Hello, Seekers!
It's been a long and eventful summer for everyone at Moebial Studios, as we've been balancing big life changes with our non-stop work on updating Aquamarine and getting it ready for consoles. So much has happened over here, I figured it was time to finally let everyone know what we've got cooking!
After my partner and I settled into our new life with our adorable baby boy (he's 6 months old now!), I got straight to work on a brand-new, "enhanced" version of Aquamarine. This comprehensive revamp will be the version we release on consoles, and will also be immediately available as a free update on PC. I've been looking at this as Aquamarine v2.0, because it greatly expands the game's features and addresses a huge amount of the player feedback we've received since launch.
Here's a quick rundown of what's been changed and added...
- Overall difficulty has been refined and balanced for multiple game modes, including NORMAL, RELAXED, EXPLORE, and EXPERT
- New game mode EXPLORE introduces the option to safely experience Aquamarine's world & story without consequences
- New game mode EXPERT introduces a "hardcore" difficulty option for those looking for a serious test of their survival skills and knowledge of the planet's ecosystem
- A brand-new save system has been added, giving players three individual save slots to load and reset as they wish
- Multiple new features have been added to the underwater survival pod, including an optional tool-tip system that explains the functions of each of control when you hover over it
- The system behind all story events, visions, and dreams has been recalibrated for continuity, clarity, and consistency
- New environment art and creature animations have been added to each exploration area
- New rare gem power-ups can now be found hidden through each exploration area
- Day/night cycle system has been reworked mechanically and visually
- Multiple creature AI have been updated across all game modes
- New functionality has been added to the island camp and garden, including the ability to use your tools by selecting them directly on screen
- New functionality has been added to the controls, including the ability to cancel out of any action with a single button press
- Game options now include windowed/fullscreen view toggle, three bespoke resolutions, HUD size options, and more
- Game is fully localized for all platforms in English, French, Spanish, Chinese (Simplified), and Thai
- A new pod color scheme and EXPERT mode are unlocked after finishing the game
And that's not to mention the countless bug fixes and bits of visual/mechanical polish that's been done along the way. Suffice it to say that this next update for Aquamarine changes the game in a major way, and I am thrilled to be able to share it with you.
In the meantime, keep your eyes peeled for more announcements and release dates...
🌊👁🌐
- Team Moebial