Ghost Song News

Ghost Song is coming in 2022 in cooperation with Humble Games!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

It's been a long and unlikely ride, but it's really happening. I'll have more to say on this as we move forward -- For now, to those of you who have stuck with me for all these years, thank you!

Matt

Some have lamented the lack of updates on the Steam page, and while I've been trying to quietly work until I had more concrete news (particularly about timeline), I do feel we're overdue for some kind of update -- So, here we are.

Below is a video that shows about the first 15 minutes of the game. Please also check the description of the video for some individual thoughts from me about things that are in it. Long story short, this is still a fairly hardcore game that avoids holding your hand, it's still quite open, and it's still meant to be a challenge. None of that has changed from the very start.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

This video comes from a recent demo that was made available to supporters and members of the Discord community and other friends. It's about an hour long, and, so far, I'm pleased that it's been pretty well received!

So -- The game is still being made. It's just slow going because doing anything decent by yourself gamedev wise is just really time consuming. And while I *still* can't provide a concrete timeline about release, I do want to give you all my assurances that the game is still being made, and that it's getting pretty far along now.

I may be a poor communicator at times -- but I've never stopped working on the game.

Thank you all for your support, and if what you've seen here interests you, please add Ghost Song to your wishlist if you haven't already! That specific act helps developers a lot!

Matt
@mattwhitedev

Just checking in. Making a game is a long road and there are only so many times I can type "I'm still working on it, trust" before it gets old, but I'm still working on it, trust. :)

Here's a video I recorded a few months ago for internal purposes that I think would be fun to actually share publicly. The purpose of the video is to showcase some of the weapons and items in the game to get a feel for how all of that looks. Nothing is really spoiled location wise, but a few items are obviously spoiled.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

WIth this game I've done my best to balance typical action shooting (as seen in games like Metroid and Mega Man) with legit melee combat (more in line with something like Castlevania) and allow the player to lean on one or the other more just depending on their tastes!

Hope everyone's been doing well! I can't announce a date yet, but once I'm able to announce stuff like that I will do it here obviously!

Matt

On occasion I will be posting Quick Updates, which are intended to be bite sized looks at particular aspects of the game.

Today we're going to look at water and fish. If you are able, please turn up your volume so you can listen to the ambient sound design and get a feel for the atmosphere I'm going for!

Video Link (Streamable)

When deciding how water would work in this game -- Both visually and gameplay-wise -- I decided to use retro games like Mega Man and Metroid as a starting point. I don't think that special swimming mechanics would be particularly fun in this game, so the player can still run and jump while underwater -- Just with significantly alterered physics and gravity. Since this can be challenging and limit your progress in certain sections, there exists items you can get that help you move more freely (or even jump super high!) while submerged.

The reason I felt like water was an important part of the game design is because of its oppressive nature and its mystery. Any time you're exploring something deep, dark, and murky you feel as though you're somewhere you't not meant to be, and it really -- at least in my mind -- Contributes to a sense of adventure. This is a game very much about openness, exploration, mystery, and overcoming the odds. Those are some of the most important pillars of the game.

With respect to how water works beyond movement, it's all very systems driven. My overall approach to the game is to make things work in (whenever it's possible or realistic) the way it seems most natural that they should work. So, in this case, that means that water cools off your gun barrel (gun barrel heat being a key and consequential mechanic in this game). As a bit of flavor, it also means that if you are dirty or bloody (both things that happen) water will wash you off. There are also fish that will move out of your way - Just like Call Of Duty: Ghosts! -- But if you're clever it may also be possible to sneak up on them and find means of capturing them!

What are some of your favorite and least favorite examples of water sections in sidescrollers? How do you feel about water generally? Let me know, I'm very curious!

Thank you very much for your time, and there will be more Quick Updates, as well as a playable demo, to come!

Matt