Hello Warriors!
It’s been a while since we last communicated how the production is going. We thought it’s high time we update you on our progress. A lot has changed on our side and we’d like you to take a quick sneak peek behind the scenes to see what’s coming.
First off, here is the most exciting news: the Main Campaign of the game is getting a total makeover! If you have played the whole game already, you are still in for a treat - the story is brand new, and although Achilles is still in the center of it, there will be many surprises and a whole different feel to the game. Starting from the first moments in Troy…
The story will focus on Achilles, the great soldier and a renowned warrior at the peak of his life. Then… Our hero dies during the fight with Paris, as written in Homer’s Iliad.
Wait, he dies?
Now what?
It isn’t the end of him though, as he wakes up back in Greece without any memory of what has happened after his demise. Why is he still here? What has transpired in Troy? And why are there monsters and undead walking around? The mystery awaits to be unraveled. The main storyline is a bit tricky - we don’t want to give you any spoilers besides the dying part, so we won’t share much more about it. Again, even if you have played already - the story is not what it was before…
During the Main Campaign, you’ll find a lot more NPCs. There’s more dialogue and a few additional in-game cutscenes. Achilles will also start to comment a lot more, sharing his thoughts and insights on the things he encounters. This will make the game more immersive for the player, as you’ll get to know our hero a bit better.
Now, to get a bit technical: designing a story for a video game is a difficult task to take on. There’s a magnitude of things you have to consider if you want it to work well. For example, Action RPGs tend to focus more on gameplay mechanics, character progression, and combat systems. It can be challenging to strike the right balance between engaging gameplay and a compelling narrative. To keep one from overtaking the other, you have to place the story events very carefully, or risk overwhelming and distracting the player. The story needs to serve the gameplay first, taking the player throughout the vast world and for example not leave the whole areas empty and irrelevant, while giving the opportunity to explore freely.
The word of the day is: pacing. Balancing the story's pacing with gameplay progression and ensuring a steady flow of narrative moments while allowing for exploration and character development can be quite demanding. Before the current story changes, Achilles: Legends Untold also had a few “hiccups”. Did you know one of the cutscenes lasted about 7 minutes total? And without the “skip” option at first… Not every player is necessarily invested in the story at all, and we have to account for that. We’ve paid a lot of attention to aspects like these while redesigning the game’s storyline and thanks to that it’s now becoming more coherent and better paced than ever.
The Troy section of the game now has a whole different feel to it. Instead of attacking the city by day, Achilles and his Myrmidons take on its defenses by nightfall. The map is a lot darker, although it’s lightened up by the flames of the ongoing siege. It’s giving off a more serious energy than before, with our hero determined to end the Trojan War right then and there. He searches for a way in for him and his soldiers while taking on whoever stands in his way, including some Trojan royalty…
Beside the main story, some mechanics are also being tweaked. For starters, we’ve created an entirely new currency system - now you can collect XP and money for the shop separately! The XP increases the character level, and with each level you get a skillpoint to spend inside the skill tree. There’s also some smaller stuff we’re changing, like lowering the cost of the famous kick ability. Additionally, we’re constantly expanding the world with new locations and enemies, adjusting the combat system, fixing bugs and working on improving the game’s performance.
Some of you may have noticed something strange going on in the game’s library page. Achievements are being implemented! They are going to be available on every platform, all in due time. Some of them will be simple tasks, but others will prove to be more challenging to complete. We’re positive that the Achievement Hunters in the community will be pleased.
NOTE: some of the achievements will be unlockable only for the full release, so don’t worry if you haven’t collected them all in one go.
We’re thrilled with all the feedback and support we got so far, and hope that it will continue in the future. We’re marching on and can’t wait to show you the effects of our team’s efforts.
See you soon!
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Did you know?
After killing Hector, Achilles tied his body to a chariot and dragged it around the city of Troy for several days. As a result, the gods were angered by Achilles' disrespect towards Hector's body.
The god Apollo guided Paris, another Trojan prince, to shoot an arrow at Achilles, guided by the god's hand. The arrow struck Achilles in his vulnerable heel, the only part of his body that was not invincible.
Achilles was mortally wounded and died shortly after being struck by the arrow. His death marked the end of the Trojan War, as the Greeks continued to honor Achilles even after his demise. The story of Achilles' death serves as a reminder of the vulnerability that even the mightiest heroes possess.