Voltage High Society News

Hello hello!

Well, we´re a bit behind schedule (we´ve had to divide our attention over to some business-related stuff and client projects), but now its starting to feel like the next big update is on its homestretch. This is what its about:


[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

• The next area (prisoner camp / a cyberpunk gangland) is about 90% done. Most of the time has gone into churning thru the audiovisual stuff and actual level design -- to tell the truth, since we wanted to offer some contrast to the previous work, it overscoped a little. But now its very much there, and we´re just going thru connecting areas, finishing up with interactions, fixing bugs, and wrapping up.
  
• There's a new pickup + a new interaction system to play with.
  
• There's a group of new enemies and a very demented boss fight to look forward to.
  
• More music! The initial release had maybe 3 songs or so. Now we've got seven additional tracks by Jesse, plus a few "inside the world" kind of songs that oughta be fun. A Lot of vibes to be had!
  
• And some polish into existing systems. We've carefully expanded the combat and enemy design, to give more variation, readability, and fun.
  

And thank you for the continuing support and feedback!!!!
Rest assured we read each one, and copy all the wishes and critique into a backlog. We´re super grateful about the positive reviews and word of mouth! You help us immensely in pushing this game forward! Sorry about the lack of news items or information on our progress - we try to bring value into these newsletters and even them out. We've shared some media in our twitter & discord, but now it felt like the time to put something in Steam as well.

[h3]Bug fixes & improvements[/h3]

• Less friction: movement doesn't stick to walls & jumping is smoother
  
• Fixed second component not returning to guard if you´ve played on two sessions
  
• Updated framerate settings to: VSync, 60fps, unlimited
  
• Proper 16:9 1080p resolution
  

+ Polished tiny details

Heads up, we're raising our price soon! This is your last chance to jump on the cheap train.


Thank you for your support & keep on punching!

This is an overhaul update on the first level + the gameplay. We've overhauled and fixed a ton of the jankyness, readability, bugs, and depth of the content --- dare to say it, the game plays ten times better now. Since this is a big overhaul, both content-wise and with the game's data. We recommend starting from the beginning! With the scripted sequences, dialogue, etc... it should be a fun experience though!

[h3]Improvements[/h3]

• Map! Now we have it. Includes landmarks/mission markers as well.
  
• Storytelling! Added an intro, scripted sequences, and more dialogue.
  
• Punching! Juicier fighting, with punching that reads and connects better.
  
• Moving! Move and jump are now silky smooth. They react properly to stairs and odd angles.
  
• UI has way more information, like damage direction, damage type, save icon, air gauge, etc.
  
• A Touch of GFX polish (environment details + mesh textures + UI fun stuff).
  
• First level now connects to a new level (the next area is still unfinished).
  
• Changed Spiky Spheres to instant kill enemies.
  
• Remade the prison guard visuals + story details.
  
• Gibs.
  

++ Unlisted tiny details and small additions, both to the first level and overall gameplay.


[h3]Bug Fixes[/h3]

• Fixed missing the platform when jumping from helicopter.
  
• Fixed the punch gauge breaking if you die or do weird stuff while powering up your fists.
  
• Fixed underwater movement (coherent and the speed is not all over the place).
  
• Fixed punk bar ceiling collider issue.
  
• Fixed shop showing incorrect amount of scraps.
  
• Fixed HUD showing incorrect amount of scraps.
  
• Fixed jump sound playing underwater.
  
• Fixed floating hand from using the healing station.
  
• Fixed collider issues within The Cavity.
  

[h3]Next...[/h3]
Also, we've been working on the new content (level, enemies, abilities), that ARE coming along well, but required a new iteration on the old codebase and content. From here on, the patches should work more seamlessly.

Thank you for your support & keep on punching!

Hello!

Figured it´d be nice to give a little update on the next release!

To cut the chase, we're doubling the content, give you some ranged abilities, enemies, npcs, and ways to interact with the surroundings. Without spoiling anything, the slowest part for the past few weeks has been (no matter how much we´ve planned) connecting the elements together, especially in that metroidvania-sense. We want to give it all the extra care though, since gameplay is what counts. And may the gods help us with the bug list. =D

For a cool shift in development though, we can work more on assets now (instead of design / coding / placeholder-y stuff). There's SO MUCH to do, we have a few distinct areas with their own themes/npcs/gameplay PLUS there´s a connecting ground between the two, where you travel back and forth. All of this is pretty barren as of now, and needs plenty of assets and eyecandy.

We're not going to throw any release dates yet -- the new release is quite ambitious. But it's progressing nice and steady. Also, as a heads-up, we will push the price of the game up a notch once the new patch is done. Feels like a good time for that, with the amount of work we´re doing.

With all that said, here´s a few WORK IN PROGRESS screenshots:

[h3]Feedback & Improvements[/h3]

• Fuseboxes are easier to notice from the environment
  
• Added an UI icon for flashlight (...that reacts to low energy, too)
• Gamepad support (tested with PS4/Xbox360/Switch Pro)
• Brainwashed Claw now has a new colour (not the hostile enemy red)
• A Touch of GFX polish (environment details + mesh textures + UI fun stuff)

[h3]Bug Fixes[/h3]

• Fixed the jerky upwards motion when Jumping
  
• Fixed framerate issues with the helicopter
  
• Fixed getting stuck on terminals (...near The Chariot nest + all around)
• Fixed getting stuck when climbing Bar table separators
  

[h3]Options[/h3]

• added a toggle button for Always Run
  
• added a toggle button for 60 FPS Limit
  

Thank you for your support & keep on punching!