There's no shortage of news to share about Hobble in this update as development has seriously accelerated these last few months!
Some of the eagle-eyed among you may have already spotted the appearance of mysterious monoliths in the screenshots that now feature on our recently revamped Steam page. What's going on with them? What's the story of these amazing landscapes? We asked Hobble writer Hannah for some more information - curious Hobbleheads want to know!
The Hobble Story
"Within the Hobble universe you'll come across the remnants of an ancient civilization steeped in reverence for old age, believing that the further ahead in years a citizen was, the better their ability to connect with the spirit force of the natural world.
This was a culture that sought life's meaning in the great outdoors, with its people building Totems to mark the end of pilgrimages to awe-inspiring places."
Welcome to the Visitor Centre
Every adventure starts somewhere and the Visitor Centre and it's surrounding grounds provide the lobby environment where all your Hobble adventures will start. There's even a few spots to practice your parkour skills before setting off!
Inside the Visitor Centre you'll find several areas that will let you customize your game experience - from what location you want to visit, to what costume you want to wear for your trip.
Check back next time for a look at our first location - Elder Crag!
Staying Stylish in the Rain
The old folks of Hobble are always prepared for adventure whatever the weather and these stylish raincoats are just the ticket to staying dry in even the heaviest of downpours.
Hank models the men's version.
Pearl looks simply fabulous in the ladies outfit.
There'll be loads of unlockable costumes to choose from in the visitor centre.
Expect to see more of these functional but fashionable costume options in future updates!
The Gear
Dangerous adventures in the wild outdoors require the right equipment and Hobble has no shortage of awesome items to help you explore the world. Let's take a look at the camera!
The zoom feature allows you to capture detail at a distance - perfect for snapping a passing butterfly or capturing the moment your friend falls to their doom from a high clifftop. What if you want to hear their scream as they plunge downwards too? Well, then you'd need a radio!
The radio will help you keep in touch with your team as you spread out across the map. Voices will fade the further you get from each other so radios are crucial for long distance communications.
Parkour!
Climbing crazy peaks in wild environments is at the heart of Hobble's gameplay - here's a sneak peek at how parkour is looking in the game at the moment!
Expect some seriously steep peaks that will put your parkour moves to the test - one wrong step could mean a deadly drop to the ground below! Once you reach the top though, you'll be richly rewarded for your efforts.
Catch You Next Time
Thanks for reading this update - if you liked what you saw, then please don't forget to add us to your Steam Wishlist.
You can also follow us on TikTok and YouTube on the official Straight Back Games accounts. We'll be sharing more Hobble video content on these channels very soon!
The latest build is live! No video this time, but here is a list of the latest changes:
Bug Fix Fixed a softlock bug that occurred when both players picked the 8th color of the same costume.
Challenge Combos All characters have 20 challenge combos.
Block & Punish Combos Some trial have been updated so Enjellique can complete them.
Story Mode Fixed an issue where some rewards would not unlock. All available costumes should be unlockable now. Note, if you already completed story mode, the rewards should all pop-up when reopening the mode.
Locked Palettes All costumes and palettes are now locked appropriately. Complete story mode to unlock costumes. Complete challenge and block & punish challenges to unlock color palettes. 1 palette for every 5 challenge combos or 1 palette for every 3 block and punish characters completed with another character. Once a palette is unlocked, it is unlocked for all costumes.
Drargos Decreased the wipeout values on some attacks.
Music Music loads different songs depending on the character and mode. Music selection coming soon.
Anyway, thanks for playing the game! The hope is to leave early access before 2024 (or at least before Tekken 8's release.) Thanks for playing, the feedback, and more.
Combined Arms, Halo Infinite’s first Operation, arrives tomorrow!
From November 14 to December 19, Operation: COMBINED ARMS will be active, bringing a free 20-tier Operation Pass with new customization rewards. The iconic Mjolnir Mark V armor from Halo: Combat Evolved and a playlist of beloved classic maps from Halo 3 have also come to Halo Infinite.
Combined Arms Operation Pass
The Combined Arms Operation Pass features 20 tiers of free customization rewards, along with new armor and vehicle coatings, emblems, and visors.
For those who need a quick refresher: Operations are the new evolution of Events in Halo Infinite, and Combined Arms is the first of more Operations to come. For a full breakdown, check out our Operations blog.
Player feedback around Events was that their short two-week window felt too limiting, and that once they’re gone there’s no way to obtain those rewards again. Enter Operations, which will run for approximately four-to-six weeks with a free 20-tier Operation Pass that is progressed with Match XP. An Operation can be purchased at any point via Halo Infinite’s in-game Switcher or Shop.
The Operations Pass comes with additional premium upgrade options:
500 credits instantly unlocks an exclusive bonus customization item, makes the Operation Pass durable (it will not expire), and – when equipped – offers bonus XP and an extra Challenge slot during the Operation’s live window
2,000 credits instantly unlocks all 20 tiers of the Operation Pass at purchase and includes the exclusive bonus customization item
Purchase either of the Combined Arms Operation Pass options above and you will additionally acquire the Grey Hunter armor coating.
Halo 3 Refueled
2007 has arrived in 2023, as seven Halo 3 maps recreated in Forge in partnership with the community are coming to a new matchmaking playlist in Halo Infinite alongside the Combined Arms Operation tomorrow.
Claim the High Ground and revisit the vertical heights of Construct, the lush jungles of Guardian, a Banished-themed take on Narrows, and other beloved classics recreated in Halo Infinite’s Forge mode. Alongside these is also Critical Dewpoint, a map created by ArturBloodshot, based around our nostalgia-fueled partnership with Mountain Dew.
For more details, be sure to check out our Halo 3 Refueled blog when it lands tomorrow.
New Waypoint Chronicle Inbound
Also accompanying the release of Combined Arms is a new Waypoint Chronicle which will release later this month!
2560. The Banished have come to Suban, the blood-moon of Sanghelios, seeking to claim the unique natural resource within its vast mines: the beautiful but volatile Subanese crystals.
The Swords of Sanghelios and their Spartan allies face an overwhelming force on the ground, while a Sangheili shipmistress in the skies above seeks to find a weakness in the enemy’s armor that might turn the tide against these invaders.
Stay tuned for the release of this short story (which will be available here and on Halo Waypoint, as a free PDF, and in audiobook format on YouTube) on November 27.
"Look, A Mark V!"
Bred for combat, built for war, you are the master of any weapon, pilot of any vehicle, and fear no enemy.
In celebration of Halo’s upcoming birthday, the CE Mark V armor kit became available for purchase in the Shop on November 7. The Combat Evolved Mark V bundle contains:
Combat Evolved Mark V armor kit
Cinder Ring multi-use armor coating
Viridescent Ring multi-use armor coating
Aurum Evolved visor
Unseal the hushed casket and awaken the flawless cowboy within. Prevail through nerves of steel and a quick trigger finger.
And be sure to complete all of your Challenges this week to unlock the latest Ultimate Reward: AAP/Ordnance Pack Oscar for your Mark V armor.
That concludes this overview of Halo Infinite’s debut Operation, which runs for the next five weeks (after which, the Winter Contingency III Operation will begin).
Go forth and start working your way through that free Operation Pass to claim your customization rewards, check out the new Halo 3 Refueled playlist, secure the CE Mark V armor kit to indulge in some classic nostalgia that has never looked so snazzy, and stay tuned for the upcoming Waypoint Chronicle!
We’re nearly finished with Part Four of TALES FROM THE FAR TERRITORY, the paid Expansion Pass DLC for Survival Mode, so I thought you might be curious to know a bit more about what’s being added in this new part, launching early December.
As outlined in my September Dev Diary, Part Four — which will be called BURIED ECHOES — includes the next new region in the Far Territory: the Zone of Contamination.
The old Langston Mine lies at the heart of the Zone of Contamination, industrial pollution from decades-old mining operations leaving it a poisoned wasteland patrolled by toxic wolves, featuring large industrial remnants and hiding many hazards, and mysteries! At its heart, an open-pit mine scars the landscape, and deep inside its twisting tunnels — if you survive the poisoned gas — sits a room that holds many secrets. The Zone of Contamination is the second of three large regions that make up the Far Territory, and we’re excited to see how you find it pairs up with the Forsaken Airfield, which we launched in Part One.
The Zone of Contamination, coming in TALES, Part Four.
To go along with the Mine theme, we’ve included a variety of new and useful gameplay tools: a Respirator, which when worn will protect you from poisoned gas you might find in the Zone of Contamination, and eventually, other parts of the Far Territory and Great Bear Island at large. The Respirator relies on consumable Canisters to provide its protection, so keep an eye open for those as you explore the Far Territory. We’re also adding Chemical Boots, which can protect you from the toxic pools that pollute the Zone of Contamination (these pools are really hard on regular footwear!), and a Hardhat that offers strong physical protection against head damage. There’s also a Miner’s Coat and Miner’s Pants, which make up a whole set of protective gear, if you manage to find them all.
And while exploring the Zone of Contamination, make sure you keep an eye out for the Poisoned Wolves that patrol the area. They are leaner than regular wolves, and more desperate. Living around the toxic pools have left them poisoned themselves, and without much to eat, so they are more dangerous than usual. Their bite can leave you with the new Poisoned affliction, so be extra careful when exploring the Zone of Contamination.
The Langston Mine sits at the heart of the Zone of Contamination, and hides many secrets.
Within the Zone of Contamination, you’ll also be able to start the second Tale: Buried Echoes. A continuation of Signal Void which we introduced in Part Two, Buried Echoes adds another layer of mystery to the story of the mine workers, the Security Chief, and the enigmatic Rüdiger. Buried Echoes presents a story that goes in a somewhat unusual direction for THE LONG DARK, and we’re excited to see what you think. The Tale and the new region also feature new music, which all add to the atmosphere of Part Four. And, as with Signal Void, there’s a special gameplay reward to be gained for completing Buried Echoes. You’ll first have to get there to see what it is. (And don’t worry, the Tale will be available in Interloper experience mode.)
The Travois, coming in TALES, Part Four.
Beyond the Zone of Contamination and Buried Echoes, Part Four also adds a significant new gameplay tool: the Travois. A craftable, movable container, the Travois is constructed from Saplings and other materials, and allows you to drag a large amount of extra gear around with you. But keep in mind, you will make some compromises to movement speed while dragging the Travois, and you can’t take it everywhere! And depending on what you choose to load it up with, it can be a very effective wildlife attractant, so be careful to stop and look around once in a while, lest a pack of hungry wolves or a bear sneaks up on you. It’s the perfect tool for moving large amounts of gear and items from one location to another, when stocking up a new safehouse or supply cache, or moving your main base of operations to a new region.
As always, we don’t want players who opted not to purchase TALES to feel left out, so we’ve also included some meaningful free updates to the “base” Survival game, which will be available to everyone who owns THE LONG DARK or SURVIVAL EDITION.
As we shared in the September Dev Diary, we’ve finally managed to find a good way to add hand coverings in the game. Now, what you see on your hands will reflect what you have equipped in your hand slots in the Clothing Menu. Same for the lower sleeves of whatever you are wearing on your arms. We’ve updated some animations so that they work better with things like Mittens. We’re very happy with how this has turned out, and we feel it brings a whole new level of immersion to THE LONG DARK. We hope you agree when you get the chance to try them out.
We’ve also added a whole new series of first-person Harvesting Animations. Now, when you choose to Harvest a carcass for meat or other resources, you will see your hands involved with the harvesting action, as well as the tool you have chosen to harvest with. It’s another way that we’re trying to always enhance the sense of immersion in THE LONG DARK for our players.
You will also have the opportunity to use the new Insulated Flasks, which let you store and keep liquids warm for longer. Perfect for when you want to stack some Warmth buffs for those long treks across the frozen wilderness. The Flasks come in a variety of colours and patterns, so keep your eyes open for them as you move through the world.
And finally, we’ve added a new Scurvy affliction to the game. Certain foods will now provide you with Vitamin-C, and if you don’t consume enough of them over time, you can develop Scurvy Risk and then eventually Scurvy. It’s a horrible thing to contend with. Definitely something to keep an eye on for those longer-running games.
That mainly sums up the focus of Part Four of TALES, and we think it’s a great way to end the year for THE LONG DARK.
The last note I want to make is about the recent Hinterland Pop-Up Merch Store. As many of you know, we closed our store in 2021 because of COVID, and due to overwhelming requests from the community, we decided to open it up just to clear out our “old” inventory in time for the holidays. We didn’t really anticipate the demand, and the Pop-Up shop -- which we had planned to run for 3 weeks -- sold out over 1300 items in less than three hours!
Our original plan was to use this to clear our stock to make room for a whole new line of merch items in the new year, but we know many of you didn’t get the opportunity to purchase a Hinterland mug, or a Jackrabbit hoodie, or one of the fantastic Granted x Hinterland sweaters. So we’re looking at restocking as much as we can for the new year, and our current plan is to sell many of these items along with the new items we’ll be launching in the new year. So if you missed out this time, you’ll have at least one more opportunity to purchase some of this classic Hinterland or THE LONG DARK merch. If you want to be kept up to date on these sales, we recommend signing up for the Hinterland newsletter.
That about wraps up the November dev diary. Keep your eyes open for the release of BURIED ECHOES and the free Survival Update that comes at the same time, early in December. You can expect a full narrated update video to launch with Part Four, which will go into more detail about each of the new additions to the game.
Super Dungeon Designer is in Early Access now! Get your dungeons uploaded and we'll play them on stream today.
For today's stream, in addition to playing through some dungeons that have been submitted over the past week, we'll be showing off the new end level screen for completing a dungeon.
We'll be interacting with the chat so feel free to come chat with us and share any questions or suggestions you might have about the game.
We stream Super Dungeon Designer every Friday at 8:30pm ET on Twitch and to our Steam page.
Give us a follow on Twitch to get notifications when we're live:
