Hi everyone!

Over the last month I've been hard at work bringing you guys this, the vertical slice of Blue Flame. The patch has become so big, that it would be very hard to put it into patch notes, so I'd like to highlight some features and gameplay changes.

Gameplay Changes

Controller Support

Yeah, you heard it right. Controller support finally arrived, but it's still in experimental stages, and should only be used for fun, the main movement is still optimized for keyboard and mouse.

Bonfire Mana Costs

As you very well know, the bonfires in Blue Flame serve as checkpoints, but having no lit bonfire and dying in an area where there's a boss causes a permadeath. Now we put a spin on the whole system: lighting a bonfire now costs 20 mana - base mana is increased by 20, so the first lighting is compensated -, but every time kill a boss you gain 20 mana. There's no upper limit on how much mana you can gain, so in theory you can get up to basically unlimited mana in the final version of the game.

Block Mechanic

Blocking is done with the Right Mouse Button (or Left Trigger/L2 on the controller) and now it got better. Once you release the Right Mouse Button the spellshield stays active for 3 seconds, giving you time to dodge/cast as you wish and if you press the button again the shield stays active at no additional mana cost.

Enemy Changes

A lot of enemies received their much needed polish and now we have everything fully animated. One notable enemy is the Treant who's aggro range is the smallest, because while hostile, a Treant's job is to protect it's forest and does not seek aggression willingly.

Other Notable Changes

Splash screen!

It's smashing splashing!

Updated lighting system

We've given some depth to the game, having higher places appear lighter as opposed to darker ones. It's very pretty and now it gives the feels as if we're actually in a gulch when starting the game.

Improved Locations and NPCs

The dialog system has been improved with a zoom system, along with updated textbox design.  NPCs have been redesigned and their dialogs got updated. There's a Tavern that servers as a hub point for the pyromancer, but what lies underneath it, only the bravest can experience.

What's lacking?

While this version is pretty solid, the core loop has been updated greatly, but what's still needs to be done is sound design. Improvements have been made (footstep sounds, attack sounds, etc) but it's still far from perfect. We're currently in the progress of acquiring a musician to help us out with the soundwork and soundtrack of the game.

What's next?

This 0.2 version will recieve patches in the following weeks/days, further fleshing out some areas that are lacking, i.e. sound and music as well as implementing features from your feedback. With this Vertical Slice we'll reach out to publisher and investors so we can develop the game fully by the end of 2020.

As of right now, we do not plan to release new versions of the game other than this 0.2 to the general public only to a tight community, so be sure to join our Discord server and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Of course, devlogs will still arrive here so make sure to follow our studio as well.

Now download the project and enjoy your journey throughout the Last Kingdom!

Steve

Inspired by the Souls series, Blue Flame is a fast paced top-down action game set in a medieval fantasy world. Your goal is to restore order to a world in which fires only emit cold.