How X-COM’s Creator Reinvented RTS Games Again With Chip ‘n Clawz vs. The Brainioids | Interview

Snapshot Games and X-COM creator Julian Gollop have put yet another new spin on the strategy genre with their new game Chip ‘n Clawz vs. The Brainioids. The unique blend of real-time strategy and third-person shooter mechanics is a lot of fun, as our review attests to. PlayStation LifeStyle spoke with lead programmer Nedislav Stoychev and game designer and narrative lead Nikola Petrov about how they implemented the multiplayer game on PlayStation 5.

“An action-strategy game where you gather Brainium, build a base, and command your army of bots to defeat the freaky Brains-in-Jars aliens. Lead from the front with your hero, Chip or Clawz, or both in co-op. Look out for ejected alien brains, you can squish ‘em!” says the game’s official description.

PlayStation LifeStyle: It’s always exciting to see split-screen co-op in a new release. Was it difficult to implement that across platforms?

Nedislav Stoychev: Implementing, no. We were armed with an arsenal of tools that allowed us to introduce the split-screen mode across platforms. That being said, it took quite some time and iteration to get it just right. Horizontal or vertical? Horizontally, you see most of what’s happening around you, while a vertical split puts you right in the action. And this was just the start.

After much deliberation, iteration, and experimentation, we believe we got the game’s controls and interface right. It was quite the challenge to reorganize the entire game in a way that allows both players to comfortably see and experience the action, but it was worth it—nothing feels quite like good old couch co-op!

There are a lot of aspects that are familiar to players, such as base building and being able to blast enemies like a third-person shooter. What was most fulfilling about putting these familiar mechanics in a game that does feel fresh and is a new combination?

Stoychev: We aimed to create a true hybrid experience—a proper RTS and a proper action-adventure. To achieve this, we leaned on tested and true aspects of both genres—buildings produce your army just like you’d expect, and shooting an explosive barrel blows it up!

However, this wasn’t as straightforward as you’d think, because we needed to blend the two genres every step of the way. We would often have the same conversation: “This is a great strategy mechanic, but is it “too strategy” for an action player?”, and vice versa. We couldn’t lean too hard in either direction, as we needed to make sure the game is equally fun every step of the way. This was a tough challenge to overcome, but we are happy with the results!

And don’t get us started on the third-person shooter mechanics! We needed to spend a lot of time and attention on the weapons, making sure gunplay feels good. When in doubt, we usually found that the classics work best—a machine gun is bursty but inaccurate. A grenade launcher blows dudes up, and a rail gun pierces a whole conga line of enemies. The careful implementation of haptics and adaptive triggers made sure the weapons feel great to use. We knew our work is done when team players started vocalizing “pew-pew-pew!” as they play. Fun!

There’s also co-op play. Would you recommend going through the missions with a friend first before facing other teams online?

Nikola Petrov: The entire game plays well as a solo experience, and you’ll do just fine by yourself. But, as the inclusion of a free Friends Pass might indicate, we believe everything is better with a friend! The great thing about Chip ‘n Clawz is our co-op is entirely drop-in, drop-out, so you can play any mission in any mode! Going solo or teaming up with a buddy is entirely up to you, and replayability of the levels is a great incentive to try both!

There are 1v1 and 2v2 matches available. What would you say is the biggest difference in a match with four players going at it?

Petrov: Communication! Matches in Chip ‘n Clawz are fast, intense, and chaotic. Since Chip and Clawz have different abilities, positioning and timing are key in battle. This means players in 2v2 need to communicate efficiently, support each other, and properly coordinate their attacks.

Luckily, we’ve got plenty of tools such as resource sharing and pinging that helps a team get the job done. Of course, in the heat of battle, planning is one thing, but executing the plan could be something completely different!

A lot of players will initially embrace the action more or want to play it like a more traditional strategy game. What’s your biggest tip for becoming a well-rounded player?

Petrov: The entire game is balanced around the combination of action and strategy. Players who heavily lean towards one play-style will quickly find it is simply not enough to snatch victory! We think that’s the beauty of our gameplay. While mastering your hero will win you battles and mastering strategy will supercharge your economy, the balancing of the two is what matters at the end of the day. Experiment, adapt, and have fun! This is what our game loop is all about.

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