Exactly as planned last week, I fixed the last few small bugs, made final adjustments, and started work on the new demo version of the game.
This is a big milestone, as the previous demo was based on the initial Summer Playtest from June 2023. While the demo currently available on Steam is fully functional, it is also extremely outdated.
The new version is based on the most recent codebase (v0.7.6) and will include all improvements made over the last two and a half years. This includes both small and large changes—some more visible, such as ship sprite tilting, redrawn weapon sprites, and the color highlight and tone-mapping system, and others more subtle, like extensive balance changes to both weapons and enemies—and everything in between.
What will be included in the demo:
Levels: The first full 3 Acts, including 30 levels and 6 bonus levels.
Enemies: All enemies from the first 3 Acts will be present. No existing enemies will be removed, and level layouts will remain unchanged.
Bosses: Type 1, 2, and 3 mini-bosses, plus the first major boss of the game.
Ships: The first four ships will be available: MKp, MK1, MK2, and MK3 (MK2 and MK3 will be equipped with Class 2 weapons in the demo).
Weapons: Most Class 1 weapons and roughly half of all Class 2 weapons (approximately 12–15 weapons, to be finalized).
Arcade Mode: Arcade Mode will be locked by default and unlocked after defeating the main boss.
Online Leaderboards: Leaderboards will reset on demo launch but will be fully functional.
Filters and CRT Mode: All CRT modes will be available, along with a selection of color filters, as some will remain unlockable.
At this point, the demo is roughly halfway complete. Around two-thirds of the required changes are already done, but most of the remaining work will focus on extensive testing—especially of Story and Arcade modes—along with final balance passes to ensure the demo represents the final game as closely as possible.