Fallen Tear: The Ascension is a beautiful side-scrolling action RPG with clear inspiration from Japanese games and Metroidvania that released on Steam Early Access last March 18. We got to talk with the creator of Fallen Tear and head of CMD Studios, Stephen E. Manalastas about his journey with the game’s development.
Tell us a little something about yourself and your studio.I’m Stephen E. Manalastas, Founder and Creative Director of CMD Studios. Our studio has been providing game art and design services for around 12 years, and over time we’ve been steadily transitioning into a full indie game development studio.
How did you personally get into video games? And eventually game development?I grew up playing a lot of JRPGs and 2D side-scrolling platformers, and from a young age I always wanted to create my own game. That passion led me to start my company and learn the fundamentals of game art and design. We became much more serious about game development around 2019, when we started conceptualizing Fallen Tear and gradually learned Unity together as a team.
Apart from the metroidvania, what other influences helped Fallen Tear?One of the biggest influences on Fallen Tear is definitely JRPGs, especially games like Suikoden, Valkyrie Profile, Final Fantasy, and Breath of Fire. We were also inspired by titles like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Shadow of the Colossus. Those games helped shape not just the world and tone, but also how we think about exploration, party dynamics, and emotional storytelling.
Currently, what specific part of Fallen Tear are you most proud of?Honestly, I’m proud of everything we’ve built, but if I had to choose one, it would be our Bond / Party System. It’s one of the features that really gives Fallen Tear its own identity and allows us to bring some of our JRPG influence into the metroidvania formula.
How is the process of getting a game into Early Access on Steam for interested game developers?Before getting to Steam Early Access, there are already a lot of important steps involved, such as community building and, in our case, running a Kickstarter campaign. The actual Steam setup is fairly straightforward as long as you follow Valve’s requirements.
The main steps are:
- Set up your Steam account together with your company, banking, and tax information.
- Prepare and launch a demo on Steam if possible.
- Build your wishlist and community before release.
- Once your store page, build, and requirements are approved by Steam, you’ll be able to launch in Early Access.
There’s a lot more work behind the scenes, of course, but those are some of the main things aspiring developers should prepare for.
Games headlined by Filipino game devs are definitely on the rise. What will make Fallen Tear stand out from the sea of games out there?I think one thing that helps Fallen Tear stand out is the experience we’ve built over the years working in the game industry. Since we’ve spent more than a decade creating work for clients, we were able to apply that knowledge directly into our own game, especially in art, level design, and 2D animation. On top of that, while Fallen Tear is rooted in the metroidvania genre, we really tried to innovate the formula and offer players something fresh.
So Early Access is definitely fueled by the fans. Any interesting anecdotes of how your studio has worked with the fans in improving the Fallen Tear experience?Absolutely. Even before Early Access, we were already working closely with the community during our Kickstarter campaign. We’ve done a lot of community playtesting and surveys, and that process gave us a huge amount of useful feedback that helped improve the game. We also have a Discord server with very dedicated fans, and they’ve been incredibly helpful throughout development by sharing feedback, reporting issues, and supporting the project every step of the way.
After Fallen Tear, anything you can tease for us in the pipeline from your studio?Personally, I’d love to work on a JRPG next, while part of the team continues supporting Fallen Tear through future content, DLC, and hopefully more within the series. I’m already very excited about the idea of building a new world and designing a project in that space. Maybe we can call it a “PRPG” for now, haha.
What are your tips for people wanting to get into the game dev industry?My biggest advice would be:
- Start small. Don’t make the mistake of jumping straight into a massive project unless you already have the experience and structure to support it.
- Have a lot of grit and patience. Game development takes time, and there will always be challenges, so persistence is extremely important.
Fallen Tear: The Ascension is currently available on Steam Early Access for PHP 615.