Developer Diary: The Power of the Akua

In Ashes of Oahu Kai undertakes a perilous journey through the post-apocalyptic Hawaiian wilderness to rescue his son from an unfortunate fate and liberate the island from its evil oppressors. While Kai can silently creep up on a foe to whack them with a pahoa or take them at a distance staring down iron sights, run and gun warfare will only get him so far. This is where the Akua can lend a hand.

No mere mortal could face the threats that challenge ‘Oahu. Empowered with the gifts of the Akua, however, Kai’s strength can grow to rival the grim shapeshifting kapua that ravage his island. Kai does not begin the story with these skills. Along his adventure, he will come across heiaus (shrines) dedicated to six ancient Akua. After restoring their heiau and proving his worth, Kai will have these abilities conferred to him and gain the strength to strike down even his fiercest foes.

Spirit Vision is the base for several of Kai’s Akua granted skills. Kai sees into the world more directly with Spirit Vision and can see the aura of other character’s mana. In this mode, if Kai places his crosshairs on a target long enough, he will tag them. That character will then become visible to Kai even if they go behind something that would obstruct Kai’s normal vision. Kai can also see the footprints of where others in the area have been. This way Kai can observe the patrol routes of enemies and plan his next move.

While using Spirit Vision Kai can activate new Akua abilities at the cost of his mana. One such skill is Bullet Shield. Exploiting the veil between Oahu and the spirit world, Kai can twist space around himself, so bullets that would typically inflict mortal wounds deflect harmlessly away. While this only lasts for a few seconds, it is a powerful ability.

Kai also gains a level of control over the natural elements around him. While it does come with high mana cost, Volcanic Eruptions can cause massive amounts of area damage. These volcanoes spew fiery debris. The higher Kai’s skill level, the longer a volcano will last and the more overall damage it will do.

Kai may also learn from the Akua how to modify the type of ammunition he can fire from his spirit bow. Kai can turn a spirit arrow into a ball of flame that explodes when it hits his target with Explosion Arrow.

Not all of Kai’s Akua granted abilities are focused on destroying his enemies. Kai may also learn to shapeshift himself, becoming a Mano to swim the ocean as a shark. He can also be taught to Soar enabling Kai to fly through the ‘Oahuan skies in the form of a bird.

With powers like seeing into the spirit realm, the ability to manipulate the flow of lava around him, and deflecting bullets Kai has some game-changing options at his disposal. We don’t want to spoil all the fun so that’s just a sample of what Kai can learn to do. We look forward to sharing more about Kai and Ashes of Oahu with you as we march towards launch.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook for all the latest news and updates! Want to chat with the devs? Join our Discord!

Be sure to Wishlist us on Steam now, and subscribe to our newsletter to get notified as soon as we reveal the release date.