Soul Log #1 – Anya’s Tale
Welcome to the very first edition of Soul Log, Blade & Soul’s new series where players get to look behind the scenes and learn more about what goes into concepting, creating, and executing various elements of the game! Expect reveals of concept art, previews of new content, and interviews with the developers themselves. To celebrate the beginning of this new series, let’s begin with a peek behind the curtain at one of our new characters straight from the latest Sanguine Abyss update, Anya!
Anya's Tale
A mysterious girl first seen on 'Skysong Isle.' We recently looked into the enigmatic 'Anya' who roams the continent, dispersing Corrupted energies.
"Why do you suffer?"
About Anya
Despite her cute appearance, Anya wields a fearsome power, swinging a chainsaw that's as tall as her. She has a track record of indiscriminately slaughtering harpies on 'Skysong Isle' and yetis in the ‘Chaos Avalanche Den.'
However, despite her formidable strength, it seems she acts under someone else's command, not of her own will.
Anya's Sidekick
During another mission to set a trap for our crickets (the players), Anya accidentally makes contact with the cricket's soul, prompting her to question and be curious about the world for the first time.
"I've never seen someone like you. An empty existence like me."
Now, how will these budding emotions affect the relationship between the cricket and Anya?
Perhaps she isn't a heartless killer but a young child who hasn't learned the concepts of good and evil.
The Art Team's Story of Anya
We were able to speak with the Art Team about their thought process leading up to Anya's creations. They even shared with us some wonderful concept art.
Q: What inspired Anya's background?
A: Anya’s background was formed based on the need to create a small female character who wields a gigantic weapon, following 'Poharan'. After much contemplation on what kind of weapon could rival the firepower of 'Poharan's' Gatling Gun, the idea of a 'Chainsaw' emerged..
Preliminary Sketches
A Deeper Look Into The Chainsaw.
Q: What are the differences between the initial concept and the current concept of Anya?
A: Initially, we positioned her as a psychotic character with a cruel expression, who would be nonchalantly violent and her designed personality accordingly.
Early concepts with Anya's facial expression.
A (continued...): Later, we decided to shift her personality towards someone emotionless and empty, while also realizing that she needed a talkative sidekick. This led to the design of the pet-like floating friend.
A Solid Near-Final Concept
Q: Was their some feedback regarding the first model?
A: When Anya first appeared on 'Skysong Isle' they received a lot of feedback that she looked too different from the original artwork. To address this, we carried out a comprehensive redesign, from body modeling to face customization and hair color, in order to make her match the setting better.
Anya’s first model was a bit lacking to the team. They wanted to do better!
|
Before |
After |
|
|
|
|
Before |
After |
|
|
|
Q: What future aspects of Anya will be revealed?
A: We plan to gradually unveil Anya's combat scenes and more through upcoming scenarios. We believe it will help showcase the charm of the character Anya.
Anya is a girl with many secrets.
In the midst of various incidents, she will also grow and change like other Blade & Soul characters.
Let's keep an eye on Anya's journey that lies ahead and stay tuned for more Soul Log’s from the team!