“There are many elements that can be expanded further”: Solo Leveling to Potentially Get Even More Game Adaptations with ARISE Producer’s Promising Vision
Solo Leveling by Chugong and DUBU became a worldwide phenomenon and it was only a matter of time before the popular webtoon was adapted into a game. Solo Leveling: ARISE is a perfect game to dive into if you are a fan of the webtoon series. Not only does it capture the essence of` the manhwa it is based on, but it also adds its own flair that makes it distinct.
With 15 million preregistrations already, Solo Leveling: ARISE was never going to be a game that did not account for mass appeal. This was felt as early as the installation phase and the brilliant opening art was a sign that the players were going to play THE Solo Leveling game. The game peaked before it was even released, what a GOAT.
Solo Leveling: ARISE can be seen as an extension of the original webtoon’s legacy as the game innovatively uses panels from the manhwa to set up some level of exposition for the players. It also helps that the game taps into the journey of Sung Jinwoo and the narrative of his ascension into a powerful hunter.
Picturing An Alternate Genre For Solo Leveling: ARISE
In an interview with Screen Rant, the executive project director, Seong-Keon Jin, and art director Inho Kim dug deeper into the many possibilities with this mobile Solo Leveling adaptation, the difficult parts of adapting such a popular and successful story, and the other genres that the team thinks could pull off Sung Jinwoo’s story.
Starting the interview, Screen Rant asked about the core philosophy in bringing Solo Leveling to mobile gaming and how the team approached this adaptation. The art director, Inho Kim, said that the most important thing they thought about while developing the game based on the popular series was to keep the original webtoon’s core design. He said:
While developing the game, we set out to incorporate as many of the original materials and concepts as possible into the artwork, with these elements and ideas being seamlessly integrated throughout the game. If you look at the designs of Sung Jinwoo and other Hunters, you can see that they were created using elements, key colors, and narratives from the original.
Seong-Keon Jin, the executive project director, said that the core of an action game lies in whether users can truly enjoy the combat. He added that they had worked to expand the universe of Solo Leveling to a level that does not harm the original IP and stays faithful to the original story simultaneously.
Halfway through the interview, the interviewer asked if there were other genres the team considered for Solo Leveling: ARISE, and might consider in the future if given a chance, to which Jin said that he believed the success of the game came from the original story of Sung Jinwoo and the stunning artwork style. He added:
If I were given a chance to create another game, I wish I could explore the stories of other Hunters that come after the Sung Jinwoo Saga. I feel very strongly that there are many elements that can be expanded further, such as the introduction of new players, the emergence of more powerful Awakening Beings, and the rise of the new Monarch. We can potentially focus on expanding the Solo Leveling Universe, not a single character, but maybe towards the turn-based CCG or strategy genre.
Given the success that the game enjoys, a game adaptation that explores the Solo Leveling universe will be met with the same amount of hype Solo Leveling: ARISE gained. While the webtoon mainly focuses on the character development and journey of the protagonist, Sung Jinwoo, a game that would solely focus on expanding the universe of Solo Leveling would open up unimaginable possibilities.
Applying The Concept Of ‘Leveling Up’ To The Game
The webtoon follows the story of protagonist Sung Jinwoo, who by a twist of fate, becomes the only character to ‘level up’ in his universe. Hence, the title Solo Leveling. The webtoon also depicts the universe in a game-like structure where characters hunt monsters with their skills and abilities. Solo Leveling: ARISE mirrors this concept, making it seem like a game within a game.
The interviewer asked why the team decided to closely follow Solo Leveling in its own mobile storytelling. Jin replied in his opinion that one of the key aspects that fans liked the most in the original web novel and webtoon is how the main character, Sung Jinwoo, levels up like a game character, becomes stronger, and wins against challenging enemies. He further added:
We applied this concept of ‘leveling up’ of the original series to Solo Leveling: ARISE, so that users can play the character, make upgrades, and experience the original series’ narrative as they play the game. Solo Leveling has a very popular fan base across the world. Players of Solo Leveling: ARISE can experience the strong plot of the IP, along with the diverse action styles and quality battles of the game.
Solo Leveling: ARISE was released worldwide on May 8, 2024, via mobile (App Store, Play Store), and PC (Mac, Windows) via Steam and Netmarble Launcher. The original manhwa can be read on the WEBTOON app and Crunchyroll streams the anime series, with Season 2 titled “Arise From the Shadow” announced in March.
