| Even The Ocean | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Sean Hogan and Jonathan Kittaka (Analgesic Productions) |
| Engine | OpenFL/HaxeFlixel |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windodws, OS X, Linux |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Narrative Adventure Platformer |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Even The Ocean is an upcoming 2D narrative adventure Platform_game being developed by Sean Hogan and Jonathan Kittaka (Analgesic Productions), due to be released in early to mid 2015. It is the duo's second title, after the release of their game Anodyne_(video_game).
Hyper Light Drifter is an upcoming 2D action role-playing game developed by Heart Machine, due to be released in late 2014. The game is a homage to 8-bit and 16-bit games of the late 20th century, and is considered a combination of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Diablo. Alex Preston, an animator and lead developer for the title, originally launched Kickstarter funding for the title for approximately $27,000 to develop the title for Microsoft Windows, OS X, and Linux computers, but ended up with more than $600,000, allowing him to hire more programmers and artists, and expanding the title for console and portable platforms through stretch goals.
Gameplay and story edit
Hyper Light Drifter is a 2D action role-playing game fashioned after The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, rendered in a pixelated style comparable to Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP. The player controls the Drifter, a character that has access to technology that has long been forgotten by the inhabitants of the game's world, but is forced to search through the world and the ruins of civilization before to find a cure for an illness he carries. The story concept has been likened by others to Studio Ghibli's Castle in the Sky,[2] while Preston cites the studio's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind as inspiration for the game's world.[3] The story also reflects on Preston's own personal struggles with serious health matters throughout his life.[3]
The Drifter is equipped with an energy sword, but can gain access to other modules that expand his weapon and ability arsenal, but often require power from rare batteries to be found in the travels. Weapon will include those that are archetypes of those found in traditional console role-playing games, include long-range guns and area attacks.[3] The player will face increasingly-difficult monsters, both in number and in abilities, requiring the player to hone their tactics to succeed in the game. Preston's goal was to replicate the experience of playing on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), noting that the unit had "amazing, almost perfect games designed for limited environments" which he challenged himself to simulate in Hyper Light Drifter.[3] One facet of SNES games that Preston has captured is that there will be no spoken dialog, placing more emphasis on the game's music and visuals to tell a story.[3]
Development edit
Alex Preston had yearned to develop a game that combined the best elements of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Diablo for many years, which would feature world exploration and combat that required some strategy by the player depending on foes they faced. After several years of being an animator, he felt he could do so in 2013.[4] He originally set out to make the game for Windows, OS X, and Linux computers, and started a Kickstarter campaign in September 2013 to secure $27,000 in funding to complete the title. Prior to starting the campaign, Preston had secured the help of programmer Beau Blyth who created titles like Samurai Gunn, and musician Rich Vreeland aka "Disasterpeace", who worked on the music for Fez, and called the team Heart Machine.[5]
The project funding was exceeded in a day, and quickly grew over $100,000 within a few days of its launch.[5] To encourage additional funding, Preston created new stretch goals, including additional game play modes, more bosses and characters, and expanding the release to include the PlayStation 4 and Vita, the Ouya, and the Wii U consoles. These goals were all met by the completion of the campaign, with more than $640,000 raised.[6] Preston stated that he had had these additional platforms in mind when first launching the Kickstarter, but did not want to overpromise what he felt he could deliver.[4] The additional funds have helped Preston hire additional developers to aid in porting the game to these additional consoles.[4]
The game was delayed in February 3, 2014, from mid 2014 to late 2014 due to expanded scope and developer's health issues.[7]
References edit
- ^ "Even The Ocean Official Website". Retrieved 15 July 2014.
- ^ Bogos, Steven (2013-09-14). "Hyper Light Drifter Is Diablo Meets Laputa". Escapist. Retrieved 2013-09-14.
- ^ a b c d e Correia, Alexa Rae (2014-03-18). "The cold comfort of Hyper Light Drifter". Polygon. Retrieved 2014-03-18.
- ^ a b c Webster, Andrew (2013-10-09). "'Hyper Light Drifter' is a dark and stunning take on classic 16-bit games". The Verge. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
- ^ a b Hawkins, Matthew (2013-09-17). "'Hyper Light Drifter' Is A Game Worth Kickstarting". MTV. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
- ^ Crossley, Rob (2013-10-11). "Hyper Light Drifter coming to Wii U". Computer & Video Games. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
eurogamerwas invoked but never defined (see the help page).
External links edit
Category:Upcoming video games scheduled for 2015 Category:Linux games Category:OS X games Category:Video games developed in the United States Category:Windows games