Skullgirls developer Lab Zero Games has released the Linux prototype for Indivisible and are still seeking funds on IndieGoGo for their planned side-scrolling action RPG. Here's their campaign video:
All of the game mechanics at display in the video are playable in the prototype, and I'm loving what I've played of it. The game is an exploration platformer with "sort-of" turn-based combat, meaning that when you come across a pack of enemies, you enter a special combat mode.
Combat isn't strictly turn-based, since any member of your party are able to attack as long as their action bars have charged enough to cover the cost of an attack. Triggering an attack cuts the recharging of actions short for every member of your party, and you fill a separate bar for special attacks by stringing together combos and parrying successfully, so there's a lot more to this phase than just running wild with attacks. This approach to turn-based combat isn't one I've experienced in a game before, and it feels very polished for a game prototype.
The exploration platforming part of the game feels more barren in this early iteration of the game, but you do get a good feel for where they're going with it, and it's certainly interesting. You start out with standard abilities like jump, dash and wall-jumps, and you later find an axe that you can use to cling to walls and hack through vines, and that is also used in combat. There are also paths in the prototype that are closed off by boulders, so I'm guessing that you'll find a sledgehammer to smash through those. I haven't managed to beat the huge boss at the bottom of the pit in the second level yet though, so I don't know if that's something that is available in the prototype.
Indivisible is that game that I didn't know I wanted, but now can't wait to play a full version of. It won't get made unless the IndieGoGo campaign is successful though, so play the prototype, and if you like what you see, you can pledge at least $30 for a copy on Steam on release (no word on a DRM free version unfortunately). The campaign is currently at $220k, and they need at least $1.5m before the campaign ends in a little under five weeks. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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All of the game mechanics at display in the video are playable in the prototype, and I'm loving what I've played of it. The game is an exploration platformer with "sort-of" turn-based combat, meaning that when you come across a pack of enemies, you enter a special combat mode.
Combat isn't strictly turn-based, since any member of your party are able to attack as long as their action bars have charged enough to cover the cost of an attack. Triggering an attack cuts the recharging of actions short for every member of your party, and you fill a separate bar for special attacks by stringing together combos and parrying successfully, so there's a lot more to this phase than just running wild with attacks. This approach to turn-based combat isn't one I've experienced in a game before, and it feels very polished for a game prototype.
The exploration platforming part of the game feels more barren in this early iteration of the game, but you do get a good feel for where they're going with it, and it's certainly interesting. You start out with standard abilities like jump, dash and wall-jumps, and you later find an axe that you can use to cling to walls and hack through vines, and that is also used in combat. There are also paths in the prototype that are closed off by boulders, so I'm guessing that you'll find a sledgehammer to smash through those. I haven't managed to beat the huge boss at the bottom of the pit in the second level yet though, so I don't know if that's something that is available in the prototype.
Indivisible is that game that I didn't know I wanted, but now can't wait to play a full version of. It won't get made unless the IndieGoGo campaign is successful though, so play the prototype, and if you like what you see, you can pledge at least $30 for a copy on Steam on release (no word on a DRM free version unfortunately). The campaign is currently at $220k, and they need at least $1.5m before the campaign ends in a little under five weeks. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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I played the demo. The characters and enemies all look great and have awesome animations, as expected. Some of the backgrounds look shockingly low res and unpolished, but I'm assuming they're placeholder, it is a prototype after all. As for the combat, I have to admit that I liked it less than I expected to. It's an interesting twist on jRPG-style attack meter combat. I mean, it tries to marry jRPG attack meter combat and fighting game combat, which is a great idea, but it just doesn't do it for me, maybe because I'm so hopelessly terrible at fighting games. Maybe it would grow on me after a while? As for the "RPG" part of it, I didn't see anything resembling RPG mechanics in the demo, then again, I didn't fully complete it. I got as far as what I'm assuming was a boss fight and, quite honestly, got bored with it. I'm guessing it will have Zelda-esque RPG-lite elements?
Anyway, I'll keep my eye on this. At the moment I'm interested. Interested enough to spread the word, but not nearly interested enough to pledge.
Last edited by Keyrock on 13 October 2015 at 5:07 am UTC
Anyway, I'll keep my eye on this. At the moment I'm interested. Interested enough to spread the word, but not nearly interested enough to pledge.
Last edited by Keyrock on 13 October 2015 at 5:07 am UTC
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So I played up to a boss that appeared out of nowhere (man this guy is hard!), and I have to say I'm pretty amazed at the demo so far. Seems to run flawless in Linux Mint 17.2 (even though they list Ubuntu 15.04).
I'm not surprised at the amazing quality and art style Lab Zero went with, and I'm pretty happy to see their staple being applied in a different genre. If I had to nitpick though, it would probably be what Keyrock just mentioned about some of the backgrounds. They aren't terrible, but they do seem slightly out of place and I do wish it was a more vibrant 2D hand drawn similar to the sprites, so hopefully that's indeed a place holder. Granted, I didn't read the details of the IndieGoGo page to know.
As a turn based JRPG fanatic (or once was, at least), I am actually swooning over the battle mechanic concept. It's, to me, what the FF6 ATB system should have progressed into in FF7 or later (stopped at FF7). Seriously, this is why FF7 marked the death of that franchise, they focused on graphics and didn't take the next step for what a JRPG should be, which is why as a teenager I moved on to the "Tales of..." series. So kudos to Lab Zero for going this route.
I haven't played Valkyrie Profile to know the differences, but again, I really like what I see. If I had to criticize it though, I would say sometimes it's a little overwhelming. However, I do find that to be a strength if you're into something like JRPGs and wished it involved a little more skill than mashing a button. Though maybe it was just difficult because my keyboard bindings were all over the place. Definitely recommend using a controller if you decide to check this out.
I would throw $100 at this if I had it.
Last edited by Keizgon on 13 October 2015 at 6:58 am UTC
I'm not surprised at the amazing quality and art style Lab Zero went with, and I'm pretty happy to see their staple being applied in a different genre. If I had to nitpick though, it would probably be what Keyrock just mentioned about some of the backgrounds. They aren't terrible, but they do seem slightly out of place and I do wish it was a more vibrant 2D hand drawn similar to the sprites, so hopefully that's indeed a place holder. Granted, I didn't read the details of the IndieGoGo page to know.
As a turn based JRPG fanatic (or once was, at least), I am actually swooning over the battle mechanic concept. It's, to me, what the FF6 ATB system should have progressed into in FF7 or later (stopped at FF7). Seriously, this is why FF7 marked the death of that franchise, they focused on graphics and didn't take the next step for what a JRPG should be, which is why as a teenager I moved on to the "Tales of..." series. So kudos to Lab Zero for going this route.
I haven't played Valkyrie Profile to know the differences, but again, I really like what I see. If I had to criticize it though, I would say sometimes it's a little overwhelming. However, I do find that to be a strength if you're into something like JRPGs and wished it involved a little more skill than mashing a button. Though maybe it was just difficult because my keyboard bindings were all over the place. Definitely recommend using a controller if you decide to check this out.
I would throw $100 at this if I had it.
Last edited by Keizgon on 13 October 2015 at 6:58 am UTC
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Pledged $60, I'm pretty sold ^^ As far as crowdfunding goes, it seems like a pretty safe bet; an established dev with a great demo and a clearly laid out plan, that's the way to do it :)
I found the combat a bit confusing and overwhelming at first, but I started to get the hang of it. I'm really glad Zero Lab is going for a different genre, as they do beautiful work but I'm not much for fighting games.
I'm also glad there seems to be a bit less boobage and such in this. It didn't bother me much, as the characters certainly had a lot of character and love put into them, but it still felt a bit distracting to me, personally. Though my close friend whose a girl didn't seem to be bothered in the slightest, so that's probably just my own quirk :P
I found the combat a bit confusing and overwhelming at first, but I started to get the hang of it. I'm really glad Zero Lab is going for a different genre, as they do beautiful work but I'm not much for fighting games.
I'm also glad there seems to be a bit less boobage and such in this. It didn't bother me much, as the characters certainly had a lot of character and love put into them, but it still felt a bit distracting to me, personally. Though my close friend whose a girl didn't seem to be bothered in the slightest, so that's probably just my own quirk :P
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I agree with the comments about the backgrounds and I also didn't find the levels especially interesting to explore, but I'm guessing that's something they'll work on if they get the game funded. More vertical space and passages hidden behind walls that can be broken through would make them a bit more interesting. I like how the game hints at what you can do with an axe by placing an axe stuck in a wall the first place you have any reason to use this ability.
I think they probably mean how you unlock more actions per battle and special abilities as you progress. This just happens at the end of battles in the demo, but that might just be because they want to give a taste of what you'll be able to do in a short prototype. I don't expect a full-fledged RPG though, and I'm not sure if I'd enjoy that as much in this game either.
Yeah, I tried with keyboard controls first too and it ended up pretty confusing since I didn't really know what to expect and had set jump to Space and the other action buttons to ASD. I'd definitely recommend keeping the bindings close to a cross-shape for each hand and defense and special power close to one hand each. Maybe WASD+E and Arrow Keys+Right Shift. It feels very intuitive playing on a controller though, since the action HUD and party member placement is laid out in a cross-shape resembling the placement of the D-pad and buttons on a controller.
+1
Quoting: KeyrockAs for the "RPG" part of it, I didn't see anything resembling RPG mechanics in the demo, then again, I didn't fully complete it. I got as far as what I'm assuming was a boss fight and, quite honestly, got bored with it. I'm guessing it will have Zelda-esque RPG-lite elements?
I think they probably mean how you unlock more actions per battle and special abilities as you progress. This just happens at the end of battles in the demo, but that might just be because they want to give a taste of what you'll be able to do in a short prototype. I don't expect a full-fledged RPG though, and I'm not sure if I'd enjoy that as much in this game either.
Quoting: KeizgonThough maybe it was just difficult because my keyboard bindings were all over the place. Definitely recommend using a controller if you decide to check this out.
Yeah, I tried with keyboard controls first too and it ended up pretty confusing since I didn't really know what to expect and had set jump to Space and the other action buttons to ASD. I'd definitely recommend keeping the bindings close to a cross-shape for each hand and defense and special power close to one hand each. Maybe WASD+E and Arrow Keys+Right Shift. It feels very intuitive playing on a controller though, since the action HUD and party member placement is laid out in a cross-shape resembling the placement of the D-pad and buttons on a controller.
Quoting: HadBabitsI'm also glad there seems to be a bit less boobage and such in this.
+1
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Watched the video and got a bit of Valkyrie Profile vibe, which is a good thing, assuming it's even remotely true :)
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Quoting: IgnisWatched the video and got a bit of Valkyrie Profile vibe, which is a good thing, assuming it's even remotely true :)
Valkyrie Profile is mentioned as their main inspiration for the game. :) I haven't played it myself (never owned a PlayStation console), but it looks very interesting.
I also just noticed the part about the Inner Realm in the description, and that makes me even more excited about the game, as I do love a good hub.
QuoteAlong with her ability to absorb certain people, Ajna will also discover she can meditate and enter a mysterious dimension growing inside her.
The Incarnations Ajna absorbs live in this “Inner Realm,” which gradually grows and evolves the more powerful Ajna becomes. Beginning as some rocks in a void, it will eventually develop into a safe haven and secret base reminiscent of Ajna’s hometown.
Once she discovers it, Ajna’s Inner Realm becomes the central hub for the game, where most of the game’s quests, upgrade and saving functionality resides. Simply pressing a button will send Ajna inside herself, sparing players a lot of needless trekking back to towns. Your own custom town, anywhere, at the touch of a button!
Most of the game’s Incarnations are for expanding and adding functionality to Ajna’s Inner Realm. For example, quests to upgrade your weapons and armor may come from a blacksmith Incarnation you discover, or a biologist might unlock a bestiary.
I'm not sure if I just missed it when I last read through the description or if it has been added recently. There's a lot of info about planned features there though.
Last edited by flesk on 13 October 2015 at 9:40 am UTC
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It reminds me of Grandia 2 x Adventure Time!
Story wise and introduction to characters seems to not be implemented as of yet but as far as the actual game play it's not bad, a bit repetitive with 0 thinking for the most part but it's a pretty solid base to expand on I guess.
Story wise and introduction to characters seems to not be implemented as of yet but as far as the actual game play it's not bad, a bit repetitive with 0 thinking for the most part but it's a pretty solid base to expand on I guess.
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Quoting: fleskMore vertical space and passages hidden behind walls that can be broken through would make them a bit more interesting. I like how the game hints at what you can do with an axe by placing an axe stuck in a wall the first place you have any reason to use this ability.
It took me a sec to figure that out, since all I did previously was cut down vines and take cheap shots at enemies with it :P After going back to what I thought I was a dead end I finally noticed the axe and I was like "Wait... OHHH *o*". I'm glad I didn't spoil it by watching the video first, as I really dig simple wordless design like that ^^
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