Dark Light (Interview)
1. WHAT WAS THE FIRST GAME THAT YOU PLAYED THAT MADE YOU WANT TO GET INTO GAME DEVELOPMENT?
The game that first sparked my love for game development was Diablo. I also played classics like Quake, Doom, and Duke Nukem—but Diablo stood out.
The atmosphere, world design, and moody visuals were way ahead of their time. That experience planted the seed for me.
Even today, Diablo 4 is a reminder of the kind of dark, immersive world I want to create in my own games.
2. WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO CREATE YOUR OWN STUDIO TO CREATE GAMES?
Mirari&Co. started as a visual effects studio. But the VFX industry became tougher—long hours, high pressure, and even worse during COVID.
We needed a change that still matched our creative skill set. Gaming was always a passion, so we took the leap.
It turned out to be even harder than VFX, but we were already too deep in. After three years of pushing through, we launched Dark Light.
It took off gradually and did especially well on PS5. We learned it all the hard way—but we made it.
3. WHO ARE YOUR INSPIRATIONS INTO WANTING TO CREATE GAMES AND WHY?
I’m a design nerd at heart. I love manga like Berserk and Blame!—they're brutal and atmospheric.
World-building has always fascinated me. I’m always sketching ideas, drawing maps, imagining biomes.
My degree’s in design, so my inspirations also come from architecture—especially the conceptual kind.
People like Lebbeus Woods (think Twelve Monkeys) and Ron Herron’s Walking City had a major influence on the brutalist chaos you see in Dark Light’s world.
4. SO MIRARICO GAMES, WHAT WAS THE CONCEPT AND INSPIRATION BEHIND THE STUDIO NAME?
"Mirari" is Latin—it means “to be amazed” or “to wonder.” That’s what we aim for in every design and gameplay system we build: moments that make players stop and go, “Whoa.”
We create games not just because we can, but because we’re obsessed with the craft.
5. SO LET'S TALK ABOUT DARK LIGHT, SO GIVE US THE BACK STORY BEHIND THE NAME AND WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND IT?
The name Dark Light comes from the idea of invisible light spectrums—wavelengths we can’t see. What if there are creatures that exist within those unseen spectrums?
That thought led to the idea of rifts, portals, and invaders bleeding through from other dimensions. The whole lore evolved from there.
If you’re into the backstory, we have a detailed Dark Light artbook on Steam.
Here is a brief Story Summary:
"The Celestial Host created three cybernetic champions—Eztil, Azel, and Aeion—to save humanity.
But a dark virus corrupted the world, opening dimensional rifts. Azel turned on humanity.
Now, you play a Hunter surviving in a ruined world, choosing whether to unite factions and close the Dark Portal—or let chaos consume everything."
6. WHO IS THE MAIN CHARACTER IN DARK LIGHT?
You play as a nameless cybernetic Hunter, one of the last guardians trying to contain the spreading darkness.
The player is a vessel—how the story unfolds depends on the choices you make and the faction you align with.
7. WHERE DOES DARK LIGHT & DARK LIGHT SURVIVOR TAKE PLACE?
Both games are set in the same universe but on different timelines.
Dark Light takes place on a ruined Earth after the outbreak of the Dark Void.
Dark Light: Survivor expands into the shattered multiverse aboard the Phantom Train, with each level representing a fragmented world corrupted by the darkness
8. WHAT ENGINE ARE YOU USING FOR DARK LIGHT AND DARK LIGHT SURVIVOR AND WHY?
We use Unity. It gives us flexibility to build across platforms—from PC to consoles.
9. TELL US WHAT SOME OF THE LEVELS THAT WE WOULD EXPERIENCE IN BOTH GAMES?
In Dark Light, levels are carefully hand-crafted and designed around deep lore and exploration. there are many more but Key zones include:
-The Undercity – Once a thriving underground metropolis built by colossal constructors using celestial tech. Artificial suns once bathed it in false daylight, but now the Void has consumed it. Dark creatures roam its abandoned streets, and the few human survivors cling to scarce resources while fighting for their lives.
-The Great Swamp – A fog-choked, parasite-infested biome where light barely penetrates. Twisted terrain, toxic pools, and cloaked enemies make this area one of the deadliest. Navigating it requires both light-based vision tools and patience.
-The Celestial Tower – A towering relic from the age of the Celestial Host. This is an endgame vertical zone where lore, challenge, and destiny converge. The enemies here are brutal, and environmental hazards demand mastery of your movement and combat systems.
Each level blends combat intensity with world-building—inviting players to not just fight through the darkness but understand it.
10. WHAT TYPE OF WEAPONS CAN WE EXPECT TO SEE?
Dark Light:
A huge variety.
Melee: Greatswords, katanas, scythes.
Ranged: Pistols, M4s, bows, shotguns.
Elemental: Fire, ice, lightning-based weapons. You can fuse and upgrade weapons mid-run.
Expect synergies like freeze+burn, critical buffs, and status explosions
11.. THE BILLION DOLLAR QUESTION: WHY SHOULD ANYONE WANT TO PLAY BOTH DARK LIGHT AND DARK LIGHT SURVIVOR?
Because they deliver two distinct but connected experiences within the same dark universe:
12. WHEN WILL DARK LIGHT AND DARK LIGHT RELEASE, AND WHAT PLATFORMS WILL IT BE ON?
Dark Light is now available on Steam, PS5, Xbox, Epicgame and GOG. We are still working on porting the game to PS4 and Switch.
13.. WHERE CAN THEY FIND YOU ON SOCIAL MEDIA?
Twitter/X: @MiraricoGames For Dark light survivor @MirariRelics
TikTok: @darklightdev
Youtube: @darklight7535
Discord: Dark Light Discord
Website: www.darklight-game.com
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