Enigami opens up on upcoming RPG Shiness

We reached out to Hazem Hawash, founder and CEO of Enigami and Samir Rebib, creative director and co-founder, to learn more about Shiness, their Kickstarter-funded RPG that is due out later this year.

What kind of game is Shiness?

Enigami: Shiness is an action-RPG with an emphasis on real-time dynamic combat. The universe of the game comes from a Manga created by our creative director, Samir Rebib.

Tell us more about the story and the setting...

In a doomed world due to the fragmentation of the planet Mahera, two Wakis, Chado and Poky, travel through all the Celestial Islands on a flying ship. Crash-landing in one of the most hostile regions they find themselves in the middle of a struggle for influence between several kingdoms. However, Chado may be able to resolve the issue thanks to his Shiness - a magical spirit only he can see.

What made you go with a manga art style, and how has it been working with such a clearly defined visual style? 

We went with a manga art style to perfectly match the original manga book. Our wish was to obtain the same feel you can find in « shōnen » (Manga for teenagers) games, like Dragon Ball, Naruto or One Piece. Using the cell shading method was the best way to create a drawn aspect!

Tell us a bit the characters and in-game progression?

All the characters have specific skills you can use to defeat their enemies or progress into the dungeons:

- Chado is a young and adventurous Waki able to communicate with a nature spirit - the Shiness - and who masters the element of Earth.

- Poky is an engineering genius able to repair anything mechanical and can also manipulate magnetic fields and electrical currents.

- Kayenne is a powerful Shelk warrior, who harnesses the psychic gift of Telekinesis. With this power, he can interact with the environment from afar or paralyse enemies in battle.

- Askel is a fearsome mercenary, whose whip is destructive in combat but also useful during exploration to retrieve items normally out of reach.

- Finally, Rosalya uses the Fire element to disperse darkness, reveal hidden items or enemies, or inflict heavy damage during combat.

In the Shiness adventure, you'll need to collect different items to improve your characters' stats. You'll be able to customise your skills or combat style by equipping these items. There is also a level cap for your characters, which will be fixed at 50.

The game is an RPG but because it has a manga art style, would you say it has more or less in common with JRPGs?

We're huge JRPGs fans. Our inspirations include Final Fantasy, "Tales of", The Legend of Zelda, Kingdom Hearths or Seiken Densetsu. So Shiness probably has more in common with JRPGs and we're doing our best to share with this game the same epicness of the awesome games that have captivated us since our teenage years!

You used Kickstarter to make this game a reality. Was the use of Kickstarter always planned, and how was the experience? 

At first, Shiness was a project made by passion during our free time. The development took us more and more time so we decided to create our own game studio. We needed financial contributions to create Enigami and fund the project. Kickstarter was the best solution, moreover, this crowdfunding experience allowed us to introduce Shiness' universe. Many players have been hooked by our game and we've received a lot of support from them. We continue to communicate a lot with our backers and can't wait to show them the final result!

What kind of feedback have you been getting from the community?

We've had a lot of player encouragement during the events and in the comments. We often hear that the universe is very colourful and reminds them of old-gen RPGs which is, obviously, very great to hear!

How far into the development process are you, what's left to do?

The end of development is close! Big elements of the game will be in place soon. We're currently working on the different bosses and last environments. One thing is certain: Shiness will be available in 2016!

What platforms will the game release on?

The platforms have not been announced yet. We're going to share more information about this as soon as possible.

Can you tell us about the studio and the ethos that drives design?

Our team is made up of more than 20 passionate people working with only one goal in mind: to bring Shiness to life! We hope to share our love for video games through this first project.

We learn a lot from the games we're playing, and organise a lot of brainstorming to get new ideas. Every week, we make a new version of Shiness, including new content, and Focus Home Interactive tests it and sends us feedback to improve the game.

Our thanks to Enigami for taking the time to answer our questions.