In DokeV, Dokebi’s monsters are much more than battles

DokeV dazzled at the most recent PlayStation Showcase, where for four colorful minutes it showcased a large open world filled with goofy monsters, like a bear in boxing gloves and ride-on alpacas. But while it seems like these monsters are somehow catchable and can stand alongside the player in battle, that’s not the only focus of DokeV.

According to lead producer Sangyoung Kim, DokeV’s monsters, called Dokebi, are “spirit-like beings” in Korean folklore. Kim told us that the real Dokebi myths are at the heart of many monster designs we’ve already seen.

“We thought of many different ideas with Dokebi folklore at the center,” he said. “You may have seen the anteater-like Dokebi in the video, but it’s not actually an anteater. This Dokebi represents an imaginary animal called Bulgasari that takes the form of a bear (more or less) and eats iron. Other Dokebi in the video is shaped like a bird wearing a traditional Korean hat – this was drawn from a dark spirit called Eoduksinii in ancient folklore.

“But not all designs take these types of things into account. There are many others that we freely design with whatever comes to mind. Sometimes we can’t apply them to the game. So we include them in the game’s murals. I liked that this type Inspiration helped create a very rich display of the environment. “

But while the Dokebi are certainly real creatures in the world of DokeV, Kim added that it’s not really like what we expect from other monster-catching RPGs like Pokémon or Temtem, where fighting is at the center to get the creatures to come on. for the ride. At DokeV, not many people are unaware of their existence or, if they do, don’t believe in them. The main character, he said, is one of the few people who know and can see them, and goes on an adventure in search of Dokebi to achieve his dreams.

So while he didn’t go into many specifics, there seems to be a lot more to befriending Dokebi than simply fighting until they decide to join the party.

“Dokebi are born from people’s dreams. For example, someone dreams of becoming a boxer but cannot pursue that dream due to their parents or some other reason. The inability to pursue their wishes manifests as a dream, creating the Boxer. Dokebi.

“As players progress through the game, they will get various clues about Dokebi and eventually befriend them after fulfilling special conditions using information from these clues and reading each Dokebi’s unique backstory.