During Paris Games Week 2024, the bustling main hall hosted a game that couldn’t be missed: Savara. Presented by the Roubaix-based studio Doryah Games, this action roguelite caught attention thanks to its demanding mechanics and immersive universe. Console Fun had the honor of speaking with Thomas Clément, producer at Doryah Games, who revealed the secrets and ambitions behind this promising project.
Savara draws inspiration from cult classics like Hades, Dark Souls, and Monster Hunter. This game offers an intense and strategic experience where the heroine, participating in a bravery tournament hosted by the god Iop, must face formidable monsters. Gameplay demands precision, dodging, and anticipation against fearsome enemies with impressive animations.
The challenge is omnipresent: each failure sends the player back to the beginning, but with the possibility of retaining certain advantages to progress further. This gradual difficulty pushes players to return to the basics to improve their skills, unlock new weapons and evolve in a constantly changing environment.
“Despite its complexity, Savara adapts to a varied audience. ‘Whether it’s hardcore gamers who will grasp the concept immediately or parents of gaming children who know nothing about it,’ explains Aldaberto Cuello, studio director.
Based in Roubaix, Doryah Games was created by students from Isart Paris and Ican Lille, who were originally seeking an internship at Ankama. This partnership with the publisher has allowed Doryah to benefit from solid support. Hosted on Ankama’s premises, the studio develops projects in harmony with the aesthetics and colorful universe of its partner.
“It’s really taken off,” declares Aldaberto Cuello: “It’s come to the point of us setting up our studio, and all of us living in Roubaix, Tourcoing or Lille.” “That’s the great strength of being published and partnered with Ankama,” explains Thomas Clément to La Voix du Nord. “We do each other favors, and when we came to them with our concept, Ankama told us to go for it, and that they would see how to adapt the universe to what we were proposing. It’s great.”
After a first game, Krosfighter, launched in March, Savara represents a new step in the studio’s evolution. Scheduled for release in 2025, the game is currently in active development.
For the impatient, a playable demo is available on Steam until December 2, 2024 at noon. It offers a glimpse of the first level, a central hub, and three types of weapons. Players are invited to explore this universe and share their feedback with the development team.