You probably already know exactly where this article is going just based on the header image. I mean, it’s a dead giveaway right? A Vancouver-based developer, a “diverse” cast of characters, no playable white males in the cast, a developer who is anti-#GamerGate, and themes that hit many talking points that you’ve come to expect from today’s gaming environment… what could possibly go wrong?
Well, Ikenfall is a Canadian turn-based RPG centering around a magic school of young girls who must go on an adventure to find a missing student, all while practicing, evolving, and elevating their own magical skills along the way.
There’s an obvious whimsical layer of charm based around Winx Club meets Harry Potter, but with an obvious dose Canadian culture. The game utilizes basic old-school, 16-bit style adventuring and exploration, long with the side-view turn-based combat mechanics where you’ll need to position your characters and choose the right attacks in order to secure victory. You can see how the game plays out in the video below.
The animation and designs seem very reminiscent of Earthbound and The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past.
As you can see on the YouTube channel, the comments are disabled, so feedback on how people feel about the song and the game aren’t publicly on display.
The lead designer, Chevy Ray, had already come out on the side of being against #GamerGate, though possibly making that decision due to word-of-mouth through the grapevine as opposed to doing it out of maliciousness.
anyways, the episode was very good. the second half of the episode was them talking about how shitty gamergate was so that was a nice end
— Chevy Ray (@ChevyRay) February 15, 2016
@MetroidMan347 @neptuneboneface is jontron that youtube guy who was on the shitty side of gamergate stuff?
— Chevy Ray (@ChevyRay) January 11, 2015
He doesn’t have much mention of feminism on his Twitter account, and he seems to have unclear positions on the topic of “privilege”, both mocking it and using it descriptively to explain his life’s struggles.
things actually got worse than that for quite awhile. It sucks how when you’re poor, everybody dislikes you and the system is against you.
— Chevy Ray (@ChevyRay) November 3, 2017
Ray doesn’t seem to come across as the anti-#GamerGate type who was hammering in how much of a “male feminist” he is… like Matthew Hickey, who turned out to be a rapist for over a decade; or Michael Hafford, who would physically abuse women until they were bloody and bruised during sexual intercourse; or Juan Thompson, who harassed his girlfriend and sent terrorist death threats to Jewish synagogues. Those three fellows were fired and two of them were jailed for their heinous crimes.
In this case, Chevy Ray is simply heading up a game with the typical mostly-female cast of diverse characters who must save the day.
These kind of games have become prevalent in recent years and will likely maintain their pace so long as developers are prioritizing that kind of focus for their efforts above all else.
There’s no release date for Ikenfell but it’s currently in development for PC and it will be published by Humble Bundle when it’s ready. For more info you can visit the official website.
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