I enjoyed my time with Banner of the Maid for our review, so I got in touch with Azure Flame to talk a bit about the game’s development and its PS4 and Nintendo Switch release. Come check it out!
PS4Blog: Hi! Welcome to PS4Blog.net. Could you please help us get started by telling our readers a bit about yourself and your work?
Hello there! Our indie studio, Azure Flame, was founded by hardcore gamers. We started our career in the gaming industry about ten years ago, but after a few projects that weren’t that special or exciting for us, we felt that we would eventually burn out of passion and love for developing games. Circa early 2017, we sat together and discussed what each of us really, really wanted to do next. It turned out, we all wanted to make a game that would bring us back to the good old times of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) era!
PS4B: Banner of the Maid is out now on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. What can you tell us about this project?
Once we decided that we were going to make something totally for our own nostalgia and interests, we quickly decided that an SRPG that had a look similar to Tactics Ogre and that played like the Fire Emblem series was what we want to create. It doesn’t get more old-school than that!
We didn’t want a sword and sorcery setting, though. That just felt too common. On the other hand, we didn’t want it to be too sci-fi because we felt that it didn’t fit with the nostalgia theme. So we started looking for some setting that would allow us to mix cavalry, firearms, fancy uniforms, a rich historical period with lots to build upon, while, on the other hand, allowing us to add fantasy elements. We suddenly realized the French Revolution (which is a topic we love) was a perfect stage for all this and, to our surprise, a setting that had not been visited that often in video games before!
PS4B: How long did it take to develop the game for its console release? Were there any hurdles or challenges to overcome?
I don’t remember many technical challenges. It took us two years to release Battle of the Maid on Steam, and another year for releasing it on consoles, mainly because we were busy adding new features, side-quests, DLC, as well as fixing bugs while porting the game to consoles by ourselves. Though it’s our first time porting to the PS4 and Nintendo Switch, it’s not as difficult as you would think. I’d say it’s just a matter of time.
PS4B: Are there any differences between the PS4 and the Nintendo Switch versions of the game?
Nope. The PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch versions have the same content, and we’ll be releasing DLC for both consoles, including a free DLC – Miss Elisa’s Journal – and a paid DLC -The Oriental Pirate – as soon as they’ve completed the reviewing process.
PS4B: And that’s all the time we have for today. Is there anything else you’d like to add before we go?
We’d like to thank all our players for your support and love for Banner of the Maid. Please do try out the DLC if you enjoy the main game! We also definitely wish to continue telling the stories of the Maids someday in the future!
