Rhythm Storm 1.0.04 is now available on Steam! In case you got here without knowing much about it, Rhythm Storm is a rhythmic bullet heaven/swarm survival/survivor-like. It uses vector-graphics (aka lines and polygons only, no textures), but more importantly, it has tons of vehicles, powers, weapons, and upgrades. There are many ways to succeed in the game, and if you want a head start, I posted a Beginner's Strategy Guide earlier this week.
After playing the game a bunch this week in preparation for launch, I made a number of minor tweaks to the visuals, audio, and a few gameplay elements. There was also some good feedback from the Steam forums thanks to the (no longer available) demo. You might notice some slight visual differences between the trailers (like the launch one below) and the actual game, but I think all the tweaks/changes are for the better.
BUILD BALANCING
With so many different builds and ways to play the game, there's always going to be some that are stronger than others. I'm less concerned with subtle variations or minor difficulty roller coasters, but I've tried to make sure most intentional strategies/builds can work out on Elite, and that no build is so OP that it makes the game feel easy from beginning to end.
I've really focused on making all powers and weapons viable. There are 10 powers, 10 body weapons, and 10 turret weapons, and you can combine those in a huge variety of ways. Each of those 30 things has two Ultra upgrades (you can only one Ultra at a time), so that's 60 different builds if you focus on any one of those, and then there are many combinations and different vehicle properties to consider, along with 32 Ultra Combos that require at one or more Ultra upgrades.
A RADIANGAMES ROGUELIKE
I'm sure that some of the words I'm said in the paragraph above won't make sense to you. But I hope you are able to stick to the game to the point where they do. I'm still really enjoying playing the game after hundreds of complete runs (thousands if you count world 1-complete runs). The beginning of the game can be overwhelming for new players, and I'm still trying to think of ways to convey some of the game's secret/hidden upgrades prior to them popping up.
On that last issue, I've taken the approach of trying to add a variety of powerful hidden upgrades regardless of which build you attempt. I think I have most of the builds covered in that regard, but it's possible I missed a few, and I'm very open to adding more Ultra upgrades if I did. So if you max out an upgrade and think it should have an Ultra or special version as a reward, please let me know in the forums (or email [email protected]).
I wish I had made a roguelike game prior to Rhythm Storm, as they are especially fun to work on. But I'm glad that Rhythm Storm is Radiangames' first entry into the genre. Survivor-likes may be the "simplest" version of a roguelike, but they are far from simple to make. I probably won't make another roguelike for a few years, but I'll be updating Rhythm Storm for quite a while.
Speaking of updates, I'll be watching the forums and reviews for any issues and balance feedback, and I expect to update the game fairly frequently in the near term.
Thanks for reading, and hope you enjoy the game! -Luke