Then again, the stats say that gamers only finish about 10% of the games they play :o
Though I definitely agree that at least a couple of hours of content should be minimum.
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Then again, the stats say that gamers only finish about 10% of the games they play :o
Though I definitely agree that at least a couple of hours of content should be minimum.
That's very true too. I have tons of games I've not even played yet.
WOW wtf, it's like Castlevania, Ninja Gaiden, and Mortal Combat all rolled into one!Quote:
Originally Posted by piscesdreams
This is awesome, piscesdreams!
They are way WAY too lenient as far as refunds go. It doesn't matter if the game is $40 or 40 cents.Quote:
Originally Posted by piscesdreams
If you can get them to play for at least 2 hours or to not try it out for at least 2 weeks you'll be golden.
Thank you Del_Duio! We've pulled a lot of inspiration from the games you named as well as Mega Man X, Ghosts 'n Goblins and Dark Souls. :)
That's what I'm shooting for is at least 2 hours of gameplay, I just have to strike a lot of balancing in the difficulty as we have 12 levels planned. If it does well I do intend to add free DLC with 2 or 3 extra levels.
I've must have been under a rock because this it the first time I've seen this game,watched the trailer and loved it,especially the music.<3
And what Del_Duio said is true,keep your game over 2 hours and then the only people who will return it will be people who truly don't like the game and played it for 20-30mins.
New enemy concept for the Brute Knight.
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c9...uteKnight2.jpg
Sorry for the long delays and silence. Lots has been going on and our demo is just about ready for public release.
In the meantime, I just wanted to share the news with everyone that Aimee Smith has joined the cast of Anathema as our heroine, Aurora Delacroix. Aimee is best known for her work as Milla in Freedom Planet and its upcoming sequel. Aimee has a broad range and is a very talented actress that we are very happy and excited to be working with.
More news to come soon... ;)
http://media.indiedb.com/images/memb...uroraMilla.png
Just another update everyone. I'd like to announce that Duffy Weber and Kira Buckland has joined the cast of Anathema.
Kira will be the voice Aeron, the first vampyr. Aeron leads the cult of the Black Dawn, a group of Azrael's followers that has resurrected the fallen Angel of Death. Aeron is also the mother of all vampyrs and seeks to enslave those that Azrael doesn't pluck the very souls of for himself. Kira is most known for her roles in the recent Nier: Automata for PS4 as 2B, as well as other games such as Skullgirls, Castle Crashers, Fire Emblem Heroes, Dead or Alive 5 and many more.
Duffy will be the voice of our antagonist, Azrael - the fallen Angel of Death. Azrael has been resurrected by the hands of the cult, The Black Dawn. He seeks to destroy the Delacroix lineage, regain his title as the Angel of Death and use the souls he was meant to ferry for judgement in his army to wage war on mankind. Duffy has appeared in various video games such as The Fifth Expedition, Heroes of Newerth and Revived Legends: Titan's Revenge.
http://media.indiedb.com/images/memb...a/Aeron2b2.png
http://media.indiedb.com/images/memb...ouncement2.png
Nice! I just finished Nier and her voice acting was great!
Kira is definitely super talented. Her lines and in game sound effects she has done for us has been top shelf material.
I just checked her out, that is quite a resume she has!
Cool stuff! If you do voice acting, you´d definitely want to hire someone really good, otherwise it´s just cheesy and harms the game. A good voice acting is also a super helpful thing when making an outstanding trailer, I remember the voice acting in the Kickstarter campaign from "Timespinner". I think that was a great example how a trailer can hugely benefit from it.
There was a lot of debate at first about whether or not to include voice acting but in the end we decided to see what kind of talent responds to our casting call. We were pleasantly surprised with the results. Timespinner looks neat. I've never heard of it before.
Hello all.
We're gearing up to release our public demo, but we wanted to get some testing in on a variety of machines and GPU devices before release to get an idea of performance to hardware. We are looking for a handful of testers so if you are interested, please PM me.
Thank you!
Hello all,
Here is the trailer for the upcoming demo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM-OAy8n2C4
Wow looks awesome! Im pumped to play this
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G928A using Tapatalk
Nice piscesdreams. Good work and I am impressed.
Marv
Hello all! The demo is available now. You can grab it at any of the following links:
STEAM - http://store.steampowered.com/app/375390/Anathema/
INDIEDB - http://www.indiedb.com/games/anathem.../anathema-demo
ITCH.IO - https://esperware.itch.io/anathema
OFFICIAL WEBSITE - https://www.anathemagame.com/
Hi guys,
I played the steam demo and made it to the second boss. I'm on a tight schedule for my own stuff at the moment, so I did not have the stamina to figure him out. I'll drop some feedback anyway.
Performance: I played on an i3 3,7 GHz dual core and integrated graphics, 4GB ram, 1920x1080 desktop. The game ran at 25-30 FPS on full specs and on solid 60FPS after reducing the effects and shaders (always good to have those options, a lot of modern games forget about this!). The options menus ran fine/ no crashes and worked with the steam overlay. I also lowered my desktop resolution to 1280 x 720, everything fine there too (I did not get a performance boost though). The XBOX gamepad worked well, my generic controller was not recognized. I also had no game breaking glitches or bugs.
Controls/ Gameplay:
x I think the controls are solid and you've quite a lot of gear at your disposal. Movement speed is good and wall climbing with the hook also felt nice.
x Attacks were fun to execute, I would have loved to see a little throwback/impact on the enemies that can take multiple hits (but I know programming and handling this is painful).
x The jump is good, but some control over the jump height would be good. The character seemed to have a fixed jump height which I think is not ideal for a platformer that requires precision and a lot of dodging.
x The only thing that really bugged me was the very sensitive (diagonal) down movement. At many points, I wanted to crouch to avoid an enemy attack and my character crouched + turned around. I also had the same problem when going ladders down (the character would stop if I not pressed really precisely down). Leaving ladders upwards also did not feel good (the climbing animation should stop earlier and IMO there needs to be some transition animation from climbing to idle stance).
x I personally think the throwback when getting hit is a bit huge, made the forest-section quite hard/frustrating.
x Only the D-Pad was working, I normally use the joystick to play, would be cool to have the option to switch to this (maybe I missed the option, did not look in detail).
Graphics:
x I'm personally not a fan of pre-rendered models and photo textures, but in your case, it really looks good as a lot of effort went into the assets details, cleaning and ambient occlusion. The levels are lined out clear and there's a good distinction between foreground and background.
x When dropping after a jump the character-sprite seems to stutter a little (could be a problem with the hot spot or sub-pixel movements/ in case you used this).
x The FX are really good and blend in nicely.
x Also liked the boss and enemy models, really creepy
x The cutscenes, voice-acting, music and menus are top.
x I'm really impressed with the detailed character models. One thing I found a bit distracting is the hood of the main character, which covers her whole face and kind of hides her personality, but maybe this is intended.
Level/ enemy design:
x A huge variety of enemies are thrown at the player and the game is quite hard I think (especially the sections where one hit throws you into a death pit). They all seemed to operate on predefined patterns, so dealing with them felt more like dealing with traps and environment obstacles than with real creatures. I think this is fine for an arcade styled game like this. Some smarter encounters with a little more adaption to the players movements and attacks (and some randomization on their patterns) would be nice though.
x Platforming sections are overall fair and the level layouts were quite interesting with unexpected stuff happening and a good variety on the vertical axis.
x There were a few spots where I doubt most players will be able to adapt on the first try, but a little bit of trying and dying is probably ok for the genre.
Narrative:
IMO there is quite a lot of "pathos" in the acting and storytelling and the cutscenes set a very serious tone to the game. Anyway, I felt some in-game moments - like the skyrocketing zombie-filled coffins in the first scenes - were rather funny or at least a bit over the top. Combined with the pre-render aesthetics I got the feeling of playing a living B-movie (like Army of Darkness), which was cool, but I'm not totally sure if the game intends to evoke this feeling in me.
Overall this game deserves a lot of respect and I think players that loved the Castlevania series will dig this (if marketed properly, of course). I can see that a whole ****load of work went into every detail and although the gameplay feels a bit rough on some edges, I'm sure you've made something really enjoyable here.
Hi Julian!
Wow! Thank you for all the feedback! I will certainly do what I can to improve things. I also noticed the sensitive crouching on my Xbox 360 controller and I think that may be a by product of the d-pad it has. Other controllers aren't as bad, but I have heard quite a few requests to add the left analog stick. So I will definitely work on that as well as support for more generic controllers. The jumping could very well be a hotspot thing that I just didn't notice since I use PMO. Once you see the same stuff over and over sometimes things can go missed.
Enemies are certainly going to be made smart, especially over time. I've a lot of issues with their patterns and want to make them better.
Regarding the Army of Darkness bit, if you use the crossbow shotgun enough, the character might let a little Easter Egg. ;)
The main character doesn't show it much here, but she is actually a little cocky and we intended this as a nod to Ash from the Evil Dead series actually. There's been quite a bit of influence from it there.
Thank you again for all of your feedback. We will certainly use it to shape a better game experience. :)
Glad you found it useful. Putting out a demo before release is so important, Steam reviews can be cruel and kill your game's reputation and sales in minutes. Getting honest and contructive feedback is also very difficult, I often have the impression that people are either too nice, which is especially true for fellow devs, or on the other hand just bash your game without really nailing down why exactly they think it sucks.
Good to see you don't take everything in the game too serious and have some Easter eggs in stock:) I think this is useful in most cases and makes up for a better overall experience. And you're totally right about the XBox 360 D-pad, which is probably one of the worst D-pads ever made XD.
Btw, what is the name of the male voice actor in your trailer? I'm thinking of giving my main villain a voice which would tune in now and then in the game's later sections and he would fit quite perfectly.
Definitely. While we're still a ways off from finishing the game, we're going to use the feedback to improve the demo before completing the rest of the game. The last thing we want is people bashing it without telling us why, as so many do on Steam.
His name is Duffy Weber. He's a great actor and has an impressively wide range.
This guy is a great pick! I thought he would be MUCH older, his variety is really impressive :)
Game looks f*cking awsome, im buying it as soon as i can :)
One question; what programs did you use for animations and sprites?
Cheers
Thank you very much! :)Quote:
Originally Posted by FenrisStudios
The majority of the graphics are all made and animated in Daz Studio. Some things are made in Photoshop and Blender though where needed.
Hello Everyone!
Apologies for the delay in the patch. We had hoped to release it last week, but there were unforeseen delays with our group of external testers so we did as much internal testing as possible. Unfortunately, there are only so many bugs that we could squash in this patch and really wanted to get more external testing in. So please note that this patch has only been moderately tested and you may run into some bugs.
Please do not hesitate to forward any information on bugs you find as it will help us ensure a higher quality experience. Being that we're just a few guys and rely on the goodwill of outside testers when they can test, it's tough to catch everything. But please know that we do want to whip this into top shape, we just don't have many avenues to get the feedback needed before releasing to you publicly but this may be the best avenue. Below is a list of everything changed/updated/added in this patch. Thank you all so much for playing! Hopefully this will expand play for many more users that had issues with the prior version.
STEAM:http://store.steampowered.com/app/375390/Anathema/
INDIEDB:http://www.indiedb.com/games/anathem.../anathema-demo
ITCH.IO:https://esperware.itch.io/anathema
DIRECT DOWNLOAD: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AoJhIhK7UI-mg5sXn0rREgXjIwKPVQ
DEMO VERSION 1.1 CHANGELOG
* Added launcher so players will be aware of what options can be adjusted. Players seemingly overlooked these options in the pause menu.
* Added DirectInput Controller support.
* Added support to use the left analog stick on controllers for movement.
* Added keybinding for Xinput and DirectInput controllers. (Keyboard keybinding already existent.)
* Refined "Controls" sub-menu.
* Improved video file compatibility so that cutscenes should play on all machines now.
* Darkened "Continue" on Title Screen to reduce confusion as this function isn't used in the demo.
* Fixed a bug where the crow placement in the Title Screen was not proper.
* Fixed a bug in the Options Menu where the sound volume could be set below 0.
* Fixed a bug where zombies didn't provide souls if killed using the crossbow.
* Removed controller rumble as it would cause certain controller types (such as the wired Xbox 360 controller) to become unresponsive and you must disconnect/reconnect the controller to regain input.
* Added controller refresh. If controller becomes unresponsive, unplug, replug and press F5, wait 1-3 seconds and functionality should return. NOTE: This is implemented in response to a rare issue we've heard about where a controller randomly stops responding that isn't related to the rumble bug listed above. We've been unable to reproduce this to discern if it is a software issue or a hardware conflict on the user end.
* Discovered a conflict if you have multiple instances of controllers installed. Open "Device Manager" and select View > Show Hidden Devices. If you have multiple instances of the same controller, uninstall all of them and reconnect your controller to install the drivers. You should then not have any further issues due to multiple driver installations.
* Deathbringers now operate on a recharge system, rather than using souls. They will recharge automatically over time, although only the Bone Dragon is available in the demo.
* Changed the effects for the deathbringer power-up animation. The prior effects were hitting the frame-rate hard.
* Revised Options menu UI text to make it cleaner and more legible.
* Revised boss name text to make cleaner and more legible.
* Added additional checkpoints before bosses.
* Added a soul font to power up players should they respawn at the boss.
* Buffed your main attack against the wood witch boss.
* Improved load time between opening cutscene and stage 1.
* Statue removed at the beginning of stage 1. Players were confused by its purpose.
* Increased hitbox size on whip swing latches to make it easier for players to connect a hit.
* The game can now be exited using Alt+F4.
* Pause can now be activated via the "Escape" key.
* Added physics to the crates in the Stage 1 Lookout Tower...why not? They also give souls. Look for the secret.
* Reduced frequency of in-game vocal effects.
* Reduced volume of sound effect when player lands on the ground from higher falls.
Hello all,
There have been several monthly updates regarding the game on Steam. I thought I'd drop the link here in case anyone is interested in reading what I've been up to with the project.
https://steamcommunity.com/games/375390/announcements/
Good stuff :)
Hope to see more gameplay soon.
Happy September!
It has been an excruciatingly long time since our last update, but I assure you we have been hard at work! In this update we will go over the latest information about the status of development, showcase a brand new player sprite, new HUD and latest level!
There is a LOT to share below so let's get started!
https://media.indiedb.com/images/mem...er-Sprit.1.png
We would like to start by unveiling the re-design of the sprite for Aurora Delacroix. When development of Anathema began in October 2014 we began using pre-made, royalty free assets available on the web to make pre-rendered sprites. As development has progressed we became disenchanted with the design currently in the demo. We knew that it was important to give Aurora some original flair of our own design.
Around May 2018 we reached out to our friend, Craig Daversa with Pyroklastic Games who has a great game that can be found on Steam as STLD. Ep 2 Redux, that has worked with us on prior artistic portions of Anathema and gave him a rough design sketch of what we wanted to do with Aurora's design. Craig began modeling the new design for us and we were off to the races. After many collective man-hours modeling, rigging, weight mapping, texturing and animating, we give you the new design of Aurora Delacroix. Many thanks to Craig for this as we could not have pulled this off without him.
https://media.indiedb.com/images/mem...ile/Aurora.gif
For good measure, here is a comparison of how Aurora's design has evolved throughout the years. As you can see, the design has changed almost entirely since the original concept in 2014, but some design elements were developed into the 2015 revision and maintained into the final design.
https://media.indiedb.com/images/mem..._The_Years.jpg
We have also redesigned the boss that challenged quite a few players we saw on YouTube Let's Play videos - Aeron, the First Vampyr. The original design was something that just no longer fit the vision for the game, so it needed to be updated as well! Gone is the silly purple/red hair color and odd body-wrap she once wore. This look is much more streamlined and in-line with the character's story.
https://media.indiedb.com/images/mem.../Aeron2019.jpg
https://media.indiedb.com/images/mem...ew-Level.1.png
A proper development would be incomplete without a look at a brand new level you've not seen. There were a few glimpses of upcoming levels at the end of the demo, but this is the first time we've publicly showcased this new level we've been hard at work making.
This is the Ossuary - the level you will find yourself in immediately after the confrontation with Aeron as seen in the demo. When developing ideas for levels, we would always try to come up with elements that would help set it apart from prior levels. The graveyard is basically the training ground that lets players become accustomed to the game's mechanics. The forest begins to test those skills with some tight platforming in the treetops. The swamp slows the player down with jumping between vines and the log ride. What sets the Ossuary apart is it is a non-linear level, unlike the prior three stages.
https://media.indiedb.com/images/mem...e/Ossuary2.jpg
Anathema is quite often mislabeled as a metroidvania because it is assumed since it has visual elements similar to Castlevania, it must be a metroidvania. In order to be such a game, it would have to be designed for the player to obtain new abilities to access areas they previously could not. Anathema is nothing like this - it is a classic style platformer that plays more like the NES and SNES Castlevania, Ghosts 'n Goblins, MegaMan and Ninja Gaiden games. There are no mechanics that require you to backtrack to access previously inaccessible areas. Players can return to previously completed levels to obtain powerups they previously missed if they wish, similar to Mega Man X, but it is not required for the progression of the game. However, in the Ossuary, players are free to take any of the multiple routes they wish in any order, but they must all be completed before the player can progress to the next area. Each route has a switch that will unlock the exit, guarded by a powerful Vampyr Elder. Throughout the Ossuary are new enemies the player has not previously encountered that we hope will challenge and keep the player's heart rate up. The Weeping Angel can be especially surprising...
https://media.indiedb.com/images/mem...e/Ossuary6.jpg
https://media.indiedb.com/images/mem...e/Ossuary1.jpg
https://media.indiedb.com/images/mem...e/Ossuary4.jpg
https://media.indiedb.com/images/mem...e/Ossuary5.jpg
https://media.indiedb.com/images/mem...e/Ossuary3.jpg
https://media.indiedb.com/images/mem..._New-HUD.1.png
As you can see in the above screenshots, the player HUD has been completely redesigned as well. We gained some great feedback from the demo release and used that to make the HUD more intuitive and simplified. The HUD now maps the corresponding buttons the player designates in the controller setup to the corresponding mechanic.
The bottom box with the deathbringer will only be visible once the player obtains their first deathbringer powerup. As the player amasses more in their inventory they will be able to switch between them on the fly in-game. Deathbringers will still operate on a cool-down mechanic like in the current demo which was changed from the original release that consumed souls that were shared with subweapons.
https://media.indiedb.com/images/mem...ent-Stat.1.png
As we move into the five year anniversary when development began, it goes without saying that this game is taking quite a while to make. There are three main people working on this game consistently in our spare time outside of our day jobs and family lives. Game development is difficult and elongated, but it's fun and rewarding as well. We ask that you please be patient with us as we continue to hammer away at the game. We're making great progress and have even set an internal goal for a release date; but since that is an internal goal and not concrete we can't share that now. We don't want to make promises we can't keep (sometimes consistent development updates are hard enough to keep up with), but rest assured once we know a solid release window we're going to share it!
Currently we're dividing into different tasks to cover more ground. The voice-over for the script has been recorded and cutscenes are in their pre-visualization stage. There will be a Story Mode as well as an Arcade Mode that skips the story and focuses solely on the gameplay, but the story is quite hefty and was a monumental task in of itself to write, edit and direct the voice over. Just look at the size of the script with standard script formatting...
https://media.indiedb.com/images/mem...ile/Script.jpg
We appreciate all the feedback and anticipation Anathema is receiving. It's truly humbling and rewarding that people are interested in playing this game that we have devoted the last five years of our spare time making. Sometimes life gets in the way and makes it hard to make the progress we want to make, but in the end we think it will be worth the wait and hope you will too.
We have plans to release an updated demo in the future, but aren't quite certain exactly when that will be. Most of the update work has been completed, but there will be a new area added before where the demo currently starts which will be developed in the coming weeks along with updated cutscenes.
Thanks everyone for your support and engagement. We really do appreciate it and hope you stick with us the rest of the ride!
damn that's masterpiece work! can't wait for release :)
Good job on the redesign. It definitely moves away from that 90's female character design aesthetic (for the better, I think). I can't even fathom the amount of frames you are dealing with using pre-rendered sprites. A major advantage of 3D is the RAM consumption is way lower but you must be topping out your RAM with frame images. Hope you guys see it through to release. Can't wait to try it. Good luck!
Thanks! You’d be surprised actually on the RAM. In-game it averages around 400-500mb in RAM. Most animations have an average of 20 frames, give or take. Most everything is heavily optimized within the power of two and I try to trim our alpha channels when they’re not necessary. All my tiles are sliced into smaller tiles to make memory optimization as best it can be, and it’s fit into 720p instead of 1080p.
Now when actually rendering the frames on the other hand, it’s not uncommon to use 4-10gb of VRAM. I had to upgrade to a 2080ti because some of the rendering was so VRAM intensive.
Happy October!
We don't have as much this time around to share with you as we did last month, but this time around we will show you some audio/visual goodies!
https://media.indiedb.com/images/mem...ShowcaseBK.png
In last month's update we shared images of the work-in-progress for the newest level we've been developing - The Ossuary. In this video, we share a brief look of this level in motion, including one of three mini bosses you will encounter. The player can progress through this level's three routes in any order they choose, but must defeat all guardians before they are allowed passage into the next area - the Vampyr Den. Feast your eyes and let us know your thoughts!
https://youtu.be/MzgMBTFNVzU
https://media.indiedb.com/images/mem...ShowcaseBK.png
To change things up this month a little bit, our resident composer has whipped up a special remix just for you. For those that have played the demo, you will be familiar with the tune this remix is an arrangement of - Gravekeeper's Hollow. When thinking of games' stage 1 music, it's important to hook the player with a catchy, hummable melody that (hopefully) can get stuck in your head. When Anathema releases, we definitely want to have a bundle that includes the OST for the game. Whether or not it includes remixed versions of tunes from the game is up in the air as of now, but companion pieces are always great to have. Let us know what you think.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCluzhbuN_0
https://media.indiedb.com/images/mem..._Status_BK.png
Quite a lot of progress has been made since the last update. We've begun adding a new area that precedes the graveyard area of the first stage which will serve as the "tutorial area." The video tutorials in the demo area merely placeholder just so the player has a basic understanding of the core fundamentals of gameplay. Don't worry, we won't hold your hand, but it's important to know the basics so players can get the most out of the game. Here is a very early look at how it is shaping up aesthetically.
https://media.indiedb.com/images/mem...ranceTest1.jpg
There will be more to show in future updates. We will post them here but you can also follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/esperware to be notified as we post.
We hope everyone has a fun and spooky rest of your October, and Happy Halloween!
Keeping an eye on this one. Looks great!
Happy Halloween!!!
https://media.indiedb.com/images/mem..._Status_BK.png
Where to begin? If you've kept up with prior development updates, you're aware we are working on this project around our day jobs with our free time. When Covid hit earlier this year, our employers responded like most - reduced work schedules or even furloughs. In a way, this was somewhat of a blessing in disguise because it allowed extra time to make significant milestone progress.
Since March of this year, we have completed all level's designs, layouts, and art assets. I repeat - all levels are fully functional and completely built, save for that final bit of polish at the end of all development cycles to make them shine their best. This may not be very exciting for you, but this is huge progress. In the end, Anathema will end up with 13 levels total, instead of the originally planned 12 levels.
The second major milestone achieved is 100% of all enemies are completely designed, animated, and programmed. There are currently 54 enemies in Anathema that do not include mini-bosses or main bosses. The enemies are also neither recycled sprites nor palette swaps - these are 54 uniquely designed, animated, and programmed enemies. Some attacks, patterns, or movements may be slightly similar (due to working in a 2D environment you only have so much range of motion) but each stage features its own unique enemy sprites. That said, as development progresses we may decide to add more enemies if necessary.
How about a look at some of the enemies?
PLAGUE WEREWOLF
https://media.indiedb.com/images/mem...ueWerewolf.gif
Anathema's backstory revolves around the fallen Angel, Azrael, who unleashed a terrible sickness known as "Devil's Plague." This (un)fortunate soul was able to survive the Devil's Plague only because it was also infected with Lycanthropy.
FIRE SPRITE DEMON
https://media.indiedb.com/images/mem...priteDemon.gif
In the deepest catacombs of the main continent lie the ruins of a misunderstood civilization that was exiled. The outskirts of the Exiled's rubble are teeming with creatures adapted to the hostile volcanic landscape. This demon will certainly scorch any to ashes that dare enter its domain.
BLACK DAWN ALCHEMIST
https://media.indiedb.com/images/mem...nAlchemist.gif
In the opening of the Anathema demo, we mention a cult known as "The Black Dawn." These cultists blindly pursue the rebirth of Azrael after his defeat at the hands of Aurora's father, Corbin Delacroix. There are various roles the cultists play - sentries, alchemists, priests, etc. This particular cultist is adept with the art of alchemy and uses it with explosive results, albeit with a headstrong nature.
We would love to show more of the enemies, but also don't want to spoil everything in the game ahead of its release. But don't worry! We will show more as we near the finish line!
https://media.indiedb.com/images/mem...creenshots.png
***Please note these are not final names, just what we use to refer to them internally.
THE ARCHREVENANT
In the last update, we showed you a glimpse of the Ossuary and its Vampyr Elder miniboss. Here is a look at the final boss of this level. The Ossuary is the very next level following the end of the demo.
https://media.indiedb.com/images/mem...chrevenant.jpg
SNOW PEAK VILLAGE
We posted this screenshot on our Twitter earlier this year (in animated form) so here it is in case you missed it. If you haven't already, give us a follow on Twitter at Esperware because we post things there that don't always make it here.
https://media.indiedb.com/images/mem...akVillage1.jpg
SCARECROW VALLEY
Classic games would tout having a day and night system. Well, we have an eclipse system.
https://media.indiedb.com/images/mem...rowValley1.jpg
https://media.indiedb.com/images/mem...rowValley2.jpg
THE ALCHEMY LAB
What hideous man-made monsters await in this isolated laboratory?
https://media.indiedb.com/images/mem...lchemyLab3.jpg
https://media.indiedb.com/images/mem...lchemyLab4.jpg
THE ZOMBIE VILLAGE
There is nothing like a little R&R in the country, right?
https://media.indiedb.com/images/mem...ieVillage1.jpg
https://media.indiedb.com/images/mem...ieVillage2.jpg
https://media.indiedb.com/images/mem.../InClosing.png
As mentioned above, we've made two major milestones in 2020 that bring us two very big leaps closer to completing the development of this game. We want to finish this game and get it in your hands as soon as possible, but there are still some things left to do. Currently, development is focused on bosses and cutscenes. These are the final two remaining major milestones for the game. After that it's minor things like revamping the Inventory screen, adding the hidden Tomes that expound on the lore of the game, rounding out the final sound design (even though most is handled as we go), and the level select screen.
It feels really good to be able to say the end is finally in sight. There are still things left to do, but the hardest parts of the development cycle are now done and behind us. I am extremely confident in saying that Anathema should be ready for release sometime in 2021, barring any unforeseen circumstances.
We hope everyone has a safe and Happy Halloween!!!
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This looks great. Good going and I can't wait for the finished project.
Marv