May 3, 2020

April Update - Steam Festival Plans + New Demo Coming!

8-Bit Adventures 2 - Critical Games

I hope everyone’s been doing okay this past month, and that you and your loved ones have stayed safe and healthy in these difficult times. I’m sorry this update’s a little late, but I’ve got some exciting news to share about an opportunity for us and a new demo for all of you. So let’s dive right in!

Steam Game Festival

8-Bit Adventures 2 will be participating in Steam’s upcoming online festival! Here’s what Valve themselves say about the event:

#Discussions_QuoteBlock_Author
The Steam Game Festival is an event that shines a spotlight on games set to be released within the next year. From June 9th - 14th, check out upcoming releases, try them out with time-limited demos or short playable experiences, connect with the developers behind the games, and add games to your wishlist for a reminder when they release!

Basically, it’s a great way to fill that E3-shaped hole in your schedule by actually *playing* upcoming games, rather than just watching them! This type of digital event is still a bit of a new frontier for the game industry, but as someone who lives in Australia (and wouldn’t ever get to attend the big physical events) I’m really interested to see how this goes. It’s also a good excuse for me to update the game’s Steam page, so I’m in the process of changing the descriptions and replacing old screenshots with nice, shiny new ones.

So what’s the 8-Bit Adventures 2 demo going to include? Well, RPGs are a little hard to demo, as they’re designed to be more of a slow burn, where you settle into the world/characters/mechanics. So to try and convey as much as possible, I’ve divided this demo into 3 separate “levels” – the Prologue, a Dungeon, and a Town. These can be selected from a menu at the start of the demo, so you can jump into whichever section you want! Although I do recommend playing them in that order =P

The Prologue is the opening sequence of 8-Bit Adventures 2. It’s a short, dangerous trek through a desert at sunset, which eases you into the basic controls and mechanics, making it a great place to start your journey!

Next up, the Dungeon should be very familiar to players of the First Look Demo from 2017, as it once again features the Processor. However, a lot of changes have been made since then, and so I hope returning players will enjoy seeing how far we’ve come! For anyone who’s never played it, the Processor is a gritty, industrial-era town currently under the occupation of an army of clockwork soldiers. Steam-powered tanks roll through the streets and your journey from the open City to the carefully-guarded Foundry will be a perilous one.

Finally, the Town provides a more peaceful slice of 8-Bit Adventures 2, allowing the player to relax, explore, and talk to the weird and wonderful people which inhabit Stonecrest. I’m still working on it, but I’m considering transplanting an optional boss from a different town into this one, just as a fun bonus for the demo. Finally, if you try to leave, you’ll get a scene which shows an overview of the World Map that awaits in the full game.

All up, I’d say there’s around 1½ to 2 hours of content in this demo, so I hope you enjoy it when it launches with the Steam Festival on June 9th. I’ve really wanted to get something playable out for a while now for all of you; it’s not the full game, I know, but I hope it helps to make the wait a little easier =)

Ye Olde First Look Demo

This new demo means that the First Look Demo will be taken down very soon. I’m planning to still archive it on my website: www.8bitadventures2.com but it will no longer be accessible via Steam (because I have to use the same Demo page to upload this new one). I apologise for any inconvenience this causes.

I’m sure some of you are probably wondering about your save file from the First Look Demo, which the game told you to hang onto. Back when I put it together in 2017, I thought I’d set everything up correctly; that save file would activate a trigger in the full game before starting normally from the opening sequence, and the player would receive a small bonus in their inventory as a thank you for being a long time fan. Unfortunately, I apparently didn’t set it up well enough. As the game has changed so much since that 2017 demo, that save file messes with all kinds of things and just doesn’t work properly. So, naturally, I don’t want anyone to start the game with it. As recently as March I thought I could still get it working, but after further testing, it doesn’t seem to be possible (although if I have any ideas, I’ll keep trying).

So I’ve been trying to think of a different way to reward long time fans, but I haven’t been able to figure out the right approach yet. I’m really, really sorry about this; I know some of you have been holding onto that save file for years, and I wanted to reward you because it really does mean a lot to see that. If anyone has any ideas of what they’d like to see in that regard, please do let me know!

I guess this is kind’ve like my own version of Banjo Kazooie’s Stop-n-Swop…never thought I’d have to say that =P

Progress in April

In terms of progress, a lot was achieved in April. I can now say that Act 1 of the game (if you break 8-Bit Adventures 2 up into the standard 3-Act structure) takes roughly 7 hours to complete, particularly if you’re exploring and chatting up NPCs. This Act includes 5 towns, 7 dungeons (+ the prologue), 11 boss fights, and a bunch of stuff in-between. So hopefully that gives you an idea of the pace of the game – there’s a lot of content, and not really any wasted time or filler.

With all the data from these first 7 hours, I also completed implementing and balancing the Augment system – which allows players to equip various special bonuses and passive abilities. It’s always been functional, but a system like that needs a lot of testing and planning (and also needed to be made distinct from Accessories and other equipment), and that’s the hurdle we’ve crossed.

Augments include passive effects like increasing your stats by a percentage, making healing items more effective, boosting the critical hit rate, protecting allies from damage, adding status ailments to your normal attacks, counter attacking, blocking certain ailments entirely, automatically adding buffs to the party (either at the start of battle or in an emergency on low HP), and so on.

Each character has a total of 5 Augment slots that unlock as they level up, meaning 35 slots accessible across the whole 7 character party. There are 69 Augments available in the game; so all up, you can equip half of that total. I’m really curious to see what interesting combinations players will come up with – I’ve found a few fun ones that I didn’t expect myself!

I’ve also been really happy with how useful characters’ various Abilities have proved during testing. For example, there’s a dungeon with explosive enemies which are protected by their fellow foes. So before you can damage the explosive enemy, you need to defeat its allies (and you don’t always have much time before it blows up!). However, while those allies block *damage*, they don’t block status ailments. So if you use one of Charlie’s recently acquired Abilities to inflict the Berserk status, it prevents the explosive enemy from blowing up, giving the player time to defeat the other monsters without the risk of major damage. I believe that kind of utility is one of the most satisfying things about a JRPG move-set.

In fact, I think Naoki Hamaguchi said it best in a recent interview about Final Fantasy VII Remake:

If you only give the player one method of doing something, they don’t really get the impression that they’re playing, right? They’re just doing what they’re told.

Having multiple options available, and multiple things that a player can do, is very important. It means that when they pick the right one, they feel clever and skilful as a result.

That feedback cycle is very important. RPG combat provides lots of opportunities to make decisions - from the different abilities, to how they use them on different enemies. When you make the right one, it makes you feel good - I think that’s always important to think about when designing battles.

Honestly, that perfectly sums up what I’ve tried to achieve with 8-Bit Adventures 2, and what I’m hoping will make the combat feel satisfying and fun to RPG newcomers and veterans alike.

That’s All Folks!

To make sure you don’t miss any news in future, I recommend following @CriticalGamesAU on Twitter, as that’s the best way I’ve found to keep up-to-date!

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

And don't forget to visit the Critical Games Creator Page:
https://store.steampowered.com/curator/33038547
Follow that page or wishlist the game to be notified when 8-Bit Adventures 2 is finally released!

I sincerely hope everyone stays safe and healthy in the months to come. It’s been difficult watching the news and seeing all the awful stuff that’s been happening around the world, but you’ve all been in my thoughts. I hope the demo is something to look forward to, and I’m really excited for you all to go hands-on (and to get your feedback!).

As always, thank you all so much for your understanding and patience with me. I hope 8-Bit Adventures 2 can add at least a small bright spot in 2020 =) Please do your best to stay safe and healthy and I’ll see you at the start of June!

Oh, and May the 4th be with you! ;)
~Josh

Mar 31, 2020

March Update - Personal Message + Progress, Progress, Progress!

8-Bit Adventures 2 - Critical Games

Hey everyone, it’s been a while! We all know what’s been going on in the world, so I’ll just say that I sincerely hope everyone out there is safe and healthy; and hopefully not going too stir crazy from being stuck at home.

My thoughts go out to everyone at this difficult time, but I know that we’ll get through this. 2020 doesn’t have to be a “wasted” year, nor does it have to belong to some virus. Circumstances are difficult around the world, and I don’t want to minimise that for a second; but there’s still a lot of good to be found – even if you’re stuck indoors!

I’ve had a lot of opportunities to help family members and other people I know over the last month, which has been time consuming (sorry 8-Bit Adventures 2 fans!) but also very much worth doing. On the fun side of this, though, was buying Animal Crossing to play with my Grandmother – partly to try and give her more activity and mental stimulation. She has trouble with the controls, but she did surprisingly well – especially seeing as the last game she played was Kirby 64’s multiplayer mini-games in 2001! We got her camp set up, gave her tools, and I made her a birdhouse =P I don’t know when we’ll get to do it again due to current restrictions, but she genuinely seemed to enjoy it and said it made her use her noggin, so it was definitely worthwhile haha.

And honestly, I think this situation is a time for video games to shine. Not just for keeping us all connected and interacting with each other, but also for helping us stay positive and happy. I always approach game development with the perspective that a game is a kind of “conversation” between the developer and the player. The developer presents ideas or mechanics, and the player decides how to perceive and utilise them; there’s this moment-to-moment back and forth, as the game shifts from player directed to developer directed over and over.

I’ve been playing Threads of Fate on PS1 recently (a pretty obscure Square Soft title from 1999) and that game’s just a sweet, earnest, feel good adventure – with way more narrative depth than I expected at the start. It’s not exactly what I’d call a good game mechanically, but its charm wins out over any flaws, and it always left me feeling cheerful and optimistic. And that’s what I adore about video games! I’ve played so many titles like that over the years; and right now, I think we could all use a bit of that =)

So my personal recommendation? Hunker down with some old favourites – ideally anything which features a cheerful vibe, whatever makes you happy – and see what messages those developers left for you. I personally have always found games like that to be really helpful in lifting my spirits and bringing a positive attitude to the people around me!

Anyway, with that tangent out of the way, let’s get out onto some 8-Bit Adventures 2 talk!

The March of Progress

So March was, once again, a slightly compromised month. The first week featured the memorial service for my Aunt, so the start of the month was really still about supporting family and getting back into routine. Zepht, Klara, Pierre, Seamus – thank you all very much for your condolences and consideration; it was sincerely appreciated! Hopefully I didn’t miss anyone! And then, with everything else that’s gone on, and trying to be helpful and supportive to people I know, that’s eaten up another chunk of time.

BUT, the month got off to a great start and progress has still been good all the way through. With the turn order bug for battle fixed in February, I finally was able to move forward in my testing. The first hostile area of the World Map was properly tested (a set number of enemies randomly spawn in different locations and chase you down if you get to close), and I also had to test what happens if the player attempts to backtrack to areas that you’d never normally bother to return to.

The really fun part about this was that it’s where the game starts to feel like a fully fledged classic JRPG; when the player can temporarily go off the rails and poke around in places for no other reason than because they can. I loved doing that as a kid, because it made the world feel more real and tangible – even though I wasted a lot of time haha XD

Anyway, moving on from there, you might’ve seen me talk about completing testing for the 5th dungeon on March 9th via Twitter. There are no standard enemy encounters in this one - instead it features a mix of light puzzle solving sprinkled between two boss battles. I tried to find lots of little ways to vary up the dungeons in 8-Bit Adventures 2 and particularly to make sure that no dungeon overstays its welcome (Sylph Cave in FFIV, I’m looking at you 0_0).

The next town-style location and 6th dungeon have also been tested; however what I’ve spent most of the month doing is implementing and testing new bug fixes! Sufyan (the programmer) has done a lot of work this past month, and some really important features and fixes have been implemented. For example, we now have a proper battle transition!

Most of them aren’t very visual, or at least not very exciting to talk about, but they make the game a whole lot better. It feels so much more solid and final to play now than ever before! And that’s been really helpful for me, because it makes balancing the game a lot easier. Now that the characters are gaining more Abilities in my playthrough, it’s been really fun to experiment with them.

For example, I can put Charlie into a Parry Stance (which lets his block most forms of damage for 3 turns) and then use Warrior’s Decoy ability to make all single-target attacks focus on him. Or swapping slower party members in on faster characters’ turns when I need a quick heal or to use some other ability (e.g. swapping out Thief to bring in Robot so that I can use his Heal Ray to keep the party alive). It feels really satisfying to run rings around normal enemies like this - fun stuff if you love turn-based battle systems!

One of the other cool things that’s been added this month is a Palette Shader effect for battles and fade transitions. Essentially, this removes opacity and transparency effects from the game, and instead uses specially made palettes to fade to white and black, or flash the screen. It probably doesn’t sound like much, but it makes a big difference visually and brings us a lot closer to the enhanced, faux 8-bit aesthetic we’ve been aiming for. That’s how fades and other effects were done on the NES – in simple terms, they’d alternate between palettes; for example, swapping a lighter colour for a darker colour on the NES palette and stepping down, colour by colour, until they reached black, for a fade out.

There’s still a lot of fixes and tweaks for Sufyan to make, but there’s one from March that I do have to mention…

Simply put, the humping glitch is finally fixed! Long live the humping glitch!

...I might've spent more time doing this than I'd care to admit haha.

Going Forward

So what’s next in April? Hopefully a lot more fixes (it’d be ideal if we could have all of the fixes/tweaks I need from Sufyan done by the end of April – but we’ll see what happens), and a lot more in-game progress! Next up for my testing is a city under siege which concludes Act 1 of the story, followed by two big towns, a court sequence where you’re your own lawyer, and a very familiar optional dungeon for players of 8-Bit Adventures 1 to revisit. So it should be fun! …Assuming the game doesn’t decide to break every five minutes =P Ah, the joys of game dev!

As much as I know I’ve let you all down with constant delays and the speed of production, I am glad in some ways to not be releasing just yet - given the current situation. A game like Final Fantasy VII Remake will be fine because it has such a big fan-base, but a smaller title like mine really relies on word of mouth and being featured in the media. While I’d really love to have it out for you all to play right now, I think it’d be very difficult to have a successful launch in the current climate.

Of course, it’s a moot point anyway because the game isn’t ready haha, but I just wanted to comment about that. I’m thinking about release every day, and I’m aware that all of you who’ve stuck by me – some since even 2015! – are all waiting for this. I know how hard it is to wait for a game you’re excited to play, and it means the world to me that people feel that way (this is the first game I’ve ever made where that’s been the case!). So when I finally figure out what that right time is, you’ll be the first to know =)

That’s All Folks!

To make sure you don’t miss any news in future, I recommend following @CriticalGamesAU on Twitter, as that’s the best way I’ve found to keep up-to-date!

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

And don't forget to visit the Critical Games Creator Page:
https://store.steampowered.com/curator/33038547
Follow that page or wishlist the game to be notified when 8-Bit Adventures 2 is finally released!

I hope this update lets you know how things are going; and I truly hope things are well with all of you too! At least, as well as they can be =)

Now if you'll excuse me, Final Fantasy VII Remake has just been released early in Australia, and I've been losing my mind over that while writing this! XD Honestly, it's surreal getting something first here (almost 2 weeks early) because when I was a kid, we were always the last! Not to brag about it though (sorry international people) =P I'm crossing my fingers that everyone else will get the game this week too! I'll probably tweet some spoiler-free thoughts once I get to start playing, if anyone's interested.

All the best, and please stay safe and healthy! =)
~Josh

Feb 28, 2020

Quick Update - February 2020

8-Bit Adventures 2 - Critical Games

Hi everyone,

You might be wondering where the February Update post is, so I just wanted to let you all know what's going on.

Last weekend, a dearly beloved member of my family passed away - my Aunty Carol. It's been a very difficult time for my family and I - both in the lead-up, and now that it's happened - and consequently I haven't prepared my usual monthly update. I haven't had much time this week to rectify that either, as I've been helping to prepare for my Aunt's memorial service. Honestly, in my downtime, I've just been turning off and collecting Pokemon haha - it's funny what we go back to when we're dealing with something like this =P

She and my Uncle have given me money every birthday to help fund 8-Bit Adventures 2 - even when I told them not to worry. My Aunt always gave me her love and support and believed in me. My deepest regret is that she won't be here to see the release of my work after all this time, but I'm going to do all that I can to live up to the faith that she placed in me. She was already going to be included in the Special Thanks section of 8-Bit Adventures 2, but the end of the game will also now feature a dedication to her. One of the themes of our story is about what it means to live a full life - and she was a woman who exemplified exactly that; a life filled with family, friends, and love.

On the brighter side of things, in case you missed it on social media, after 3 long months, the 8-Bit Adventures 2 battle system is finally working again! When Sufyan (the programmer) sent this fix to me, I let out the biggest sigh of relief you can imagine haha. There are still plenty more bugs to fix, but we've been back on track for testing again - and things are feeling really solid =D

Anyway, I just wanted to write this quick update to let you all know what's going on. I'll be alright, and the game is moving along - I just wanted to clarify why there's no proper February update. I sincerely apologise for that and hope to speak to you all again soon =)

~Josh

Feb 1, 2020

January Update - Progress Report + "Making a Monster" Concept Art!

8-Bit Adventures 2 - Critical Games

A late Happy New Year to everyone! I know 2020’s gotten off to a rough start (certainly here in Australia), but the generosity and solidarity I’ve seen from ordinary people around the world to help combat every new challenge has been really inspiring. I know we’re all working to help each other and make this the best year we possibly can! And for me, part of that means releasing 8-Bit Adventures 2 and hopefully making a lot of people happy – even if only for a few hours =)

So let’s kick off this release year with the January update for 8-Bit Adventures 2!

Progress Report

Okay, so let’s start with the good news – Sufyan (the programmer) is finally back home and working on 8-Bit Adventures 2 again! He’s sent me a couple of requested tweaks so far and is working on fixing the major issue which has left the battle system broken these past few months. We’re not quite there yet, but we’re in a much better position than we were when I last spoke to you. Hopefully in February everything will finally be fixed and I can start zooming along again with testing.

For anyone who’s been following this whole saga, I really can’t apologise enough for the delays here (this completely caught me by surprise too), and hopefully I’ve been open enough in communicating what’s going on. Unfortunately, this has been one of those things that’s just completely out of my control, and so all I’ve been able to do is wait - and keep working on other things.

Thankfully, I’ve been getting a lot of things done! Including a few extra odds and ends that I wasn’t sure were going to make the cut – such as a hidden Black Market for enterprising adventurers to discover (an Airship might be required to find it, though!). I’ve also been doing final mapping and detail passes on some of the optional dungeons, a couple of which needed some expansion. I mentioned in December that we’d just passed 800 individual maps that make up the world of 8-Bit Adventures 2. Now we’re nearly at 850 maps – which should be the final tally (there are just a couple more optional areas I want to add, seeing as I have the opportunity while waiting for the battle system fixes).

So things are definitely looking up! …Buuuuut it’s still not an ideal situation.

Making a Monster

Last month, I showed off some of the concept art made by Jerram (the artist). This time, I thought I’d include some more – but with a little extra context. So let’s take a brief, simplified look at the process of making monsters for 8-Bit Adventures 2!

In general, I like to introduce two or three new enemy types per unique environment, as I think this helps to keep battles feeling fresh and varied; as well as maintaining a sense of mystique (as the player has no idea what any new foe might do). So there are really two factors that went into my monster concepts. Either I’d consider the environment I wanted them to inhabit and think up a design which fit, or I’d come up with some ability or unusual quirk/mechanic for an enemy and imagine it from that basis.

As you can probably tell, a lot of my monster concepts are a little quirky and strange. Part of that is the influence of the Mother/Earthbound series, but in general it’s JRPG tradition to skew towards the weird and wonderful when it comes to common enemies. I personally like this approach – not only because I think it adds to the world’s personality, but because it keeps the game feeling more unique and surprising when your next foe can range from utterly bizarre to deadly badass.

Of course, this only works when you have a unifying visual style that can make these two extremes feel coherent, and that’s where Jerram came in. I’d describe my vague ideas for the enemy, providing the most relevant references I could find, and then he would take that information, filter it through his own imagination, and turn it into something dynamic and vibrant!

Generally no revisions or debate were required; it just took one pass and we’d both be in total agreement about the design. Occasionally I’d make a tweak or comment (or Jerram would make a change himself), but generally it was a seamless flow from idea, to concept art, to enemy sprite – which all turned out far better than I could’ve ever imagined! Jerram did an amazing job creating a cast of fiends that are both memorable and filled with personality; many of their battle animations also really helping to express that.

The Grinning Ember – one of the few enemies to get a re-design (and an attitude change!). I'm pretty sure Jerram was the one behind these alterations =)

The last thing our monsters needed was a name; and when you play 8-Bit Adventures 2, you’ll quickly learn that I have an affinity for alliteration, puns, and silly jokes – some of which might only make sense to me XD But sometimes these quirky names generated ideas too! For example, in the City of Sounds dungeon, I was trying to come up with enemy designs and thought of the name ‘Electric Guitarist’, which immediately struck a chord with me. As this is a high-tech area, the idea of an electrical enemy was perfect, along with the musical connection and name pun. This then lead to the idea of a whole band of enemies who are stronger when they fight as a team - and this really gave the area an extra dose of character - and a more distinct identity.

Obviously this is a pretty simple breakdown of the process (especially for Jerram - there's a whole lot of amazing design work on his side of things!), but I hope you enjoyed this quick look at some more concept art from 8-Bit Adventures 2 =)

I’ve Written a Game/Story Design Essay!

I’m not sure if this is of interest to anyone here, but in my spare time over the past 9 months, I’ve written a six-part essay - titled Kingdom Hearts III: A Conclusion without a Story - which analyses Kingdom Hearts III’s approach to storytelling; viewed both from the perspective of a player, and a writer/game designer.

Click here to check it out!

My intention was to examine the game’s structure, ideas, and mistakes, and draw out numerous lessons that could be applicable to the reader’s own game – all centred around a main hypothesis. The hope is that anyone can read and enjoy it, but that developers can gain a lot more from the topics explored.

But the reason I bring this up is because, in this essay, I analyse Kingdom Hearts III through the same kind of lens that I apply to 8-Bit Adventures 2. So if anyone is curious about my perspective or approach to game design, story telling, or character building – especially in the context of a JRPG – you might find it interesting! Or at least get a sense of where I’m coming from with my own work =)

That’s All Folks!

To make sure you don’t miss any news in future, I recommend following @CriticalGamesAU on Twitter, as that’s the best way I’ve found to keep up-to-date!

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

And don't forget to visit the Critical Games Creator Page:
https://store.steampowered.com/curator/33038547
Follow that page or wishlist the game to be notified when 8-Bit Adventures 2 is finally released!

I’m sorry for the lacklustre update to kick off the year, but I hope the news that Sufyan is back on the job and working on those fixes as we speak adds a tinge of optimism to the post! Believe me, I’m biting my fingernails and counting the hours in anticipation of that – I can’t overstate how big of a challenge this issue has been over the last few months.

So let's cross our fingers and look forward to a February filled with progress and success! And I mean that for every single one of us, to be clear =) I hope you all have a wonderful month and I'll see you in the next update!
~Josh

Dec 19, 2019

December Update - Winter Sale + GIFS + Sketches + Sizzle Reel!

8-Bit Adventures 2 - Critical Games

Told you I’d be back earlier than usual! Yes, Christmas time is here and so is a jam-packed December Update for 8-Bit Adventures 2 =) We’ve got a lot to get through (plenty of fun visual content too!), so I’ll skip my mad ramblings this time and jump straight into the content!

Final 24 Hours of the 2019 IndieDB Awards!

If you missed my previous posts, the website IndieDB has been running their annual competition highlighting indie games, and thanks to our wonderful fans (all of you!) we made it into their Top 100 – which is absolutely fantastic! But the competition isn’t over yet; now we’re in the running for Top 10 Upcoming Indie Games.

Getting onto this list would gain 8-Bit Adventures 2 even more visibility, and would be a definite feather in our cap. We're up against 42 other games, so every vote matters. You've all done more than enough already; but if you can keep supporting 8-Bit Adventures 2, I'd sincerely appreciate your vote =)

If you’d like to support us, please follow the link below and click the big red ‘Vote’ button next to 8-Bit Adventures 2! It'd be the best Christmas present you can give me ;)

https://www.indiedb.com/groups/2019-indie-of-the-year-awards/top100#vote62132

Winter Sale Discounts

For the next week (until 10:05 AM on January 2nd 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
As I've said before, these discounts won't get any lower in the future, so now's the time to buy!

As has always been the case, every purchase goes towards 8-Bit Adventures 2's development. Most things are now fully paid for (thankfully!), but we've still got a few things to cover, so any and all support is greatly appreciated!

Sizzle Reel Re-release!

Last year in November, I released a sizzle reel showing off some scenes from the game. The video was unlisted, and while some of you may have already seen it, it never got many views. So I’ve cut out the initial minute-and-a-half of me giving an old progress report and re-uploaded the 2 minute sizzle reel portion of the video. So if you haven’t seen it, please check it out below!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eST6W2_aP3Y&feature=youtu.be
I really wanted to make a new one this year, but these things take quite a bit of time and with the battle system’s turn order still in shambles (more on that below), it doesn’t make things easy. So I think at this stage I’ll make a final trailer closer to release and leave it at that. Don’t want to get *too* spoiler-y!

New Dungeon GIFs and Progress Report

So as you might’ve gathered, the bugs I’ve been complaining about these last couple of months (especially the turn order part of the battle system being broken) still aren’t fixed. Sufyan (the programmer) has had things in his work life that have taken all of his time up and put him under a lot of stress, and he’s just trying to cope with it all as best he can – working around the clock. He’ll be back in (and is very much looking forward to) January though, so hopefully we’ll be able to get back on top of it all in the very near future. As always, I just want to be open with you guys on what’s happening =)

But let’s get onto the fun stuff! I wanted to show off a few more locations that you haven’t seen before – in fact these are some of my favourite dungeon aesthetics in the game. Specifically, we have a deep forest near Estriatus that’s connected to a fan-favourite subplot in 8-Bit Adventures 1, an underwater cavern that serves as the lair of an ancient ocean-dwelling beast (the diving suit returns!), and an abandoned, ruined prison complex which was once used to hold the Glitch and is now run by broken down, insane robots.

It probably doesn't mean much to anyone else, but the game contains over 800 individual maps - which is a lot haha! In addition to the massive amount of content in the main quest, this includes both meaty optional dungeons and small, one-off areas you can discover by exploring the World Map.

I’ve really tried to make 8-Bit Adventures 2 feel content-rich without sacrificing pacing or bloating the game. It’s a tricky balance to get right in a genre that so often leans too far one way or the other – I’ve definitely played some JRPGs that felt too long for the wrong reasons. So I often look to Chrono Trigger (one of the best paced games ever made in my opinion) and the scale of their content for inspiration (the size of dungeons, the number of enemy encounters, the structure and speed of battles, and so on).

I think the world of 8-Bit Adventures 2 has become really fun to just explore and run around in now that everything’s connected up. Truth be told, whenever I complete an area, I spend several minutes just sprinting around in it XD Mainly because I’m trying to see if any odd tiles stick out to me or if anything needs a last minute adjustment (I need to make sure everything looks and feels right) but…I also do it because it’s fun haha.

Development Sketches/Concept Art

If you’re like me, then you enjoy seeing behind-the-scenes content from the games you play – especially concept artwork! Well, Jerram (the artist) gave me pretty much everything he ever drew for 8-Bit Adventures 2 (over 100 sketches) and I thought it might be fun to show this off – as something different for the end of the year! I personally enjoy concept art that looks a little rough and early (sorry Jerram! =P), but I've tried to include a mix of types. I’ll definitely release all of these drawings in some form at one point, but here are just a few fun selections I made =) Enjoy!

That’s All for 2019!

I’ve said it all before, but thank you – every single one of you reading this – so much for all your continued support and excitement for 8-Bit Adventures 2. 2019 has been a rough year in some ways, and failing to release the game in a year that I was *so* confident about definitely didn’t help that. But whatever happens – by hook or by crook – 8-Bit Adventures 2 is getting finished and released!

I know I say this all the time, but I honestly can’t wait for all of you to play it. I develop games to make people happy – that’s my goal - and there’s no greater joy for a game developer than players actually *playing* your game! I think even the most ardent of perfectionists (of which I can definitely be – at least, I take the time to get things right haha) wants that.

I want to wish you all Happy Holidays, a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year full of wonderful possibilities and joy! Thank you everyone and I’ll see you in 2020! (You just can’t get rid of me haha =P)
~Josh

Nov 26, 2019

November Update - Autumn Sale + Spoiler-Free Update

8-Bit Adventures 2 - Critical Games

Wait a second, a monthly update that's actually *in* the month it's named after?! To answer your first, and frankly most obvious question: no, I'm not some shadowy impostor who's killed Josh and begun wearing his face as a kind of grotesque mask in order to usurp development of 8-Bit Adventures 2 - I just had the extra impetus of the Steam Autumn Sale to get this out a little sooner than usual! The December update will probably be a lot earlier than usual too, so please keep an eye out for it =)

Without further adieu, let's charge into the fray!

Autumn Sale Discounts

For the next week (until 10:05 AM on December 3rd 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
As I've said before, these discounts won't get any lower in the future, so now's the time to buy!

As has always been the case, every purchase goes towards 8-Bit Adventures 2's development. Most things are now fully paid for, but we've still got a few things to cover, so any and all support is greatly appreciated!

Bug Report 2: Electric Bugaloo

I'm not actually going to bore you all with bug reports haha, but that's definitely continued to be a big theme in November. Unfortunately Sufyan (our programmer) hasn't been able to address any of the bugs I've been dealing with this month due to personal circumstances. To make matters worse, due to a fix that didn't quite work at the end of last month, battles have been left a tad broken. So the situation hasn't been ideal, but I've still been making progress and am basically at the end of what I'd call Act 1 (assuming we break the game into the traditional 3-Act Structure). Once we squash some of those battle bugs, things will definitely be a lot easier to test, but for now I've just been doing what I can.

Sebastian (our composer) just sent me his final track - a whopping 6 minute long Credits theme - which plays over the ending of the game, and is utterly beautiful. It conveys the emotions of the characters so well, and I couldn't be happier with it. I think that when everyone gets to the ending, it'll make you feel exactly the way the end of a grand adventure should make you feel =)

A lot of the work I've been doing is pretty steeped in spoiler territory, so I won't say too much (and I'm trying not to show much either!). One of the jobs I've tackled is trying to make the Processor (the environment from the First Look Demo) a little more lively. Tanks roll around on the roads, Clockwork Soldiers guard street corners, and the bodies of poor, defenceless worker robots litter the city.

It's actually a little crazy how much things have changed since the old demo, and working on this area really drove that home. And that's in regards to menus, animations, fonts, the removal of random battles, the addition of sprinting, plus battle system and story tweaks. Honestly, it feels good to see!

I'll also note that I got past the point in 8-Bit Adventures 2 (around the 5-6 hour mark, depending on your speed) where the player gets the final additions to their tool-set; specifically party switching (as now you have more than 3 characters), the Robot's 'Part' system (he doesn't have normal abilities, but instead equips 'Parts' to extend his repertoire), & Augments (a special equippable which can enhance a character's stats & provide all kinds of unusual effects). Basically, my intention was that by the end of 'Act 1' (as explained above) the player should have complete access to all of the game's mechanics; with the final two dungeons of this act allowing them to start exploring these mechanics. Thankfully, that's worked out pretty well!

Thanks & Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving naturally isn't celebrated in Australia, but I hope everyone who does partake enjoys the holiday and has plenty to be grateful for this year. I know I'm certainly grateful for all of you - especially for sticking by me in this long, long development cycle! And I'm also so, *so* grateful for Sebastian, Jerram, and Sufyan - without them, making this game would've been impossible, and they've all done such incredible work. Thanks guys =)

I truly thought there was no way in the world 8-Bit Adventures 2 wouldn't be released in 2019, and grappling with that reality has been a little crushing these past few months. To spend such a large chunk of your life working on a project like this is kind've terrifying haha. But we've come this far, and I'm trying to be as transparent and open with all of you as I can be (while also not saying anything stupid or super spoiler-y =P). I'm gonna get it right and I'm gonna get it out there.

To recap on the year a little, the content's pretty much all there; all I'm doing is just testing, polishing, tweaking, balancing, and bug fixing. All graphical assets are done; all music is composed; the game is playable in some way from start to finish. Hey, we even have a decent website now! 2019 has been the year where all the pieces have really, finally come together and it's made me very confident in the quality of 8-Bit Adventures 2. Has the year been challenging? Yep. Has it gone the way I wanted? Definitely not. But I've worked hard, done my best, and I think it's all paid off.

...I'm definitely making a smaller game next time though XD

That’s All Folks!

I think I covered most things above, but as you can see from my image choices, I'm trying to really avoid big spoiler content at this point. Hopefully these updates are still interesting to read, and give you a solid insight into where we are/what I'm doing. As I said, I should have the December update out much earlier than normal too, so please keep an eye out for that!

Oh, and have you guys been watching the Mandalorian? It's like a live-action Genndy Tartavosky production (i.e. Samurai Jack); so precisely paced, allowing everything room to breathe and developing its characters with minimal dialogue. Its plot isn't going anywhere fast, but I'm really enjoying it! His Dark Materials has also taken me by surprise. As someone who knows nothing of the books, I've gotten really invested haha.

...As you can probably tell, I never have any idea how to end these things XD But I hope everyone has an absotively splendificus start to the holiday season!
~Josh

Nov 1, 2019

October Update - Deserts, Dungeons, Team Attacks + Halloween

8-Bit Adventures 2 - Critical Games

Hey there, great to see ya! How’s everything going? Had a good Halloween?

Oh, me? I’m just writing the October 2019 update for 8-Bit Adventures 2! …Yes, I know it’s the 2nd of November. For some reason, that’s just the way I’ve ended up doing this. Eh, don't think too much about it. The months go by so quickly now haha. But enough small talk with myself – let’s get into it!

Halloween Repost

First off, Happy Halloween for the other night! I posted this little GIF on the actual day (via Twitter @CriticalGamesAU), but in case anyone missed it…

In 8-Bit Adventures 2, you'll find ghosts and ghouls galore! But despite all the fiendish foes you'll face, on this Hallows' Eve, I thought a stroll amongst the graves might be a more appropriate treat...

But these ain't your average, mindless Zombies. They may be maggot-ridden, but they're on a mission - to stop you from reaching their master, no matter the cost! Poor guy - that looks like it hurts...

Progress, Pictures, Dungeons, and Combo Abilities!

This month will probably be a little light on the details, but I always like to show off a new batch of screenshots and animated GIFs! I’m approaching the end of testing what I consider ‘Act 1’ of the game (based on a 3 Act structure), so if you’re hyper concerned about spoilers…well, this update should be okay, but we’re getting to a point where I’m being extra mindful of what I show – while also trying to keep things interesting haha.

Oh, and don’t mind the names for Warrior/Thief/Mage – these images are taken from my personal save file (they’re actually the same names I used when testing the first game too!).

Jerram (the artist) has now totally, fully, 100% finished his work on 8-Bit Adventures 2, so give him a round of applause! He’s done an absolutely incredible job, and a lot of my time in October was spent implementing the ending assets he’s made, as well as many other odds and ends which enhance the look of the game, and frankly make it feel polished and complete – such as the final battle transition effect (which I’ll definitely be showing in the near future!).

We’ve still been contending with some very tricky bugs, but Sufyan (the programmer) has been hard at work taking care of them. There’s still plenty more to do (I just ran into one a couple of days ago where every time I defended in a particular battle, my character would get faster XD), but we’re on the road to making 8-Bit Adventures 2 airtight by release!

One of the dungeons I worked on this past month is the Ocean Cave – which is so dark, that unless you’re standing near a light source, you can’t see! These battles are pitch black and enemies appear only as vague outlines – which actually alters their moveset a little. To even the playing field, you'll need to lead them close to one of the many torches before starting the battle. This will let you fight them under optimal conditions, helping you see and revealing their true forms!

But if you do get stuck in the dark, don’t worry – Emma is blind, and fights using her other senses, so she’ll be your secret weapon! If you get caught like this, it’s usually best to put Charlie on support, using Items or Abilities to aid her. But the monsters here are no joke (well, power-wise anyway =P), so be careful and try to put yourself in the best position possible!

Another thing I wanted to briefly touch upon is team attacks! In 8-Bit Adventures 2, we have Combo (2 people) and Trio (3 people) Abilities which combine your party members’ various skills. To gain one of these special team-up attacks, both characters must have learnt specific Abilities. For example, Love’s Shield requires Thief to have learnt First Aid, and Warrior to have learnt Shield Wall.

These abilities can be activated by any of the participating characters (except Robot – he functions a little differently), however they also drain AP/MP from everyone involved - so be careful you don’t overuse them. Otherwise, your whole party might end up running on empty!

Also a minor mention, but the Escape Amulet from the first game returns in 8-Bit Adventures 2 (it’s one of the things I set up this month)! If you ever need to get back to the entrance of a dungeon in a hurry, just open up your Key Items and use the Escape Amulet to zip straight back to the entrance. Leaving the dungeon will re-spawn all of its enemies though (at least, under normal circumstances), so you’ll have to decide if it’s worth the risk!

That’s All Folks!

As usual, I’m afraid it’s not the update we’ve all been waiting for – but I just want you guys to know that I’m still here and doing my best to get everything done. And you know, I’m really happy with how everything’s turning out! This might be a bit of a strange highlight, but emerging onto the Xanthus Desert section of the World Map for the first time felt really satisfying. I know I made the thing, but there’s something about a fully realised World Map that still just feels *right*. I’m hoping to deliver RPG veterans a lot of those moments – not just references that play to nostalgia, but moments that capture the style and feel of games long past in a new context.

And I guess on a grander level, I hope to tell a positive story about the things that really matter in our lives; one that embodies both a hopeful optimism, and a sense that we can overcome any obstacle. I feel these elements – the sense of “striving for a better tomorrow”, as Hironobu Sakaguchi once put it - were key to making so many JRPGs into beloved classics. We’ll see how I do, but essentially I want people to leave my games feeling happy and re-energised, rather than frustrated or depressed. In these troubled times, I feel like making people smile is the most helpful thing I can do with my work. Hopefully 8-Bit Adventures 2 will make you smile too! =)
~Josh