[p]Hey everyone![/p][p]I’m hard at work getting the demo ready for Steam Next Fest, and things are coming along nicely. The plan is to have a solid, playable chunk ready before the event—and then open up Early Access shortly after.[/p][p]Here’s a look at what’s been happening behind the scenes:[/p][p][/p][h2]
Elemental effects now hit harder (and look cooler)[/h2][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]Elemental damage now packs more punch. Burning enemies like mages ignite immediately, and frozen foes will shatter into satisfying icy shards when smashed. Combat just got a whole lot juicier.[/p][p][/p][h2]
Dual wield skill is finalized and fully working[/h2][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]
One of the trickiest parts of our skill system is ensuring different abilities and elemental effects can combine seamlessly. Dual wielding posed a unique challenge—it affects how the player attacks, reloads, and triggers other effects. After a lot of tweaking and accounting for edge cases, it’s now working neatly with all elemental builds.[/p][p][/p][h2]
Main quest progression and new boss: the Flamethrower Baddy[/h2][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]
Development on the main quest continues, bringing new story content and fresh enemies—like this brand-new boss wielding a brutal flamethrower. The footage is from an early test map, but… you get the point.
WOOSH.[/p][p][/p][h2]
New enemy tech and UI polish[/h2][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]
I’ve also expanded general enemy behavior, adding projectile-throwing types to keep you on your toes. On top of that, the enemy name UI and various visual polish passes make everything look sharper and feel more refined.[/p][p][/p][h2]
Destructible environments (with loot!)[/h2][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]
Destructibles are in! Blowing things up is always fun, but they also help make the world feel alive—and sometimes they drop loot too. This is a small taste of the broader loot system that’s planned for expansion after the Early Access release.[/p][p][/p][h2]
Optional lore system: readable tomes and books[/h2][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]
For players who love world-building, I’ve added a system for reading tomes, scrolls, and ancient books. It’s completely optional, but offers rich lore if you want to dig deeper. And yes—it already looks pretty neat![/p][p][/p][h2]
Major progress on the main story (but no spoilers)[/h2][p]The largest additions are actually in the main quest and story… but I’m deliberately showing less of that for now. If you’re part of the Discord, you may have seen a few extra glimpses. For everyone else: it’s shaping up to be something special.[/p][p][/p][h2]
👉 Don’t forget to wishlist Under a Desert Sun: Seekers of the Cursed Vessel[/h2][p]It really helps with visibility and keeps you in the loop for Early Access and Next Fest![/p][h2]
🎮 Want to see more and join the community?[/h2][p]Hop into the
Discord and chat with fellow adventurers, give feedback, or just lurk for sneak peeks.[/p]