Hey everyone!
The DarKnot Team is back with a second part to our June Journal Entry as promised!
Today we’ll focus on more changes made to our exclusive alpha build, but you can still check out our public demo, available on Steam here.
So, without further ado, let’s jump right in!
The Park
One of the main changes in The Park was the introduction of a brand new character, the ever sinister and foreboding Crow!
The crows addition comes with a lot of flavor, and small interactions with the player. We added the perfect ambiance from a cold winter night, and you’ll get to hear more crows in the background - friends, or foes?
Our new winged friends will periodically gather at The Park, and it would be wise for the player to avoid them; if you get too close they will cackle and fly away, alerting the entire district of your presence there. Watch your step!
A bit sneakier than their real life counterparts, The Park’s crows will be a constant worry for the player, and come for their items. If they are successful, they will steal items from the player’s inventory, and take away a nice chunk of health as well.
But don’t worry, the crows aren’t just here to make your day miserable. Not only can you fight back and throw objects at them, but they’re also the only way to access the key to progress DarKnot’s story. No spoilers however!
While exploring the area, you can find the Crow’s Nest, where you might find a defunct specimen, and also a Trash Cannon! You can use it on garbage cans, turning them into a deadly stationary weapon. Why would such a powerful weapon be hiding here?
But that’s not everything for The Park! Our team has significantly enhanced the area, adding more encounters and polishing the ambiance.
Upon starting the level, the player wakes up on a bench in The Park, a candle burning in their hand, weakly illuminating the impenetrable darkness. The following cutscene has been added, focusing on the player getting up and trying to assess their surroundings.
Another cutscene about the Cultist Party Van’s exit, and the player’s possible death scene has also been added.
The sound has been reworked, adding various noises to the environment:
- Whispers of the cultists
- Shouts of the cultists
- Rumbling sound of a cage
The Park also received more foes - a pack of wandering stray dogs has been added. It’s best that you don’t try to feed them!
A bell was added in The Park, and the player can interact with it at the gates. Be careful not to alert the surrounding enemies!
The Rituals
The Rituals, available in our free Demo, received a nice overhaul in our Exclusive Alpha Build as well. But before, we expanded the Tarot cards available to the player:
- The Blindness card has been added, granting the player 25% more stealth upon their awakening
- The Pretender card has been added, granting a candle on the table upon awakening
Our artists have been hard at work, creating numerous new icons and UI pieces to make the DarKnot experience a whole lot smoother:
- Added new damage and durability icons
- Added an icon with a finger on the control buttons for small objects (radio buttons, etc.)
- Added an icon with a slightly bent finger for rotation
A lot of items received an inspection screen, providing you with more details about what happened in The Ritual Room:
- Added an inspection screen for the armored lock after the player breaks it
- Added an inspection screen for the insect
- Added an inspection screen for the Cthulhu Box
We also have some small changes, and miscellaneous items:
- Added a note about a candle and possible damage from getting too close to a candle
- Spider webs will trap the player, but can now be burnt down by candles
- In the Ritual room, footstep sounds are now synchronized with animations
- The Mancinell faction now has proper sounds and health bars
- When reloading a gun, the items that were in your hands will conceal properly
- Improved brightness settings
And that’s it for June everyone! This Journal Entry was a big one and we hope you liked it! If you want more, make sure to join us on Discord for more sneak peeks at what we’re working on!
Signing off,
DarKnot Team