The world of recently released metroidvania EMUUROM is filled to the brim with creatures to scan and research. There are fish, clouds, birds, a truly impressive range of mushrooms with cute little hats, and much, much more. The creatures inhabiting this ancient paradise are the heart of EMUUROM’S world, lore, and gameplay, and they’re absolutely adorable to boot.
GameObserver had the chance to sit down with Borbware, the developer of EMUUROM, to talk more about the cast of creatures who players will encounter as they journey through this tricky thinky game. Borb spoke about what influenced the characters’ designs, which were his favorites to create, and whether there’s a chance we could see merchandise of EMUUROM’s critters in the future.
On the Origin of the Creatures of EMUUROM
While the gameplay of EMUUROM draws inspiration primarily from the Metroid series, when it came to the creatures, Borb looked to the first two generations of Pokémon. He knew that he was going to be using retro-style pixel art, and felt that the iconic original sprites from Pokémon Red, Green, Gold, and Silver were similar to what he wanted to create. “I was that age where I had a Game Boy at the crucial moment in my life,” Borb reminisced, “so that is the most obvious inspiration for the creatures.”
In addition to Pokémon, Borb also looked to the world around him when filling out the EMUUDEX:
“I’ve thrown into the mix the kind of nature that I grew up in, in and around Eastern Finland. In my opinion, these creatures are kind of basic – they are just normal animals, not something like animal hybrids or mechanical things or something like that. They are just little creatures.”
The Finnish influence can clearly be seen in many of the animals players will meet. There’s a bear, Ohto – the bears of Finland are famously shy and rarely sighted, but they are one of the country’s most iconic mammals. Sus’, who will howl if it spots you and thus can be quite tricky to add to your EMUUDEX, is a clear tribute to the country’s wolf population. And, of course, there are EMUUROM creatures drawing from many different species of birds, including ducks (and ducklings!), eagles, gulls, and more.
The Creatures Of EMUUROM Are Adorable & Memorable
The EMUUROM creatures’ designs are an absolute triumph. They’re simple enough to be easily identifiable, but visually striking and distinct from one another. Borb has taken full advantage of the game’s pixel art style to create iconic and memorable designs that will definitely stick with fans. As mentioned earlier, there are tons of different bird-like critters in the game, but each one looks different from one another, and there’s no chance of accidentally confusing them. They’re also downright adorable. Borb feels that “Animal Well is a huge game that people are definitely going to compare EMUUROM to,” but the games’ animal casts feel distinct from one another, with EMUUROM’s scannable creatures featuring cute designs that contrast with the more sinister-looking inhabitants of Animal Well.
The creatures’ distinct designs are then paired with unique behavior patterns – some are shy, some aggressive, and some are just going about their days completely unbothered by their presence. They also have different interactions with one another that players must discover in order to progress – for example, a cloud-like creature can cry and thus change the weather, but you must figure out which other critter is capable of making him do it.
The result is an ecosystem that feels rich and complex, and figuring out how it works is key to discovering the many, many secrets hidden in the game. “I really like these kinds of games where most of the game is very well hidden,” Borb said, and expressed his excitement for seeing players discover unique interactions between the creatures of EMUUROM that will lead to uncovering hidden creatures, mechanics, and more.
I’ve been a huge fan of the design of the EMUUROM creatures since I first became aware of the game – so, naturally, I wanted to know if there were any plans for merchandise in the future. Borb revealed that the game’s publisher, Coyote Time Publishing, has begun discussing merchandise possibilities, particularly stickers of some of the fan-favorite critters:
“My publisher has already printed some t-shirts for marketing, and I hope that we can get some merch out for sale as well. I’d like to get it out to some store – obviously, Fangamer would be the crown jewel of indie game stores.”
Which EMUUROM Creature Is Borb’s Favorite?
With so many adorable critters appearing in the game, naturally, it was a hard task for the developer to choose a favorite. Borb admitted that he loves every creature he has created throughout the development process – including the ones that he ultimately had to cut from EMUUROM, which could potentially appear in a future project set in the same world. He does, however, have a particular fondness for Norp Norp, a seal-like creature. The developer explained:
“I really like Norp Norp. It’s a ringed seal, which is the only seal species that lives natively in Finland. I wanted to add it into the game, and [have it] so that it just sits on a rock and does nothing.”
It’s an excellent choice – Norp Norp is definitely one of the cutest critters in the EMUUDEX, and it’s amusing to watch it relax on its rock while movement and chaos and action unfold around it. But every single creature in EMUUROM is fascinating and fun to meet, and so much of the joy in the game comes from encountering each new inhabitant of the lost paradise as you progress through the world. I came out of the game desperately wanting more and hoping that Borbware will make other future projects set in this fascinating universe. (Not that I’m anywhere near done with EMUUROM yet – I’ve still got plenty of secrets to find!)
If you are interested in getting to know Norp Norp and the many other creatures of EMUUROM, the game is currently available for PC via Steam.
