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Phantom Hellcat, Ironbird Creations’ upcoming title, was first revealed at Gamescom 2022. The game took the internet by storm and wound up being quite popular. This is thanks to its striking visuals, the unique theme of being set in the theater, and the design of the main protagonist, Jolene.
In a recent interaction with Sportskeeda’s Jason Parker, Norman Lenda, Creative Director and Co-Founder of Ironbird Creations, spoke about the upcoming game, Phantom Hellcat. They discussed the inspiration for the game, the reason behind the theater setting, and where he’d like to see Jolene show up in the future.
Phantom Hellcat is a unique action game, and the theater setting will allow the developers a great deal of flexibility in designing areas now and in the future.
Phantom Hellcat’s Norman Lenda on what his upcoming game is
Q. First of all, thank you for taking the time to chat with us. For those unaware, how would you describe Phantom Hellcat?
Norman: Hello! Thank you for the invitation. I think the easiest way to describe Phantom Hellcat would be “Devil May Cry meets Nier Automata with a twist.” It’s a unique mixture of the two genres. An action-adventure game powered by 3D Hack-n-Slash gameplay mixed with 2D platforming sections. Both of these pieces blend together into a single experience for Phantom Hellcat.
Q. According to you, Ironbird Creations is looking to avoid the Soulslike/Roguelike genre. The team is inspired by the 2010s action games, but which stand out?
Norman: To be honest, Devil May Cry was one of the major inspirations for us. But, of course, it wasn’t the only game we are referring to. We were researching games that have been mainstays of the Hack-n-Slash genre for the last 10 to 15 years. Games like Bayonetta, Metal Gear Rising, God of War III, and even Astral Chain.
After Gamescom, we even received a question from a Phantom Hellcat fan if the combat system was inspired by Kingdom Hearts, and honestly speaking, it was a big surprise to me. As an old-school Kingdom Hearts fan, I cannot say it didn’t have any impact on the game because this type of gameplay is something I find really appealing in video games.
Q. It's also been said that Yoko Taro/Nier was an inspiration for Phantom Hellcat. What facet of Yoko Taro's storytelling/game design would you say was the biggest part of inspiring this game?
Norman: It would be a lie if I wouldn’t mention the design of 2B first (laughs). But answering seriously, I’m a huge fan of Yoko Taro games, especially Nier Automata. It might sound over the top, but Nier Automata was one of the greatest gaming experiences of my entire life.
I love this game's mood, art style, music, and gameplay. Every piece of this game is amazing. Even the final ending, which (no spoilers) intelligently breaks the fourth wall, was one of the reasons why I treat this game as a real masterpiece.
I also like how synergistic Nier Automata is. I think our biggest inspiration was this fluent change in camera perspective, which often appears in Nier. This was the idea I really wanted to have in our game.
We knew our game was going to be more like a speed-oriented Hack-n-Slash with platforming, and we thought implementing this feature would let us build more advanced platforming sections with a fluent change to 3D combat arenas.
Q. What inspired the decision for Phantom Hellcat's setting of a theater?
Norman: We wanted players to feel like it’s a game placed in a western setting. Most of the modern Hack-n-Slash titles are very Japanese. Personally, it’s something I really appreciate, but we had a feeling there aren’t any modern Hack-n-Slash titles with a more western approach. That’s why we decided to pick a setting that is strongly connected to western culture.
There is also another reason. We do not treat theater props, or other theater features only as a visual background for the gameplay. They are strongly connected to the gameplay structure and can be used in various ways.
For example, some props may be used in combat as a way to unleash the “environmental kill” (cut the rope to make something heavy fall on the enemy). Placing the game in the theater allows us to break the rules of locations and time.
Traveling through the world made of huge theater stages mixed with backstage narrative shortcuts turns Phantom Hellcat into a pretty unpredictable journey. It’s a linear but original experience.
Q. Phantom Hellcat's going to base its stages/theaters on pop culture, but are there any pop culture moments that haven't made the cut you'd like to include?
Norman: I believe selecting settings in a game that gives you so much freedom of choice is always difficult. I have several favorite settings. One of them actually won’t appear in the full version of the game, and maybe one day, I’ll be able to tell you more about it. On the other hand, all chosen settings work perfectly with the plot, so they were smart choices.
Q. While the trailer is brief, it shows off several sharp theaters that Jolene travels through. Have there been any favorites that have been developed so far that you really want players to be excited about?
Norman: There are several arenas which I’m really excited about. One of them is seen on the way to Dracula’s castle. I cannot say too much about it at the moment, but a lot of things happen around the player suddenly, and it’s a very action-packed stage.
Q. Phantom Hellcat is supposed to have dynamic shifting 3D/2D cameras to make platforming more interesting. Were there any programming challenges in this game design choice?
Norman: Actually, building a powerful and flexible camera system was one of the most important goals for us. We wanted to make it work in custom, tailor-made situations, which is why it was one of our first pillars in this project. It took us a lot of time, but I’m delighted with the final product of this work.
Q. Do you envision Jolene as a franchise star, or do you think this is going to be her only outing?
Norman: I think it’s a little too early to answer. We already have several scenarios for the future of Phantom Hellcat, and I would not want to spoil the surprise. I’m sure this isn’t the only game with Jolene as a star of the show.
Q. Jolene will also be able to utilize powers based on character masks to help her gain new abilities and show off awesome combos. Are there going to be hidden masks that aren't required but will be worth finding?
Norman: At the moment, we are heavily focused on polishing masks that are collected on the main path of the story. Currently, there are no plans to add hidden masks with powers equal to the main path masks, but I cannot say there won’t be masks like that for sure.
Q. Phantom Hellcat is a new IP and was revealed during Gamescom's Opening Night Live. What has the reception been for the upcoming game on social media so far?
Norman: The reaction of the whole gaming community was stunning! We received so many interesting messages and questions about the game from new Phantom Hellcat fans. Our official Discord channel has grown so fast.
The press coverage was amazing as well. I think this is the greatest moment for all developers: To see how the world reacts to the fruits of their labor. It made us even more motivated to work harder on the project. As developers, we treat the trust we receive from gamers all around the world very seriously and with a lot of respect.
Q. A popular trope in gaming right now is collaboration. If you could collaborate with another IP for a DLC pack for Phantom Hellcat, who would it be?
Norman: It would be great to have this type of collaboration. As far as I remember, Geralt from The Witcher 3 appeared in Soul Calibur 6. As a fighting game fan, I would love to see Jolene in Tekken 8! I imagine she could have a similar control scheme to Noctis from FFXV. So, if Mister Harada is interested in this idea, we are open to collaborations! (laughs)
About other IP DLCs in Phantom Hellcat: The greatest thing about the theater theme is the special kind of flexibility it gives us. We can actually move anywhere we want by just translating the setting to the language of the theater. If you ask about my personal favorite, it would be Nier Automata or Alice: Madness Returns.
At the time of writing, Phantom Hellcat does not have a release date, but it can be wishlisted on a variety of platforms. It will be available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
