Hey, it’s been a while, isn’t it?
Not gonna lie: we’ve been really busy since the public announcement and Kickstarter campaign for Bel’s Fanfare, but that doesn’t mean we’ve put Elusive on the back burner. Not at all!
In fact, we wanted to retake these updates to share our progress on development, and to start off strong, we wanted to tell you about our latest major milestone: the Game Loop Demo.
What on earth is the Game Loop Demo? You might be wondering.
Well, it’s a small version of the game, similar to a demo, that showcases various aspects of the game: progression, animations, levels, characters, menus, inventory… so many things! And we wanted to test it internally to validate all these concepts before continuing with development.
Well, we did it! And we dedicated an intensive testing session with the whole team to gather a lot of valuable feedback. To sum it up: we’re very proud and satisfied with what we achieved with this, and it has convinced us that we’re on the right track according to our vision.
This version of the game is strictly for internal use, but it could serve as a good foundation for a public demo in the future (which is definitely coming).
Here are some of our impressions:
Combat
Surprise! After much deliberation, we decided that we couldn't develop our first Metroidvania (even if it's entry-level) without including some combat.
We had two versions of enemies: cockroaches and mosquitoes. In the final version of the game, there will be more variety, both in type and difficulty, but we're already very happy with the result.
They feel alive and, at times, really annoying. Just as we intended! Hahaha
Characters
We have also created animations and dialogues for some characters, so that we can get a first taste of the adventure and assess their personalities.
Okay, okay. It was also because Zoe looked very lonely.
The truth is, it's been great to see how each person on the team has been charmed by one character or another. And allow us to be a little less than humble, but we've reached a whole new level with the animations—they look amazing!
Raid
Raids cover some different aspects, so we will divide them into sections:
Exploration
Here we have found divided opinions: some want to find fewer and more hidden objects to make the experience more special, while others prefer to have more frequent “rewards” in each raid.
But we all agree on one thing: we’re all attracted to shiny things.
Also, we must keep in mind that what we find while exploring affects crafting, so there's definitely a lot of work to be done to balance this in the future.
Crafting
The crafting system is not a common feature in Metroidvania games, but we wanted to add it as a distinguishing element.
It fits in perfectly with the theme, motivates relationships with other characters, and encourages the collection of materials and recipes to obtain upgrades that open up more and more new areas.
It will undoubtedly require a lot of attention in the future to ensure it is well-balanced, but for now, it feels great.
Progress
Progress also includes several aspects: levels, new unlocked areas, checkpoints, threats (spikes, water, etc.), skills, and narrative.
To be clear, we're talking about the feeling of starting the adventure and how events make us feel with each new action and decision.
Although this playable version covers what would be the early part and tutorial of the game and Zoe's first steps (1.5 hours of content), there are many new things to learn and get used to, everyone found it very natural, fun, and convenient.
And that's all for this re-start of our updates schedule! Hope you'll find it interesting but don't hesitate to drop comments or suggestions for future updates, of course.
Remember that Late Pledges are still available if you want to get some exclusive items and support Elusive's development.
See you soon!