Apr 1, 2014
Wot I Think: Betrayer
Betrayer - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Alec Meer)

Betrayer is a pre-industrial, mostly monochrome first-person action game from Blackpowder Games, among whom number several ex-Monolith developers. It’s out now.>

The bloody red cross of an English flag flickers against the bleached horizon like arterial spray on snow. Brittle, near-dead pines rise from the grey-white ground, silent, skeletal giants forever threatening some terrible fate to those who dare approach. A bell tolls, endlessly, through the dark and fog of The Night, an funereal peal that sounds forever and brings madness, not comfort. A flash of scarlet amid the monochrome grass signals danger. A flash of scarlet amidst the colourless, low buildings of a long-abandoned colonial fort signals… well, not safety, but at least a link to something human. The colour red. The sound of that damned bell. A switch from white to black, and back again. So much from so little.

To think all these years, we’ve been crying out for more colour in first-person games (those tireless ambassadors of grey and brown), only for the most visually striking one in some time to neatly remove almost all colour. … [visit site to read more]

Mar 30, 2014
Update v1.1
Betrayer - CombatJack
Thanks for supporting Betrayer and all the feedback you've been posting!

We are still investigating the UI crash and the "out of video memory" issue some players are encountering, but wanted to get some other fixes and features out in the meantime.

We also want to encourage players to check the Reminders entry of the Notes screen periodically, as it summarizes gameplay tips and tutorial information in case you miss the pop-ups.

New Difficulty Options:

There are now three difficulty options instead of two. The default, Deadly Enemies, is similar to Normal difficulty in a traditional single player game. The original, more punishing default setting is now called Deadlier Enemies. There's also a new Less Deadly Enemies that is intended for players who are more interested in an adventure than a challenge.

Loot dropping on death is now optional and defaults off. We recommend that players who want a greater challenge and heightened tension enable it in the general options. The reason for defaulting it off is that we assume more hardcore players will have an easier time finding and enabling the option than less hardcore players would have finding and disabling it. Note that enemies still repopulate areas with either setting.

Game Balance:
  • Enemy perception has been tweaked to make Conquistadors more perceptive and certain other enemies less so.
  • Enemy vision ranges have been reduced in general.
  • The Listen HUD option now defaults on.

Bug Fixes:
  • Fixed issue with several treasure chests in the Fort St. George region losing their red color and chime sound when loading a saved game or returning to the area at a later time. Note that depending which chests you've found, there may be some that still show the issue, but they should be the easier ones to find.
  • Fixed a treasure chest in Outlying Settlements not switching to the dull material when opened.
  • Fixed an issue that could cause player loot to become unrecoverable in certain situations.
  • Fixed skeletons sometimes playing the wrong attack animation.
  • Additional navmesh cleanup to help with enemy pathfinding in some areas where they were struggling.
  • Fix for certain enemies not being present if you fast traveled to certain destinations in Outlying Settlements.
  • Wall check removed for player loot drops. Should reduce instances of not being able to recover loot.
  • Fix for not being able to get the All Graves Found announcement (and Achievement) in Forbidden Wilds in certain cases.
  • Reduced the volume of the corrupted totem sound cue.
  • Fixed issue with a dragged inventory item showing the wrong detail.
  • Fixed a visible seam on the musket powder horn.
  • Fixed an issue with a couple of ash figures getting set to the wrong collision type when destroyed.
  • Fixed an issue with those same ash figures playing the chime sound when they shouldn't.
  • Fixed a case where you can get the "nothing more to hear" message too soon in Outlying Settlements if you completed things in a certain order.

Beware of potential spoilers below!
  • Fixed issues with the Tabitha Markley and Maiden in Red investigations not completing. The fix will prevent the issue from occurring but won't retroactively update the journal if you've passed the point where each occurs.
  • Updated the description for one of the victims to match the dialogue.
  • Fixed a post-completion issue where you're directed to return to the Forbidden Wilds.
  • Fixed issue with Maiden in Red being present at Fort Hope if you die during the assault.
  • Fixed issue with Listen leading you to James Markley after he's been released.
  • Fixed issue with the fire being relit if you return to Forbidden Wilds after completing the game.
  • Fixed a topic that shouldn't display if you've already learned the name of the Maiden in Red.
Mar 30, 2014
Update v1.1
Betrayer - CombatJack
Thanks for supporting Betrayer and all the feedback you've been posting!

We are still investigating the UI crash and the "out of video memory" issue some players are encountering, but wanted to get some other fixes and features out in the meantime.

We also want to encourage players to check the Reminders entry of the Notes screen periodically, as it summarizes gameplay tips and tutorial information in case you miss the pop-ups.

New Difficulty Options:

There are now three difficulty options instead of two. The default, Deadly Enemies, is similar to Normal difficulty in a traditional single player game. The original, more punishing default setting is now called Deadlier Enemies. There's also a new Less Deadly Enemies that is intended for players who are more interested in an adventure than a challenge.

Loot dropping on death is now optional and defaults off. We recommend that players who want a greater challenge and heightened tension enable it in the general options. The reason for defaulting it off is that we assume more hardcore players will have an easier time finding and enabling the option than less hardcore players would have finding and disabling it. Note that enemies still repopulate areas with either setting.

Game Balance:
  • Enemy perception has been tweaked to make Conquistadors more perceptive and certain other enemies less so.
  • Enemy vision ranges have been reduced in general.
  • The Listen HUD option now defaults on.

Bug Fixes:
  • Fixed issue with several treasure chests in the Fort St. George region losing their red color and chime sound when loading a saved game or returning to the area at a later time. Note that depending which chests you've found, there may be some that still show the issue, but they should be the easier ones to find.
  • Fixed a treasure chest in Outlying Settlements not switching to the dull material when opened.
  • Fixed an issue that could cause player loot to become unrecoverable in certain situations.
  • Fixed skeletons sometimes playing the wrong attack animation.
  • Additional navmesh cleanup to help with enemy pathfinding in some areas where they were struggling.
  • Fix for certain enemies not being present if you fast traveled to certain destinations in Outlying Settlements.
  • Wall check removed for player loot drops. Should reduce instances of not being able to recover loot.
  • Fix for not being able to get the All Graves Found announcement (and Achievement) in Forbidden Wilds in certain cases.
  • Reduced the volume of the corrupted totem sound cue.
  • Fixed issue with a dragged inventory item showing the wrong detail.
  • Fixed a visible seam on the musket powder horn.
  • Fixed an issue with a couple of ash figures getting set to the wrong collision type when destroyed.
  • Fixed an issue with those same ash figures playing the chime sound when they shouldn't.
  • Fixed a case where you can get the "nothing more to hear" message too soon in Outlying Settlements if you completed things in a certain order.

Beware of potential spoilers below!
  • Fixed issues with the Tabitha Markley and Maiden in Red investigations not completing. The fix will prevent the issue from occurring but won't retroactively update the journal if you've passed the point where each occurs.
  • Updated the description for one of the victims to match the dialogue.
  • Fixed a post-completion issue where you're directed to return to the Forbidden Wilds.
  • Fixed issue with Maiden in Red being present at Fort Hope if you die during the assault.
  • Fixed issue with Listen leading you to James Markley after he's been released.
  • Fixed issue with the fire being relit if you return to Forbidden Wilds after completing the game.
  • Fixed a topic that shouldn't display if you've already learned the name of the Maiden in Red.
Mar 25, 2014
You Will NOLF True FEAR: Betrayer Out Now
Betrayer - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Nathan Grayson)

AGH NO WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU KNOW I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE TAKE PICTURES OF ME GET THAT CAMERA OUT OF MY FACE

Once upon a time Monolith made the candy/1970s-colored No One Lives Forever, but then the years passed and the colors drained away. The result? F.E.A.R., which traded NOLF’s yuck-yuck-yucks for some spooky, splattery “oh… yucks.” Flash forward to today: all> of the color is gone, with six Monolith vets producing the gloomily black-and-white Betrayer. It’s got scares in spades and thick cobwebs of dread lingering in every corner of its 1604 Roanoke colony setting, but is it any good? Now you can find out. Launch trailer below.

… [visit site to read more]

Mar 24, 2014
Now Available on Steam - Betrayer
Betrayer - Valve
Betrayer is Now Available on Steam and is 10% off!*
Betrayer is a first person action adventure game that takes you to the New World at the turn of the 17th century.

The year is 1604. You sailed from England expecting to join a struggling colony on the coast of Virginia. Instead, you find only ghosts and mysteries. What catastrophe blighted the land and drained it of color and life? Where are the settlers and tribes who lived here? Where are the settlers and tribes who lived here?

Clue by clue, you must piece together the story of what befell this doomed settlement and find a way to set things right. You will be hunted by corrupted Conquistadors and ravening shadows as you explore an expansive wilderness in order to trace the brief, tragic history of the colony and search for survivors.

*Offer ends March 31st at 10am Pacific.
Mar 7, 2014
Betrayer Completed! Launches March 24th!
Betrayer - Larry
We are very happy to report that the game is finished and will be released on March 24th for a retail price of $19.99. The $14.99 Early Access price will still be available until then.

We're grateful for all the feedback and suggestions the community provided during our Early Access. Your involvement resulted in many new features and refinements and helped us make a better, richer game experience.
Mar 7, 2014
Betrayer Completed! Launches March 24th!
Betrayer - Larry
We are very happy to report that the game is finished and will be released on March 24th for a retail price of $19.99. The $14.99 Early Access price will still be available until then.

We're grateful for all the feedback and suggestions the community provided during our Early Access. Your involvement resulted in many new features and refinements and helped us make a better, richer game experience.
Dec 7, 2013
Status Update!
Betrayer - CombatJack
We apologize for the lack of news lately, but it’s only because of how busy we’ve been!

After the last update, we decided to shift our focus to getting the rest of the game done instead of continuing with staged releases. One reason was that preparing each update took a lot of time away from moving the game forward and making it better. Another was that we didn’t want to keep resetting everyone’s progress over and over. We also feel Betrayer will be best enjoyed by playing at your own pace instead of being at the mercy of our release schedule.

Please see the full update information here.
Dec 7, 2013
Status Update!
Betrayer - CombatJack
We apologize for the lack of news lately, but it’s only because of how busy we’ve been!

After the last update, we decided to shift our focus to getting the rest of the game done instead of continuing with staged releases. One reason was that preparing each update took a lot of time away from moving the game forward and making it better. Another was that we didn’t want to keep resetting everyone’s progress over and over. We also feel Betrayer will be best enjoyed by playing at your own pace instead of being at the mercy of our release schedule.

Please see the full update information here.
Oct 8, 2013
Weeklong Deals, October 7
FlatOut - Valve
Save 33%-80% on new Weeklong Deals on Steam, available now until October 14 at 10AM PST.





























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