Looking for some RPG goodness this Christmas? Well, you’ve come to the right place!

All marketing aside, I sincerely want to wish everyone (yes, even you!) a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! As much as I wish I’d been able to finish 8-Bit Adventures 2, 2017 has been a year filled with progress and I am extremely happy with how the game is shaping up. I still have a…genuinely terrifying amount to do haha, but I know we’ll get it done. And hopefully it’ll end up being something very special!


*Merry Christmas from the 8-Bit Adventures 2 Party!*

Speaking of 'special', I wanted to quickly highlight a game called Persona 5. This was my favourite JRPG in a very long time, for a wide range of reasons. But more than anything, I loved how, despite dealing with very dark and often sad topics, Persona 5 was such an uplifting experience! Every action you took in that world made someone’s life better, and the ending left me with a genuine sense of wanting to be more proactive, improve myself and help others.
If you haven’t checked it out yet, I highly recommend it. In my opinion, *this* is the kind of game we need at the moment =)

And on the development side of things, Persona 5 made me reaffirm that I want 8-Bit Adventures 2 to be a game which inspires a sense of fun, hope, and joy in its players!

But what if you’ve already finished Persona 5? Or are just looking for something a bit more retro (or an experience that doesn’t take 6 months to finish =P)? Well, there are some great deals on my previous games: 8-Bit Adventures 1 and Tales Across Time!

So if you're interested in 8-Bit Adventures 2 and want to check out the original,
now's the time to buy!


For two weeks only (until 10:05 AM on January 4th Pacific Time), you can get 8-Bit Adventures at 60% off! That means you can own it for just $4 USD! You can also get the fantastic Remastered Soundtrack 30% off ($3.50 USD), or the Game + Soundtrack bundle 45% off (that’s only $6.60 USD)!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/370300
Additionally, my most recent game Tales Across Time is also participating in the sale, making an already cheap game even cheaper! You can now get it 20% off - that's just $2.39 USD!!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/461710
These discounts won't get any lower in the future, so get 'em while they're hot! ;)

And remember, every purchase goes towards 8-Bit Adventures 2's development. As many of you know, I am funding development myself, so any and all support is greatly appreciated!


Just in case anyone missed it, 8-Bit Adventures 2 received several big updates last month! A brand new trailer, an official website, the Steam page launch, a special First Look Demo, and even a 13 Page SNES Manual! And you can check all of that out at the links below:

www.8bitadventures2.com

http://store.steampowered.com/app/733110/8Bit_Adventures_2/

8-Bit Adventures 2 has also popped up on a number of great media websites (such as Siliconera: http://www.siliconera.com/2017/10/24/8-bit-adventures-2-pits-rpg-heroes-dangerous-glitch/)!

You can also check out a brand new interview about my work conducted by Pierre on Chalgyr's Game Room! It was a fun chat, with lots of great questions. So if you've ever wanted to know more about the Behind-the-Scenes development of 8-Bit Adventures 1, 8-Bit Adventures 2 or Tales Across Time, it's well worth your time: http://www.chalgyr.com/2017/12/critical-games-josh-hallaran-on-8-bit.html


That’s all for now, but please stay tuned for more updates (and the release) in 2018! I always post 8-Bit Adventures 2 news here on Steam (including on the new 8-Bit Adventures 2 Steam Page!), but I also highly recommend following @CriticalGamesAU on Twitter, as that’s the best way I’ve found to keep up-to-date on news!

You can also check out the 8-Bit Adventures 2 Website for more info and screenshots (including some animated GIFs), or check Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/CriticalGamesDev

Thank you, everyone, so much for your support in 2017. The response to the demo and trailer/screenshots has been phenomenal, and it's honestly given me a lot more confidence going forward.

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year~
Josh

Looking for some RPG goodness this Christmas? Well, you’ve come to the right place!

All marketing aside, I sincerely want to wish everyone (yes, even you!) a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! As much as I wish I’d been able to finish 8-Bit Adventures 2, 2017 has been a year filled with progress and I am extremely happy with how the game is shaping up. I still have a…genuinely terrifying amount to do haha, but I know we’ll get it done. And hopefully it’ll end up being something very special!


*Merry Christmas from the 8-Bit Adventures 2 Party!*

Speaking of 'special', I wanted to quickly highlight a game called Persona 5. This was my favourite JRPG in a very long time, for a wide range of reasons. But more than anything, I loved how, despite dealing with very dark and often sad topics, Persona 5 was such an uplifting experience! Every action you took in that world made someone’s life better, and the ending left me with a genuine sense of wanting to be more proactive, improve myself and help others.
If you haven’t checked it out yet, I highly recommend it. In my opinion, *this* is the kind of game we need at the moment =)

And on the development side of things, Persona 5 made me reaffirm that I want 8-Bit Adventures 2 to be a game which inspires a sense of fun, hope, and joy in its players!

But what if you’ve already finished Persona 5? Or are just looking for something a bit more retro (or an experience that doesn’t take 6 months to finish =P)? Well, there are some great deals on my previous games: 8-Bit Adventures 1 and Tales Across Time!

So if you're interested in 8-Bit Adventures 2 and want to check out the original,
now's the time to buy!


For two weeks only (until 10:05 AM on January 4th Pacific Time), you can get 8-Bit Adventures at 60% off! That means you can own it for just $4 USD! You can also get the fantastic Remastered Soundtrack 30% off ($3.50 USD), or the Game + Soundtrack bundle 45% off (that’s only $6.60 USD)!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/370300
Additionally, my most recent game Tales Across Time is also participating in the sale, making an already cheap game even cheaper! You can now get it 20% off - that's just $2.39 USD!!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/461710
These discounts won't get any lower in the future, so get 'em while they're hot! ;)

And remember, every purchase goes towards 8-Bit Adventures 2's development. As many of you know, I am funding development myself, so any and all support is greatly appreciated!


Just in case anyone missed it, 8-Bit Adventures 2 received several big updates last month! A brand new trailer, an official website, the Steam page launch, a special First Look Demo, and even a 13 Page SNES Manual! And you can check all of that out at the links below:

www.8bitadventures2.com

http://store.steampowered.com/app/733110/8Bit_Adventures_2/

8-Bit Adventures 2 has also popped up on a number of great media websites (such as Siliconera: http://www.siliconera.com/2017/10/24/8-bit-adventures-2-pits-rpg-heroes-dangerous-glitch/)!

You can also check out a brand new interview about my work conducted by Pierre on Chalgyr's Game Room! It was a fun chat, with lots of great questions. So if you've ever wanted to know more about the Behind-the-Scenes development of 8-Bit Adventures 1, 8-Bit Adventures 2 or Tales Across Time, it's well worth your time: http://www.chalgyr.com/2017/12/critical-games-josh-hallaran-on-8-bit.html


That’s all for now, but please stay tuned for more updates (and the release) in 2018! I always post 8-Bit Adventures 2 news here on Steam (including on the new 8-Bit Adventures 2 Steam Page!), but I also highly recommend following @CriticalGamesAU on Twitter, as that’s the best way I’ve found to keep up-to-date on news!

You can also check out the 8-Bit Adventures 2 Website for more info and screenshots (including some animated GIFs), or check Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/CriticalGamesDev

Thank you, everyone, so much for your support in 2017. The response to the demo and trailer/screenshots has been phenomenal, and it's honestly given me a lot more confidence going forward.

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year~
Josh

Hard to believe it's almost the end of 2017, isn't it? But thankfully there are plenty of deals and discounts to keep us busy over the holiday season! ...Although in my case, I've got a sequel to finish =P

But if you're interested in 8-Bit Adventures 2 and want to check out the original, now's the time to buy!


For this week only (until 10:05 AM PST on November 28th), you can get 8-Bit Adventures at 60% off! That means you can own it for just $4 USD! You can also get the fantastic Remastered Soundtrack 30% off ($3.50 USD), or the Game + Soundtrack bundle 45% off (that’s only $6.60 USD)!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/370300
Additionally, my most recent game Tales Across Time is also participating in the sale, making an already cheap game even cheaper! You can now get it 20% off - that's just $2.39 USD!!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/461710
These discounts won't get any lower in the future, so get 'em while they're hot! ;)

And remember, every purchase goes towards 8-Bit Adventures 2's development. As many of you know, I am funding development myself, so any and all support is greatly appreciated!


Just in case anyone missed it, 8-Bit Adventures 2 received several big updates last month! A brand new trailer, an official website, the Steam page launch, a special First Look Demo, and even a 13 Page SNES Manual! And you can check all of that out at the links below:

www.8bitadventures2.com

http://store.steampowered.com/app/733110/8Bit_Adventures_2/

But seeing as this is an update post, I wanted to leave you with a little something extra - a new screenshot! And this one might look very familiar to players of 8-Bit Adventures 1 ;)



Almost every location from the original game is present in 8-Bit Adventures 2; albeit rebuilt and much nicer looking this time. The Castle Ruins pictured above are an optional dungeon that you can visit to uncover hidden treasures. And it's not the only one!

As you can probably tell from the trailer, though, there are *plenty* of new areas to discover as well =)


That’s all for now, but please stay tuned for more updates! I always post 8-Bit Adventures 2 news here on Steam (including on the new 8-Bit Adventures 2 Steam Page!), but I also highly recommend following @CriticalGamesAU on Twitter, as that’s the best way I’ve found to keep up-to-date on news!

You can also check out the 8-Bit Adventures 2 Website for more info and screenshots (including some animated GIFs), or check Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/CriticalGamesDev

Thank you very much for looking and I hope you enjoy the new demo and discounts!

'Till next time!~
Josh

Hard to believe it's almost the end of 2017, isn't it? But thankfully there are plenty of deals and discounts to keep us busy over the holiday season! ...Although in my case, I've got a sequel to finish =P

But if you're interested in 8-Bit Adventures 2 and want to check out the original, now's the time to buy!


For this week only (until 10:05 AM PST on November 28th), you can get 8-Bit Adventures at 60% off! That means you can own it for just $4 USD! You can also get the fantastic Remastered Soundtrack 30% off ($3.50 USD), or the Game + Soundtrack bundle 45% off (that’s only $6.60 USD)!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/370300
Additionally, my most recent game Tales Across Time is also participating in the sale, making an already cheap game even cheaper! You can now get it 20% off - that's just $2.39 USD!!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/461710
These discounts won't get any lower in the future, so get 'em while they're hot! ;)

And remember, every purchase goes towards 8-Bit Adventures 2's development. As many of you know, I am funding development myself, so any and all support is greatly appreciated!


Just in case anyone missed it, 8-Bit Adventures 2 received several big updates last month! A brand new trailer, an official website, the Steam page launch, a special First Look Demo, and even a 13 Page SNES Manual! And you can check all of that out at the links below:

www.8bitadventures2.com

http://store.steampowered.com/app/733110/8Bit_Adventures_2/

But seeing as this is an update post, I wanted to leave you with a little something extra - a new screenshot! And this one might look very familiar to players of 8-Bit Adventures 1 ;)



Almost every location from the original game is present in 8-Bit Adventures 2; albeit rebuilt and much nicer looking this time. The Castle Ruins pictured above are an optional dungeon that you can visit to uncover hidden treasures. And it's not the only one!

As you can probably tell from the trailer, though, there are *plenty* of new areas to discover as well =)


That’s all for now, but please stay tuned for more updates! I always post 8-Bit Adventures 2 news here on Steam (including on the new 8-Bit Adventures 2 Steam Page!), but I also highly recommend following @CriticalGamesAU on Twitter, as that’s the best way I’ve found to keep up-to-date on news!

You can also check out the 8-Bit Adventures 2 Website for more info and screenshots (including some animated GIFs), or check Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/CriticalGamesDev

Thank you very much for looking and I hope you enjoy the new demo and discounts!

'Till next time!~
Josh

I am very excited to announce that the 8-Bit Adventures 2 Steam Page has officially launched, alongside a special ‘First Look’ Demo!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/733110
Additionally, the official 8-Bit Adventures 2 website is live, alongside a brand new Trailer. Check them out below:

Website: www.8bitadventures2.com

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5bOGBbRHMQ

The ‘First Look’ Demo will give you an early taste of the turn-based JRPG action! But I should say, the game is constantly improving and evolving every day, so the demo’s content may not be exactly the same as the final version, and it’s almost certain that any problems with the demo will be fixed by the time of release. With that said, I absolutely welcome any and all feedback and would love to hear what you think – whether it’s via email or via the Steam Community here.

8-Bit Adventures 2 is entirely self-funded and is by far the longest and most difficult development cycle I’ve ever tackled – and it still has quite a way to go. While we’ve all tried our best, I must unfortunately announce that 8-Bit Adventures 2 will not be releasing in 2017, and now sits under a vague, unsatisfying ‘Early 2018’ release window. I sincerely apologise if this disappoints anyone, but we’re all committed to making this game something truly special and it simply won’t be ready this year. Hopefully the content I’ve released today will help to tide you over!


But I shouldn’t get ahead of myself – who are “we”? Well, my name is Joshua Hallaran and I’m an Australian indie developer, working under the company name Critical Games since 2011. Best known for creating RPGs on the PC - notably 8-Bit Adventures & Tales Across Time - I am currently hard at work developing 8-Bit Adventures 2. But thankfully I’m not alone! I’m working with three very talented freelancers:

Artist - Jerram Fahey – who is the source of all the amazing artwork, both in-game and out, and might just be a wizard given what he can do with the NES colour palette!

Composer – Carfonu - who makes all of the incredible NES-accurate music for the 8-Bit Adventures games. It’s just another reason you should watch the trailer and play the demo, but be careful – I can’t get some of these songs out of my head!

Programmer - Dr “iBolt” Dhoom - who programmed the entire battle system and must be getting *extremely* tired of bug reports!


If you’re brand new to 8-Bit Adventures, then welcome! Or if you’re a returning player who’s been reading my recent updates, thanks for sticking with me. If you’d like to support the game, then please add it to your Wishlist and consider purchasing my previous games: 8-Bit Adventures 1 or Tales Across Time. As I said before, the game is self-funded, so those sales help out quite a bit. In fact, it’s thanks to the players of those games that 8-Bit Adventures 2 exists at all!

Beyond that, please spread the word! Indie games like mine thrive on word of mouth, so if you know someone who loves JRPGs, pixel art, chip-tunes, or a good story and characters – particularly someone with an affinity for the NES, SNES, or PS1 eras – then please let them know about 8-Bit Adventures 2!

But that’s all from me for now! I hope that everyone enjoys the new demo/trailer/website, and that you’ll look forward to the final release next year. If you’d like to keep up with all the latest news, either check back on the 8-Bit Adventures 2 Steam Page or follow @CriticalGamesAU on Twitter.

And if you want a reminder for when the game is released, please don’t forget to add it to your Steam Wishlist!

Thank you all so much for your time and I hope to post again soon.
~Have fun! ːOrbGetWarriorː ːOrbGetThiefː ːOrbGetMageː

I am very excited to announce that the 8-Bit Adventures 2 Steam Page has officially launched, alongside a special ‘First Look’ Demo!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/733110
Additionally, the official 8-Bit Adventures 2 website is live, alongside a brand new Trailer. Check them out below:

Website: www.8bitadventures2.com

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5bOGBbRHMQ

The ‘First Look’ Demo will give you an early taste of the turn-based JRPG action! But I should say, the game is constantly improving and evolving every day, so the demo’s content may not be exactly the same as the final version, and it’s almost certain that any problems with the demo will be fixed by the time of release. With that said, I absolutely welcome any and all feedback and would love to hear what you think – whether it’s via email or via the Steam Community here.

8-Bit Adventures 2 is entirely self-funded and is by far the longest and most difficult development cycle I’ve ever tackled – and it still has quite a way to go. While we’ve all tried our best, I must unfortunately announce that 8-Bit Adventures 2 will not be releasing in 2017, and now sits under a vague, unsatisfying ‘Early 2018’ release window. I sincerely apologise if this disappoints anyone, but we’re all committed to making this game something truly special and it simply won’t be ready this year. Hopefully the content I’ve released today will help to tide you over!


But I shouldn’t get ahead of myself – who are “we”? Well, my name is Joshua Hallaran and I’m an Australian indie developer, working under the company name Critical Games since 2011. Best known for creating RPGs on the PC - notably 8-Bit Adventures & Tales Across Time - I am currently hard at work developing 8-Bit Adventures 2. But thankfully I’m not alone! I’m working with three very talented freelancers:

Artist - Jerram Fahey – who is the source of all the amazing artwork, both in-game and out, and might just be a wizard given what he can do with the NES colour palette!

Composer – Carfonu - who makes all of the incredible NES-accurate music for the 8-Bit Adventures games. It’s just another reason you should watch the trailer and play the demo, but be careful – I can’t get some of these songs out of my head!

Programmer - Dr “iBolt” Dhoom - who programmed the entire battle system and must be getting *extremely* tired of bug reports!


If you’re brand new to 8-Bit Adventures, then welcome! Or if you’re a returning player who’s been reading my recent updates, thanks for sticking with me. If you’d like to support the game, then please add it to your Wishlist and consider purchasing my previous games: 8-Bit Adventures 1 or Tales Across Time. As I said before, the game is self-funded, so those sales help out quite a bit. In fact, it’s thanks to the players of those games that 8-Bit Adventures 2 exists at all!

Beyond that, please spread the word! Indie games like mine thrive on word of mouth, so if you know someone who loves JRPGs, pixel art, chip-tunes, or a good story and characters – particularly someone with an affinity for the NES, SNES, or PS1 eras – then please let them know about 8-Bit Adventures 2!

But that’s all from me for now! I hope that everyone enjoys the new demo/trailer/website, and that you’ll look forward to the final release next year. If you’d like to keep up with all the latest news, either check back on the 8-Bit Adventures 2 Steam Page or follow @CriticalGamesAU on Twitter.

And if you want a reminder for when the game is released, please don’t forget to add it to your Steam Wishlist!

Thank you all so much for your time and I hope to post again soon.
~Have fun! :OrbGetWarrior: :OrbGetThief: :OrbGetMage:

Wow, time really gets away. I can't believe it's already been two months since my last post! If you missed it back in June, check here for an in-depth look at the Battle System of the upcoming 8-Bit Adventures 2: http://steamcommunity.com/games/8bitadventures/announcements/detail/1337981636744892152 But if you're up-to-date (or simply don't care), then let's get onto the new stuff!


First up, we've got some exciting discounts! This week only (starting August 21st), and for the first time ever, you can get Tales Across Time for 20% off - that's just $2.39 USD!! Over 3000 people have Tales on their wishlist, so if you're one of them, now's the perfect time to buy!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/461710

Additionally, my previous game 8-Bit Adventures is 60% off! That means you can own it for just $4 USD! You can also get the fantastic Remastered Soundtrack 30% off ($3.50 USD), or the Game + Soundtrack bundle 45% off (that’s only $6.60 USD)!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/370300
In the last two sales, I noted that the discounts wouldn't get any lower. However, after much thought, I decided to increase the discount on Tales Across Time, as that's only ever had one price reduction and I felt it was time to go lower. I sincerely apologise if anyone feels misled, but I can confirm that the discounts on 8-Bit Adventures have not, and will not, be changing, and that Tales Across Time will not get any lower in the future.

So get 'em while they're hot! ;)

And remember, every purchase goes towards 8-Bit Adventures 2's development. I don't like to push this too much, but I am funding development myself, so any and all support is greatly appreciated!


In my last post about the battle system, all of the pictures I showed were fairly static. So this time I wanted to show off a handful of different battle animations from 8-Bit Adventures 2! They really add a flair to combat and make battles feel a lot more dynamic.

However, please note - Steam's image upload system seems to have sped up the animations a bit. So I apologise if they look a tad too fast. But without further adieu, here are a few of my early favourites:



Let's start off with an RPG staple - the Fenix Down item! Not only does it butcher the English language, it also revives one fallen party member. I love it when these animations reference the actual namesake (a Phoenix), so I think Jerram (the artist) did a fantastic job!



Here we have an enemy ability called Identify Weak Point. The Steam-Powered Sentry scans its opponent and (surprise, surprise) identifies their weak points, reducing Physical and Magical Defence.



This is Warrior's Rend ability - a classic from the first game. Warrior slices through the screen, rending all enemies' Physical Defence in twain (that's 'in half' if you're not being pretentious =P)!



Charlie's Lucky Hit ability is a guaranteed Critical Hit...if it actually hits the enemy. Luckily (see what I did there?), this time it did! This is one the more cartoon-ish animations, but I really love how it turned out =)



The Clockwork Controller boss is able to summon allies to the battlefield with its Command Directive ability. I decided to cut this GIF short before the other enemies spawned, as when they do, there is a white screen flash. It's fine in-game, however as a looping GIF (that's further sped up by Steam), I was concerned it might make some people uncomfortable. So, uh...here's a sneak peek =P



And finally we have the Robot's Rocket Punch ability, giving the Overweight Snake enemy a good wallop! The Robot is a very unique party member, because all of its abilities are equipped rather than learnt. It only has access to 3 abilities at any one time, but has no AP/MP, so it can use its abilities freely. This makes the Robot a pretty handy party member if used well!


That’s all for now, but please stay tuned for more updates in the (relatively) near future! I always post 8-Bit Adventures 2 updates here on Steam, but I also highly recommend following @CriticalGamesAU on Twitter, as that’s the best way I’ve found to keep up-to-date on news!

You can also check out the Critical Games Website for more 8-Bit Adventures 2 info and screenshots (including some animated GIFs), or check Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/CriticalGamesDev

Thank you very much for looking and I hope you enjoyed the preview!

'Till next time!~
Josh

Wow, time really gets away. I can't believe it's already been two months since my last post! If you missed it back in June, check here for an in-depth look at the Battle System of the upcoming 8-Bit Adventures 2: http://steamcommunity.com/games/8bitadventures/announcements/detail/1337981636744892152 But if you're up-to-date (or simply don't care), then let's get onto the new stuff!


First up, we've got some exciting discounts! This week only (starting August 21st), and for the first time ever, you can get Tales Across Time for 20% off - that's just $2.39 USD!! Over 3000 people have Tales on their wishlist, so if you're one of them, now's the perfect time to buy!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/461710

Additionally, my previous game 8-Bit Adventures is 60% off! That means you can own it for just $4 USD! You can also get the fantastic Remastered Soundtrack 30% off ($3.50 USD), or the Game + Soundtrack bundle 45% off (that’s only $6.60 USD)!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/370300
In the last two sales, I noted that the discounts wouldn't get any lower. However, after much thought, I decided to increase the discount on Tales Across Time, as that's only ever had one price reduction and I felt it was time to go lower. I sincerely apologise if anyone feels misled, but I can confirm that the discounts on 8-Bit Adventures have not, and will not, be changing, and that Tales Across Time will not get any lower in the future.

So get 'em while they're hot! ;)

And remember, every purchase goes towards 8-Bit Adventures 2's development. I don't like to push this too much, but I am funding development myself, so any and all support is greatly appreciated!


In my last post about the battle system, all of the pictures I showed were fairly static. So this time I wanted to show off a handful of different battle animations from 8-Bit Adventures 2! They really add a flair to combat and make battles feel a lot more dynamic.

However, please note - Steam's image upload system seems to have sped up the animations a bit. So I apologise if they look a tad too fast. But without further adieu, here are a few of my early favourites:



Let's start off with an RPG staple - the Fenix Down item! Not only does it butcher the English language, it also revives one fallen party member. I love it when these animations reference the actual namesake (a Phoenix), so I think Jerram (the artist) did a fantastic job!



Here we have an enemy ability called Identify Weak Point. The Steam-Powered Sentry scans its opponent and (surprise, surprise) identifies their weak points, reducing Physical and Magical Defence.



This is Warrior's Rend ability - a classic from the first game. Warrior slices through the screen, rending all enemies' Physical Defence in twain (that's 'in half' if you're not being pretentious =P)!



Charlie's Lucky Hit ability is a guaranteed Critical Hit...if it actually hits the enemy. Luckily (see what I did there?), this time it did! This is one the more cartoon-ish animations, but I really love how it turned out =)



The Clockwork Controller boss is able to summon allies to the battlefield with its Command Directive ability. I decided to cut this GIF short before the other enemies spawned, as when they do, there is a white screen flash. It's fine in-game, however as a looping GIF (that's further sped up by Steam), I was concerned it might make some people uncomfortable. So, uh...here's a sneak peek =P



And finally we have the Robot's Rocket Punch ability, giving the Overweight Snake enemy a good wallop! The Robot is a very unique party member, because all of its abilities are equipped rather than learnt. It only has access to 3 abilities at any one time, but has no AP/MP, so it can use its abilities freely. This makes the Robot a pretty handy party member if used well!


That’s all for now, but please stay tuned for more updates in the (relatively) near future! I always post 8-Bit Adventures 2 updates here on Steam, but I also highly recommend following @CriticalGamesAU on Twitter, as that’s the best way I’ve found to keep up-to-date on news!

You can also check out the Critical Games Website for more 8-Bit Adventures 2 info and screenshots (including some animated GIFs), or check Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/CriticalGamesDev

Thank you very much for looking and I hope you enjoyed the preview!

'Till next time!~
Josh

Well, now that E3’s over, it’s time for the Steam Summer Sale! And not only are 8-Bit Adventures and Tales Across Time on sale, but, as promised, I’m also providing a big update on 8-Bit Adventures 2 with a deep dive into the game’s battle system!


But first things first - you can now get Tales Across Time will go on sale, making an already cheap game even cheaper! At just $2.69 USD, you really can't beat that price; trust me - I set the prices ;)

http://store.steampowered.com/app/461710

Additionally, my previous game 8-Bit Adventures is 60% off! That means you can own it for just $4 USD! You can also get the fantastic Remastered Soundtrack 30% off ($3.50 USD), or the Game + Soundtrack bundle 45% off (that’s only $6.60 USD)!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/370300

As I said last month, the discounts won't get any lower and the Wishlist numbers just keep going up (over 3500 for 8-Bit Adventures and over 3000 for Tales Across Time!).

Every sale contributes to the development of 8-Bit Adventures 2, and I cannot stress enough how much that helps! So if you've been interested in starting a new adventure, or know a friend who would like the games, then this is the perfect time to jump in and support a new project!

But with that out of the way, let’s get onto 8-Bit Adventures 2!


For a game that’s coming out in 2017, it probably seems a bit strange that I still haven’t announced a release date. The reason is that I don’t want to commit to a date that I ultimately can’t meet. Delays are always disappointing, and we see them very regularly in this industry.

The game is progressing rapidly, and I am confident that it will be ready this year. But because 8-Bit Adventures 2 is developed by such a small team (one person does art, one person does music, one person programmed the battle system, and I do design/writing/gameplay/whatever else), everything takes a long time to get done.

However, on the flip-side, being so small (and digital only), there aren’t the issues that big publishers run into. We could technically finish the game and release it the next day (although I wouldn’t recommend doing that)! So please don’t be concerned about the lack of a release date. If nothing else, it'll definitely be out before Kingdom Hearts III ;)


Okay, onto the main event! Let’s talk about the battle system. As you can see, it’s had quite the visual upgrade (I think Jerram has done a phenomenal job on the backgrounds, monsters, and UI), but there are numerous changes beyond the new coat of paint.

In the interest of transparency, please note that the in-game battles still have some graphical glitches that need to be sorted out. As such, I’ve taken pictures of the gameplay and edited out those issues. Despite the touch-up, the images below are an accurate representation of the battle system as it appears in-game (although small details are always subject to change).



User Interface

When I first started designing the battle system, I knew that I wanted to have more abilities and commands at the player’s disposal. Where I ran into difficulty was establishing how to fit all of those commands into the UI without making things seem cluttered or unintuitive. The 8-Bit Adventures 1 menu system had to go! Eventually, I decided on using icons instead, and ultimately the UI took its inspiration from Mother 3 – in a couple of ways.

Commands are issued by selecting icons in the top-left corner of the screen. It’s a simple, intuitive way for the player to select the actions they want to take. The other element inspired by Mother 3 is that you can see your characters sticking out from behind their respective status windows. The character that is standing up the highest indicates whose turn it currently is (in the case of the above screenshot, it is Warrior’s turn). However, unlike Mother 3, these character sprites have various poses to accompany each of their actions, which make battles look more dynamic.

Party Members and the Swap Command

Now, obviously there’s a lot to talk about here, so let’s start with the basics. The battle system was inspired by Final Fantasy X’s take on turn-based combat. There are 7 party members in total (3 returning, 4 brand new! More on them in the future), but only 3 can participate in battle at once. However, at any time, your characters can swap in and out of battle. So you *can* technically use all 7 playable characters in a single encounter, and this leads to a lot of new potential strategies.

Personal Skills and Personal Abilities

Particularly since characters now have several unique factors to take into account, beyond their stats. Not only does each character possess a plethora of special abilities/magic, but also two new mechanics – Personal Skills and Personal Abilities.

A Personal Skill is a special command unique to a particular character (it’s the second icon on the row), which allows them to perform a special action with no MP/AP cost. For example, Warrior’s Personal Skill is Shield Bash, which allows him to attempt to inflict the ‘Stun’ status on an enemy. If the Stun is successful, he then follows up with an attack. If it’s unsuccessful, though, then no damage is dealt and the turn is wasted. So it’s very much a risk/reward ability.

A Personal Ability is a passive ability, again unique to a specific character. For example, Warrior has a chance of counterattacking an enemy strike, while Thief gets a speed boost at the start of battle, often allowing her to get the first turn. They’re small additions which make every member of your party feel more distinct, and can feed into interesting strategies. For example, you could include Thief in your party so that she gets the first turn, and then immediately swap her out to allow a different character (perhaps a slower, heavy hitter) to take advantage of that speed boost.



Turn Order System

On that note, I should explain the new turn system. This is the main element inspired by Final Fantasy X, as each character and enemy now has their own separate turn. In 8-Bit Adventures 1, you would select commands for all of your characters and then watch everything play out, but you had no exact way of knowing who would act when.

Well, now you do! In 8-Bit Adventures 2, you issue commands to each character separately, and the list on the right side of the screen shows you the turn order – i.e. the sequence in which characters and enemies will act. So in the image above, it is currently Thief’s turn. After she’s done, the Clockwork Soldier enemy will have its turn, followed by Warrior, then Mage, then Thief, etc. This also contributes to a deeper level of strategic gameplay, as you can more effectively plan ahead.

Omega Burst

In addition to Personal Skills and Abilities, 8-Bit Adventures 2 also features a “Limit Break” mechanic titled Omega Burst. Now, if you’re an RPG veteran, you generally know what this entails – each character has a special, ultimate ability which can be used once a bar fills up. The bar is filled up by the player both dishing out and receiving damage. However, Omega Bursts have one unique difference. Rather than each character having their own unique energy bar to fill up, there is a single bar for the entire party. Once it is filled up, every character has the option to use their Omega Burst; but once a character uses it, the bar is completely emptied.

I decided to take this approach due to my past experience with other RPGs that implement this mechanic. Sometimes in a game like Final Fantasy VII, the character who’s Limit Break I’d want to use wouldn’t get their bar filled in time, while the other two members of my party would. This new ‘one bar fits all’ approach means that you can choose whose Omega Burst to use and when. And since every character contributes to it, the bar fills up a bit quicker than it would in some other RPGs, meaning that you’ll still get to utilise plenty of these attacks in tough battles.



Augmentations

Finally, let’s discuss Augmentations. These are special, passive abilities that are able to be equipped to a character – much like Weapons and Armour. Augmentations can be found in treasure chests, like any other piece of equipment, and provide numerous effects that allow you to further customise your characters. This includes things like increasing a particular stat (e.g. HP+10%), granting immunity to certain status ailments, decreasing the amount of AP/MP it costs to use special abilities/magic, imbuing your ordinary attacks with the ability to inflict negative statuses, and much more.

Each character has 5 Augmentation slots to use (although you only start off with one open slot – more are unlocked as you progress through the game). Additionally, there is a sixth ‘Special’ slot that only fits character-exclusive augmentations. There are two exclusive augmentations for each character, so you’ll have to decide which of them to equip!

Wrapping Up

Oh, and one last thing I should mention – the Colour Element system from the first game is no longer a mechanic in 8-Bit Adventures 2. I was considering it early on, but to put it simply, I feel like I did everything I could with it the first time around. So no more matching colours, but I think the new systems will have plenty of depth =)

And after all that, we still haven’t talked about things like the tiered-attack system, or one particular character’s unique command and equipment system. But I hope this helps convey that 8-Bit Adventures 2’s combat is going to feature a lot of depth and possibilities for interesting strategies.

With that said, though, if you’re concerned about the mechanics becoming too complicated this time around, please don’t worry. While there are a lot of systems, most of them are pretty simple in practice and you can choose not to engage with them. But if you’re an RPG veteran like myself, then you’ll likely have a lot of fun trying to form your own strategies and customise the party.


That’s all for now, but there will be plenty of news in the (relatively) near future! I always post 8-Bit Adventures 2 updates here on Steam, but I also highly recommend following @CriticalGamesAU on Twitter, as that’s the best way I’ve found to keep up-to-date on news!

You can also check out the Critical Games Website for more 8-Bit Adventures 2 info and screenshots (including some animated GIFs), or check Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/CriticalGamesDev

Just an aside, if you’ve been following these posts, you may remember that last year I said that 8-Bit Adventures 2 would be renamed at some point. However, I’m currently thinking of keeping the name as 8-Bit Adventures 2. It’s short, simple, and straightforward– at least, compared to 8-Bit Adventures: The Forgotten Journey Remastered Edition =P If nothing else, 8-Bit Adventures 2: Adventure Harder and 8-Bit Adventures 2: 8-Bit Boogaloo are definitely out!

Thank you very much for reading, and I hope everyone has a fantastic Summer (or Winter if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, like myself)! =D

Well, now that E3’s over, it’s time for the Steam Summer Sale! And not only are 8-Bit Adventures and Tales Across Time on sale, but, as promised, I’m also providing a big update on 8-Bit Adventures 2 with a deep dive into the game’s battle system!


But first things first - you can now get Tales Across Time will go on sale, making an already cheap game even cheaper! At just $2.69 USD, you really can't beat that price; trust me - I set the prices ;)

http://store.steampowered.com/app/461710

Additionally, my previous game 8-Bit Adventures is 60% off! That means you can own it for just $4 USD! You can also get the fantastic Remastered Soundtrack 30% off ($3.50 USD), or the Game + Soundtrack bundle 45% off (that’s only $6.60 USD)!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/370300

As I said last month, the discounts won't get any lower and the Wishlist numbers just keep going up (over 3500 for 8-Bit Adventures and over 3000 for Tales Across Time!).

Every sale contributes to the development of 8-Bit Adventures 2, and I cannot stress enough how much that helps! So if you've been interested in starting a new adventure, or know a friend who would like the games, then this is the perfect time to jump in and support a new project!

But with that out of the way, let’s get onto 8-Bit Adventures 2!


For a game that’s coming out in 2017, it probably seems a bit strange that I still haven’t announced a release date. The reason is that I don’t want to commit to a date that I ultimately can’t meet. Delays are always disappointing, and we see them very regularly in this industry.

The game is progressing rapidly, and I am confident that it will be ready this year. But because 8-Bit Adventures 2 is developed by such a small team (one person does art, one person does music, one person programmed the battle system, and I do design/writing/gameplay/whatever else), everything takes a long time to get done.

However, on the flip-side, being so small (and digital only), there aren’t the issues that big publishers run into. We could technically finish the game and release it the next day (although I wouldn’t recommend doing that)! So please don’t be concerned about the lack of a release date. If nothing else, it'll definitely be out before Kingdom Hearts III ;)


Okay, onto the main event! Let’s talk about the battle system. As you can see, it’s had quite the visual upgrade (I think Jerram has done a phenomenal job on the backgrounds, monsters, and UI), but there are numerous changes beyond the new coat of paint.

In the interest of transparency, please note that the in-game battles still have some graphical glitches that need to be sorted out. As such, I’ve taken pictures of the gameplay and edited out those issues. Despite the touch-up, the images below are an accurate representation of the battle system as it appears in-game (although small details are always subject to change).



User Interface

When I first started designing the battle system, I knew that I wanted to have more abilities and commands at the player’s disposal. Where I ran into difficulty was establishing how to fit all of those commands into the UI without making things seem cluttered or unintuitive. The 8-Bit Adventures 1 menu system had to go! Eventually, I decided on using icons instead, and ultimately the UI took its inspiration from Mother 3 – in a couple of ways.

Commands are issued by selecting icons in the top-left corner of the screen. It’s a simple, intuitive way for the player to select the actions they want to take. The other element inspired by Mother 3 is that you can see your characters sticking out from behind their respective status windows. The character that is standing up the highest indicates whose turn it currently is (in the case of the above screenshot, it is Warrior’s turn). However, unlike Mother 3, these character sprites have various poses to accompany each of their actions, which make battles look more dynamic.

Party Members and the Swap Command

Now, obviously there’s a lot to talk about here, so let’s start with the basics. The battle system was inspired by Final Fantasy X’s take on turn-based combat. There are 7 party members in total (3 returning, 4 brand new! More on them in the future), but only 3 can participate in battle at once. However, at any time, your characters can swap in and out of battle. So you *can* technically use all 7 playable characters in a single encounter, and this leads to a lot of new potential strategies.

Personal Skills and Personal Abilities

Particularly since characters now have several unique factors to take into account, beyond their stats. Not only does each character possess a plethora of special abilities/magic, but also two new mechanics – Personal Skills and Personal Abilities.

A Personal Skill is a special command unique to a particular character (it’s the second icon on the row), which allows them to perform a special action with no MP/AP cost. For example, Warrior’s Personal Skill is Shield Bash, which allows him to attempt to inflict the ‘Stun’ status on an enemy. If the Stun is successful, he then follows up with an attack. If it’s unsuccessful, though, then no damage is dealt and the turn is wasted. So it’s very much a risk/reward ability.

A Personal Ability is a passive ability, again unique to a specific character. For example, Warrior has a chance of counterattacking an enemy strike, while Thief gets a speed boost at the start of battle, often allowing her to get the first turn. They’re small additions which make every member of your party feel more distinct, and can feed into interesting strategies. For example, you could include Thief in your party so that she gets the first turn, and then immediately swap her out to allow a different character (perhaps a slower, heavy hitter) to take advantage of that speed boost.



Turn Order System

On that note, I should explain the new turn system. This is the main element inspired by Final Fantasy X, as each character and enemy now has their own separate turn. In 8-Bit Adventures 1, you would select commands for all of your characters and then watch everything play out, but you had no exact way of knowing who would act when.

Well, now you do! In 8-Bit Adventures 2, you issue commands to each character separately, and the list on the right side of the screen shows you the turn order – i.e. the sequence in which characters and enemies will act. So in the image above, it is currently Thief’s turn. After she’s done, the Clockwork Soldier enemy will have its turn, followed by Warrior, then Mage, then Thief, etc. This also contributes to a deeper level of strategic gameplay, as you can more effectively plan ahead.

Omega Burst

In addition to Personal Skills and Abilities, 8-Bit Adventures 2 also features a “Limit Break” mechanic titled Omega Burst. Now, if you’re an RPG veteran, you generally know what this entails – each character has a special, ultimate ability which can be used once a bar fills up. The bar is filled up by the player both dishing out and receiving damage. However, Omega Bursts have one unique difference. Rather than each character having their own unique energy bar to fill up, there is a single bar for the entire party. Once it is filled up, every character has the option to use their Omega Burst; but once a character uses it, the bar is completely emptied.

I decided to take this approach due to my past experience with other RPGs that implement this mechanic. Sometimes in a game like Final Fantasy VII, the character who’s Limit Break I’d want to use wouldn’t get their bar filled in time, while the other two members of my party would. This new ‘one bar fits all’ approach means that you can choose whose Omega Burst to use and when. And since every character contributes to it, the bar fills up a bit quicker than it would in some other RPGs, meaning that you’ll still get to utilise plenty of these attacks in tough battles.



Augmentations

Finally, let’s discuss Augmentations. These are special, passive abilities that are able to be equipped to a character – much like Weapons and Armour. Augmentations can be found in treasure chests, like any other piece of equipment, and provide numerous effects that allow you to further customise your characters. This includes things like increasing a particular stat (e.g. HP+10%), granting immunity to certain status ailments, decreasing the amount of AP/MP it costs to use special abilities/magic, imbuing your ordinary attacks with the ability to inflict negative statuses, and much more.

Each character has 5 Augmentation slots to use (although you only start off with one open slot – more are unlocked as you progress through the game). Additionally, there is a sixth ‘Special’ slot that only fits character-exclusive augmentations. There are two exclusive augmentations for each character, so you’ll have to decide which of them to equip!

Wrapping Up

Oh, and one last thing I should mention – the Colour Element system from the first game is no longer a mechanic in 8-Bit Adventures 2. I was considering it early on, but to put it simply, I feel like I did everything I could with it the first time around. So no more matching colours, but I think the new systems will have plenty of depth =)

And after all that, we still haven’t talked about things like the tiered-attack system, or one particular character’s unique command and equipment system. But I hope this helps convey that 8-Bit Adventures 2’s combat is going to feature a lot of depth and possibilities for interesting strategies.

With that said, though, if you’re concerned about the mechanics becoming too complicated this time around, please don’t worry. While there are a lot of systems, most of them are pretty simple in practice and you can choose not to engage with them. But if you’re an RPG veteran like myself, then you’ll likely have a lot of fun trying to form your own strategies and customise the party.


That’s all for now, but there will be plenty of news in the (relatively) near future! I always post 8-Bit Adventures 2 updates here on Steam, but I also highly recommend following @CriticalGamesAU on Twitter, as that’s the best way I’ve found to keep up-to-date on news!

You can also check out the Critical Games Website for more 8-Bit Adventures 2 info and screenshots (including some animated GIFs), or check Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/CriticalGamesDev

Just an aside, if you’ve been following these posts, you may remember that last year I said that 8-Bit Adventures 2 would be renamed at some point. However, I’m currently thinking of keeping the name as 8-Bit Adventures 2. It’s short, simple, and straightforward– at least, compared to 8-Bit Adventures: The Forgotten Journey Remastered Edition =P If nothing else, 8-Bit Adventures 2: Adventure Harder and 8-Bit Adventures 2: 8-Bit Boogaloo are definitely out!

Thank you very much for reading, and I hope everyone has a fantastic Summer (or Winter if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, like myself)! =D