Update 1.2 is here - a major August patch featuring gameplay improvements, a new location, controller support, boss overhaul, and more. But first, a quick update from the team:
Team Update
The BERENICE development team has recently gone from 6 to 3 people.
We’re now a compact trio: composer, programmer, and 3D artist - pushing forward together to polish the game and bring it to its full potential.
Thanks for your patience and continued support - we’re giving it everything we’ve got.
Now let’s talk about what’s new
Controller Support
You can now fully play BERENICE using a controller:
The entire game and menus are now controller-friendly
Control scheme is displayed in Settings -> Controller
We had to adjust the menu structure slightly to support this, but it should feel smoother overall
New Location - Tears District
A new area has been added before entering the Endless Palace: Tears District.
This will serve as a hub space, where quest-related characters will appear in future updates. For now - explore. Something’s already moving out there...
Audio & Music Update
BERENICE’s singing has been reworked - richer, more haunting, closer to her intended sound
Ambient sound design added: background music now shifts depending on what spawns in the procedural room (enemies, upgrades, items)
The result: a more reactive and layered atmosphere throughout.
Performance Improvements & Optimization
Baked lighting in some areas
Reduced texture sizes
Simplified materials
Cleaned up level clutter and made some geometry more static -> All of this gives a performance boost, especially on mid-range systems.
But optimization is still ongoing.
Character Controls
Sprint is now toggled with a single press - no need to hold the button
Herman is no longer locked to camera movement - you can now turn and move freely
New Boss Model - The Hunged One (Palace Vaults Section)
The boss in the Palace Vaults has been reworked to reflect the original artistic vision.
Meet The Hung One - a towering four-legged creature suspended by hundreds of wires in a frozen illusion of order. A monstrous relic of architectural obsession.
Its cracked skin reveals ropes and hooks instead of muscle. The skull is bare - stretched like a spire. Once a symbol of stability, now a grotesque monument to control and decay.
Balance Tweak
Mayor of Edinburgh now heals much less - the fight is more fair and intense.
Visual Touches
Small art and lighting improvements across several areas
Minor refinements to level composition (no spoilers)
Localization Fixes
Most issues with English–Russian localization have been resolved. Menus, settings, UI, and in-game texts should now display correctly depending on your language selection.
☺️ Thank you for playing
We're still working — but this is a big step forward.
Let us know what you think of 1.2 in the discussions - we read everything.
- SATORI Ent. Team