Blood West News

As we promised last week, today we have prepared a small taste of what is to come. Just a heads up, today's meal is meant to leave you a bit pecking - but don’t you worry as we are cooking more than an appetizer for you and soon it will leave the oven.

[h3]Ok, enough kitchen lingo, kick back and enjoy some moving pictures[/h3]

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Before you delve into wild speculation about what might be inside that pitch black rift or who is that woman, there are some things we can share with you already! As you have noticed, you will be able to equip magical staffs and other similar objects. These esoteric armaments will allow you not only to melt your enemies’ faces, but to summon minions to aid you in battle. Heck, they can also be used to curse your foes with negative status effects. You will need these and more to deal with new Eldritch Predators such as the lovely Abyss walker.

[h3]That is all we have for today folks, but feel more than welcome to drop onto our Discord and have a chat with us! We will be dropping new screenshots there to keep ya’all entertained till the next video reveal![/h3]

Today we would like to share with you the hot takes of the survey that we have posted in some time ago. But before that, we would like to thank y'all for being such mighty fine folk! Your turnout has surpassed our wildest expectations - tip of the hat to you! For people like you, give us the positive energy to keep making more!

[h3]With that out of the way, let's take a look together at these fancy numbers![/h3]



[h2]Favorite NPC[/h2]

Anabelle won by a landslide and we ain’t surprised! We fell in love with the gal while she was still a concept art during the development of the second chapter of Blood West and we wanted her to be the poster-girl of the second chapter. That wouldn’t be possible of course without Ivy Wilde. She did done a fantastic job of bringing the character to life and on that note each and every voice actor did a phenomenal job. In case you were wondering who is the voice behind your favorite NPC, here is a neat little homage we made for them.

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[h2]Best Chapter[/h2]

An almost equal split between chapters sends us a clear message of what tickles your fancy when it comes to level design. Open levels with a strong theme, lots of small pockets of interest to explore and a fair, yet demanding difficulty curve. We could pat ourselves on the back here and call it a day, but there is the topic of Chapter 3. A disclaimer before we dig in, as almost 40% of participants stated that they have not finished Blood West yet - and with the difficulty spike we ain’t surprised. Nevertheless, this bit of information paints Chapter 3 in a much different color. However, we wouldn’t be ourselves, if we hadn't looked at everything thoroughly. There could be several factors that contributed to his result, the aforementioned difficulty spike, gaming fatigue, elevations interrupting the flow of exploration and a few others. We will be looking at each and one of them to make sure nothing is overlooked - just in case. Overall, we are happy with all of the chapters as they have done their very distinctive jobs very well - otherwise your reviews wouldn’t be so positive. So we take this task with an attitude of how to make a good thing even better.


[h2]Favorite Gameplay Style[/h2]

Almost equal split between gunsling and sneaking! I reckon with these results we can hazard a statement that we have done good on the Stealth FPS part. Yet there is no rest for the undead and game developers as it looks like archery and melee is lagging be-hind in your estimations. While there are more than several perks and trinkets that amplify these gamestyles there seems not to be enough of them. The same thing goes for weapon variety - there weren't simply as many bows and melee weapons as guns. Luckily, the solution for this here challenge is quite simple - make more of em’! We have not only already planned a greater number of these types of weapons for upcoming content, but we have also been working on making their passive and active effects as engaging and fun as we can. Hell, you might even see a whole new kind of weapon - but you did not hear it from me.

On a bit of an off-topic, how do you feel about our archetype videos? Would you like to see more of them? Let us know in the comments!

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[h2]Most Wanted Improvements[/h2]

While there are some interactive environments in Blood West, shoutout to those cowboys who found the destructible lanterns, there certainly could be more of them. However, this is the part where we have to cool your horses folks. Adding physics to many objects is something that can’t be done in how we have built Blood West - performance will kick the dirt simply. So while a substantial expansion of the scope of interactive environments is a topic for a far, faaar future, we can definitely deliver the second most wanted thing - more mechanics! You can bet your last penny that we will keep experimenting with making monsters in Blood West even more complex and creepy, but you can also expect us to keep expanding gameplay archetypes. For what are new enemies without new weapons to unalive them.


[h2]Most Wanted Future Content[/h2]

They say the customer is always right, so who are we to argue? Round up your crew and mosey on over to this here steam page on the 19th of August. Keep your pretty peepers focused around 19.00 CEST and you might just find what you were asking for.

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Summer, a time of joyful exuberance. A time to kick-back, relax and what is a better form of relaxation than indulging in some reckless shopping during the Summers Sale!

We have prepared a discount’s galore for you to browse and peruse, so what are you looking for?

• You want boom shoots? - We got them.
  
• You want stylish boom shoots? - We got them too.
  
• You want something more cerebral? - We got your back.
  
• You want to run around with sharp objects? - We got you covered.
  
• You want something strange? - Say no more.
  
• You want something cute, wholesome and heartwarming? - Actually, no.. we don’t have these.
  

So what are you waiting for? Grab your friends, loved ones and that weird neighbor that you see only once a week at the bus stop - It's time for a Hyper Summer Sale!



https://store.steampowered.com/app/1317020/77p_egg_Eggwife/?curator_clanid=38371631

https://store.steampowered.com/app/727850/ELDERBORN/?curator_clanid=38371631

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2243110/EMPTY_SHELL/?curator_clanid=38371631

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1604280/STHELL/?curator_clanid=38371631

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1734680/INCISION/?curator_clanid=38371631

https://store.steampowered.com/app/727850/ELDERBORN/?curator_clanid=38371631



[h2]Supplice Episode 3[/h2]
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Supplice, the most stylish boomer-shooter there is, has just got a whole new Episode! New weapons, new enemies and a new frozen wasteland to explore. If you have missed the fun-train, then you can get Supplice with a 20% discount during the Summer Sale!

[h2]Hordes of Hunger[/h2]
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Ever wondered how a 3D action survivorslike would look like? Then wonder no more as our feverish imagination has done that for you! Wishlist Hordes of Hunger to stay in the loop on our development progress.

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[h2]Hey Gunslingers,[/h2]

We are starting this fiesta with a spicy 30% discount on Blood West, but this ain't the only dish we are serving on this here party. We have got FPS games galore waiting to invade your taste buds. Not hungry? Well then younglings, you better make grandma Hyperstrange proud and eat up!


[h2]Supplice[/h2]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1693280/Supplice/

[h3]A classy throwback shooter that pays homage to the mid-90s FPS era and the legendary Doom modding. [/h3]

[h2]Incision[/h2]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1734680/INCISION/

[h3]Pure, unadulterated Phonk with old-school FPS action. No nonsense, just blood and gore.[/h3]

[h2]POSTAL: Brain Damaged[/h2]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1359980/POSTAL_Brain_Damaged/

[h3]Take a wild roller coaster ride through the twisted wonderland encased in the POSTAL DUDE’S messed-up mind.[/h3]

[h2]GHOSTWARE: Arena of the Dead[/h2]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1893370/GHOSTWARE_Arena_of_the_Dead/

[h3]Gamers don't die, they RESPAWN in this Retro Arena FPS.[/h3]

[h2]Rack the shotgun and let's go![/h2]

The day we’ve all been waiting for is finally here! We're bursting with excitement to crown the victors of our biggest and most thrilling contest ever!

Remember when we challenged you, our incredible community, to unleash your inner monster-maker? To conjure up the most intriguing, spine-tingling creature to stalk the barren lands of Blood West? Well, the wait is over!

As a reminder, the winner’s design will be immortalized within the game and their name will take the rightful place in the Blood West credits! Talk about legendary!

And for the three runner-up masterminds, their phenomenal creations haven't gone unnoticed. Each of them will receive a double dose of gaming glory: two game keys from our selection, a well-deserved reward for your fantastic work.

Drumroll, please...

The moment you've all been craving: the winning entries!




[h2]Wraith Wolf by Emmanuel Falaras[/h2]



These woods used to echo with the sounds of the Wolf Packs around here. But as Ranchers and
Frontiersmen settled in, they were wiped out, hunted to oblivion. Now though, since the dead have been rising again, the Wolves have come back... And they seem intent on returning the favor.

There are two variants of the Wraith Wolf, the Alpha, and its Summons.

The Alpha is a Skeletal Wolf with a ghostly body, and glowing eyes and heart. And the Summon is the
Skeleton with only the glowing eyes. The Wraith Wolf Alpha starts patrolling its territory alone. But when it engages with a target, the Alpha howls, summoning additional skeletal wolves around itself that attack the target directly. While the Summons attack the target, the Alpha circles from the outside, quickly darting back and forth, occasionally stopping to summon additional skeletons at different
angles around its target. The Skeletal Summons pull themselves from the ground when spawned, and are brittle, falling relatively easily with no damage resistances. The Alpha is heavily resistant to all damage types outside of Silver, with the glowing heart acting as a greater weak point as opposed to the head. When the Alpha is defeated, any active Summons also fall with it. When defeated, the Alpha's ghostly body evaporates while the bones fall to the ground, and the Skeletal Summons simply fall to the ground.

The Wraith Wolf may drop its Jaw on death as an equipable item. When worn, it will summon two
skeletal wolves to aid the player in combat once every 5 minutes. The skeletal wolves, and the item
cooldown are both triggered when an enemy targets the player. The goal of the Wraith Wolf is first, to have more Spectral enemies to encourage greater use of Silver Ammo. Second; to be an enemy encounter that offers many targets to fight at once, giving more value to high-capacity weapons like the Lever Rifle and the Chain Pistol. And thirdly; to have an enemy that offers a more intense, faster paced combat if the player seeks it, or to be a dangerous enemy rewarding a stealthy play style.


[h3]And here’s what the team said about giving this concept a key to being animated in Blood West:[/h3]

“The Wraith Wolf's concept as a whole captivates us; the synergy between its design, mechanics, and lore creates an exceptional entity. While each element on its own is strong, it's their cohesive integration that truly stands out. Among many impressive submissions, it stood out and clinched the team's vote. It's a perfect fit for Blood West's varied biomes, enhancing the game's "wild" areas seamlessly. The creator aimed to introduce a spiritual foe encouraging more use of silver ammo, a touch we find brilliant. Essentially, the Wraith Wolf triumphed by melding a striking visual idea with game mechanics as if tailor-made for Blood West.”




[h3]Here are the three masterpieces that earned the second prize![/h3]

[h2]Tombstone Scorp by Pavel Pavlenko[/h2]



[h2]Gilded Huntress by 30mil user[/h2]



[h2]Tormentor by Cormac Bate[/h2]



We want to give a monstrous shout-out to every single contestant who stepped into the arena! Your unleashed creativity and sheer passion were the fuel that kept this contest burning bright. Stay tuned, as we will be sharing with you the process of how Wraith Wolf becomes a monstrosity that will hunt you in the next expansion!

[h3]Warm regards,
The Blood West Team[/h3]