Sifu Interview: Sloclap Talks Cultural Sensitivity and Inspirations for Their Technique-Heavy Brawler

gamerant.com:

Fans of classic martial arts movies playing the first level of brawler Sifu are treated to a pleasant surprise when the main character, fighting his way through a dingy apartment complex, finds himself in a well-done rendition of 2003 film Oldboy’s infamous side scrolling hallway scene. Paris-based developer Sloclap’s new title, released in February, is full of those kinds of references; not just to famous martial arts films like Fearless, but also to action blockbusters like John Wick.

The fact that they’re a French studio developing a game that relies heavily on East Asian culture and influences is not lost on Sloclap, however. Bearing in mind the criticism other Western developers have received for similar projects, the team behind Sifu consulted with experts and put an extra emphasis on localization to make their title as inclusive as possible. Game Rant spoke to Sloclap about that process and how the team looked to classic cinema as a guide. The interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Sifu Dev Sloclap on the Game World's Silver-Screen Inspirations

Q: A lot of the game’s setting and gameplay notes seem inspired by other media — specifically, Eastern cinema. In the first main section of the game, players recreate the infamous hallway scene from Oldboy, and the apartment complex you are fighting through appears to have been inspired by The Raid. Is that a fair assessment? What sorts of media inspired the story and setting of Sifu?

A: Indeed, both Oldboy and The Raid were inspirations for the design and art teams working on Sifu. In general, the game is filled with references and inspirations from many action & martial arts movies, such as John Wick, Sha Po Lang/Killzone, and Tom-Yum-Goong/The Protector.

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