Hello everyone!
We're back with an update that's kind of a mix of everything, from shiny skins to overhauls of metaprogression!
It ended up being pretty chunky, so here's a TLDR of The Forgotten Skins update then we'll get straight into going over the new content:
- new skin system with 35 skins
- new XP system - linked to skill points and skill trees
- skill tree rework - added/changed/removed many skills, no more Soul Cinders needed
- 2 new weapons + 1 new tool
- Item rerolls + recycling changes
- Other QoL changes and bug fixes
If you prefer to listen to me waffle on about the changes instead of reading, here's a video covering the update:
Let's get into it!
Skins
Who doesn't like skins? We're giving you 35 to unlock - a mix of recolours, nods to previous Prince of Persia titles, tributes, community contest skins and the return of a certain purple Prince...
Some of them can be crafted right from the beginning, while others will need to be found or unlocked before you can access them.
Before you can do all this, you need to find and save the saucy seamstress Laleh so she can join you in the Oasis and craft you these cool outfits!
New XP System
Since our big November update, two main issues with the game have been; frustration with the speed of unlocking new content (everything needs Soul Cinders!!), and weak skills/metaprogression. This all ties in to the balancing problems we're addressing in these first few months of the year.
The new XP system should help to fix these problems!
How does it work?
You will now level up by killing enemies to get XP - each level up will grant you an additional skill point to use in the skill trees.
Check out the bottom left!
This removes the problems that came from having to save Soul Cinders in order to get skills:
- if you messed up and didn't save Soul Cinders during a run then you ended up with nothing to unlock, which was frustrating.
- having to use Soul Cinders on skills, unblocking skill trees, unlocking medallions, AND unlocking weapons was all too much - this resource juggling is now greatly reduced!
Note: the Skill Point Altar in the Oasis has been removed, as it's no longer needed now that skill points unlock automatically with level ups.
Skill Tree Rework
For the second part of this sweeping change, we've made some big adjustments to the skills & skill trees.
First off, the main part of this change is that we've removed, altered and added a bunch of skills to make the whole skill system more impactful - no more 5% extra damage while standing in water ^^'
All skills and trees should now make much more sense in their groupings and be more balanced.
Skill trees don’t require any Soul Cinders nor Corrupted Blood to unlock anymore - you just need to reach certain levels through the XP system to unlock them.
The skill points limit has been set to 15 for now - this might change in the future if needed based on feedback :)
PHEW! That's quite a lot and it'll make more sense when you play - please don't hesitate to leave us feedback on any of these changes in the Steam forums or on Discord.
Weapons & Tools
On to the shiny stuff! We added 2 new weapons & 1 new tool, and they're all dropped from bosses!
First up, we have Kaali's Scythe!
Slice through your enemies with this brutal weapon then use the special attack to teleport behind them and deliver a killing blow behind you.
Next up is Baatar’s Horns, a mixed melee & ranged weapon. Its standard attack releases short melee attacks, with the combo finishing on a mid-range energy blast.
Charge the special attack to unleash a long-range energy blast that decimates anything unfortunate to be in it's path. Hold the attack button to keep it going for as long as you still have energy.
And finally we have Altan’s Bracelets! This tool lets you dash forward on a wave of water, smashing enemies out of the way. Simple, but devastatingly effective.
What else has changed?
We've also made some minor changes throughout the game. On their own they might seem insignificant, but together with the other changes in this update they should make each run a much better experience!
Mithra’s Light
- Mithra’s Light (preview of what's in next biome) is no longer a skill, but an upgrade to be unlocked in Paachi’s Workshop.
- It also gets a 2nd level, called Mithra’s Clairvoyance that provides information about the whole run.
- More info has been added to this feature too.
Rerolls
- Item Rerolls have been moved from Azar and Narses’ Shop to the Fire Altars.
- You can now reroll items with gold.
- New skill adds Reroll Coins to your runs if you choose it. They appear like currency and mean you won't need to spend your hard-earned gold on rerolls!
Other
- Respawn animation can now be cancelled. Some of you were getting annoyed with the waiting each time!
- We’ve added Rocks to kick in all biomes. More stuns for everyone!
- You can now complete bosses’ quests from 3 to 5 in the Book of Heads.
- Recycling is no longer a skill, but an upgrade to be unlocked in Paachi’s Workshop.
Bug Fixes
- Fixed an issue with some Awakening runes that wouldn't trigger upon resuming a save
- Fixed Awakening of the insurmountable not triggering in Warehouse
- Fixed an issue when vaulting over mobs that could cause the Prince to be teleported upwards
- Fixed Hammer & Knife crit condition triggering even when the tool action was cancelled
- Fixed a room in Temple of Atar that could cause to fall off the map
- Fixed rocks in Altan's arena dealing unintended damage
- Fixed Altan sometimes becoming unresponsive when hit by rocks
- Fixed an issue that prevented from infusing Soul Cinders on Weapon Rack when the game was set to simplified Chinese
- Fixed awakening of the enraged not triggering
- Fixed an UI issue with medallions tooltip
- Fixed an issue with VFX when unlocking new skill trees
- Fixed warning message not displaying when attempting to exit the game
Thanks for playing!
Matt & the EE team