The last 2 weeks we have been hard at work with the feedback we have received from players, implementing new features, and adjusting/polishing the ones that we had last build. Here we have listed the changes we made since last build. Enjoy!!!

NEW

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TUTORIAL

We have heard that combat was not explained well enough and confusing to players. 

So, we have added visual indicators to explain how combat works. This has been implemented for the first gate and following 2 combat encounters. After that you are on your own, good luck!   

•  Added Visual Button Indicators on the first puzzle and first 2 combat encounters. This will take the player through the combat in Marisol. 

NPCs 

Marisol is not the only inhabitant of the Dried Ocean. Merchants have returned to the Market. The Shrimp Shelldon, is super excited to meet you. The mysterious Blacksmith might offer his services... for a price.   

•  Added Shrimp Merchant NPC, with an idle animation. He cannot control his excitement when you say hi!! 
•  Added Blacksmith NPC, he can help you advance your quest. He uses the new Dialogue System!!

DIALOGUE

To give more information to the player about the world and to point them in the right direction. You can now talk to the Blacksmith over in the Stall at the Market.    

He might look scary, but he is nice and has not had many customers as of late, so give him a visit!  

• Added Dialogue. You can talk using the "A" or "X" button on your gamepad. 
• Added Camera Changes for dialogue. You can now admire the Fish in all its glory!

FINAL ENCOUNTER

We always had the intention to convey a short story with our game. In the last build the player was never able to reach the Witch's Tower for the climax of the story. This update opens the path to the Witch's Tower. Here you can find a look-out point to admire the desolate, yet beautiful landscape of Marisol, and maybe you will spot the giant creature in our game. You can find one last puzzle and then you will be "greeted" by the Witch in her tower.   

• Added a new Area. The Witch's Tower. The final destination of your journey, so far... 
• Added a new puzzle. Can you figure it out? 
• Added a cinematic cutscene to end our story.  
• Added an ancient creature?

CHANGED  

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MAIN MENU

We have opted for a different approach to our Main Menu. You now load into our World directly and get a cinematic intro when starting the game.  

• Changed Main Menu Level to now be incorporated in the Main Level. We all love those nice transitions. 

CHARACTER

We have moved to our Finalized Mesh and Skeleton for Marisol. 

• Updated Skeletal Mesh. 
• Updated Rig. 
•  Added Block Animation. 
•  Retextured Marisol.  

AIMING

We have removed the debug indicators and have replaced them with fully fledged out art. The ammo is now updated on your UI. And we have added aim assist. (Aiming can be hard!) 

• Removed the Red Box indicator around a Target.  
• Added new Visual Indicators on Targets. 
• The player's current ammo is now visible on the reticle.
• Reticle now twirls towards the center of the screen. 
• Added aim-assist when targeting near Targetable object. 

HEALTH

We have moved away from the 2D UI, we only use it for our new Dialogue system. We embraced our in-world UI approach and gave it some much needed clarity improvements. 

• Removed 2D Health UI 
• Added Health to Reticle. Health is now indicated by the spikes on your reticle. 
• Lowered the player's Health. Player now dies after 5 hits. 
• When the player dies, the player respawns at a checkpoint. 
• Added a Vignette VFX when the player's health reduces.
•  Added Controller Rumble when the player gets hit.   

ENEMIES

We have improved the clarity and behavior for our enemies. Enemies now better communicate their attacks. Enemies do not get stuck as often and behave better in groups.    

• Changed animations. We have lengthened the wind-up for the attack animations, giving the player more time to react. 
• New VFX. The crab now hides in a pile of sand.  
• Improved Stagger. Stagger is now more consistent. Improvement on the blending and timing to give more visual clarity for the player. 
• Visual Damage Material. Enemy Crab shells now crack when being hit, the intensity scaling with the health of the crab.  
• Improved Procedural Crab Animations. Legs are no longer floating or dancing (sadly). 
• Improved behavior. Enemies no longer get stuck; enemies no longer end up on top of each other. We have adjusted their vision; enemies can no longer see you through the level. 

PUZZLES

Puzzles have been improved. A lot of feedback we received was about the readability and clarity of the puzzles. We have added more VFX and SFX for puzzles in our game. We have also solved a lot of collision issues that would make puzzles harder or impossible to complete. 

• Improved readability for puzzles. We added more VFX to the puzzles to highlight them.
• Improved collision. Projectiles no longer miss their target when shooting them.  
• Added VFX for Targetable Puzzles. 
• Added Emissive Materials to some Puzzle Targets. 
• Added SFXs to Puzzles. We have added sounds, now you can hear when you have activated a timed puzzle.