August Development Update
Had a moment this month where I was just taken aback by how far things have come recently. Things are moving along, but there’s still a long way to go. Art is getting more and more final on some areas, so we’ll be taking a look at the first major zone of the game.
I also did a full HUD rework, so we’re going to take a look at those things.
The Valley is the first main area you’ll explore. It’s a relatively peaceful area, so while there are enemies to fight and even a boss battle, it’s mostly a place you’ll pass through on your way to other places. It’s located in the center of the map, so it’s connected to every other major zone.
See those mushrooms? They’re bouncy. You can use them to reach higher areas. You can even mix them with other techniques to go even higher and farther.
There are caves you’ll travel through as you move from place to place. There are some branches in this particular cave, and even a few secrets you can get pretty early if you know how to use your abilities well.
In fact, that was one of the core goals of this part of the game. While this first trip through the valley is mostly linear, you’ll be introduced to lots of branches and shortcuts that you can’t explore yet, but will be able to explore when you’ve increased your abilities. Some of them are pretty obvious, while others you might pass by without even noticing.
These trees make for great platforms in the more vertical areas of the valley. This particular room is actually home to one of my favorite hidden collectibles in terms of how it’s hidden, I'm very excited for you to find it when the game is ready.
Those previous screenshots showed off a bit of the new HUD, but let’s take a closer look. Note that this is still somewhat of a work in progress, but a lot of work has been done on it recently and it’s a far cry from its earlier look.
Pictured is the health bar, armor, weapons, ammo, attack modifiers, jet fuel gauge, and dash gauge.
There are a few other things besides these that can show up on the HUD from time to time. I’ll be going into each of these in the coming months.
If it seems like a lot of things to keep track of, don’t worry. They’re introduced gradually over the course of the game.
Things are moving along. I’m hoping to be able to set a time when you can play the game before too long. However, please recognize that while I’m trying my best to get the game into your hands as soon as possible, I’m also hesitant to promise a release date until it’s ready and I know I can meet that deadline, so stay tuned.
I also did a full HUD rework, so we’re going to take a look at those things.
Riftswept Valley
The Valley is the first main area you’ll explore. It’s a relatively peaceful area, so while there are enemies to fight and even a boss battle, it’s mostly a place you’ll pass through on your way to other places. It’s located in the center of the map, so it’s connected to every other major zone.
See those mushrooms? They’re bouncy. You can use them to reach higher areas. You can even mix them with other techniques to go even higher and farther.
There are caves you’ll travel through as you move from place to place. There are some branches in this particular cave, and even a few secrets you can get pretty early if you know how to use your abilities well.
In fact, that was one of the core goals of this part of the game. While this first trip through the valley is mostly linear, you’ll be introduced to lots of branches and shortcuts that you can’t explore yet, but will be able to explore when you’ve increased your abilities. Some of them are pretty obvious, while others you might pass by without even noticing.
These trees make for great platforms in the more vertical areas of the valley. This particular room is actually home to one of my favorite hidden collectibles in terms of how it’s hidden, I'm very excited for you to find it when the game is ready.
The New HUD
Those previous screenshots showed off a bit of the new HUD, but let’s take a closer look. Note that this is still somewhat of a work in progress, but a lot of work has been done on it recently and it’s a far cry from its earlier look.
Pictured is the health bar, armor, weapons, ammo, attack modifiers, jet fuel gauge, and dash gauge.
There are a few other things besides these that can show up on the HUD from time to time. I’ll be going into each of these in the coming months.
If it seems like a lot of things to keep track of, don’t worry. They’re introduced gradually over the course of the game.
Things are moving along. I’m hoping to be able to set a time when you can play the game before too long. However, please recognize that while I’m trying my best to get the game into your hands as soon as possible, I’m also hesitant to promise a release date until it’s ready and I know I can meet that deadline, so stay tuned.