well hidden secrets sprinkled in Commander Video's colourful world.