A simple, yet satisfying combat system filled with interesting enemies sporting a reactive AI, levels designed for interaction and unique abilities. It aims to create fun gameplay, even if you don't use the Ultimate - a powerful ability that recharges during combat. Players should be rewarded for paying attention to character placement and their environment in combat. They should feel it is most engaging to fight reactively, using their head. The game is hard, but trusts players to be able to fight through it.
Controls are assumed to be on a nintendo switch controller, going forward.
WALK
-Moving the left thumbpad - Left makes the character go left, right makes the character go right. Holding the thumbpad up triggers the jump.
RUN
-When holding the B-KEY, running is triggered.
JUMP
-Normal jump into the air. Tap the X-Key or hold the thumbpad up. Can be steered with the thumbpad.
DODGE
-Tap the R trigger. -Quick movement in the direction of the thumbpad. If the thumbpad is untouched, dodging works like a backstep instead.
-The character cannot be hit while dodging. Since dodging can be done impromptu, and even in the middle of a jump, this move can also be used as a double jump.
- by tapping the A-Key.
-Short animation. Series of 5 attacks. Each attack in the row has its own tap. That means 5 attacks - 5 taps on the key. Less damage than heavy attack, per short attack.
- by holding from the A Key.
-Longer animation. Single, longer lasting Heavy Attack. A lot of damage in one hit. But the damage window to you stays open for a long time.
- tapping A during a fall.
-Can only be triggered from a distance higher than your own jump. Animation as long as the fall. Does as much damage as the heavy attack.
-While holding the L trigger, it is possible to block enemy attacks. Blocking does not negate the complete damage, but halves the damage of the blocked attack.
-If the block button is only tapped, not held, it immediately changes to parrying.
-Tap the L trigger or attack from the "block" state.
-When timed correctly, parrying negates all damage.
-If incorrectly timed, own character is briefly open to enemy attacks.
-Tap the ZR Trigger
-You can use a mechanism on the scythe to get rid of the polearm, and use it as if it were a sword.
-The sword attacks have a shorter range, but tend to be more effective in close range and tight spaces.
Night essence is a scaled down version of corruption. The character uses it to give himself a boost, and he also suffers the consequences.
Mechanically, it works like an Ultimate. Hits against enemies, hits against the character, and kills recharge it. When it is fully charged, you can tap the ZL trigger, and you get a blessing and a curse for 60 seconds.
The combinations of blessings and curses are called constellations. At resting places you can choose one to three constellations, which then apply until the next activated resting place.
Through exploration, mini-bosses and bosses you can find more constellations. For example, minibosses give you constellations that double their abilities. A beast that is blind, but does a lot of damage, gives you the constellation "intoxication" - which brings similar effects.
-When the ZL trigger is tapped, the character takes the Night Essence. He can only do this if he has charged the ability enough beforehand. In combat, Esther can charge the ability.
-For 60 seconds, the character has a blessing and a curse.
| NAME | BLESSING | CURSE |
|---|---|---|
| STRENGTH | Your attacks do more damage | But are a little slower |
| SPEED | You are faster! | But take more damage |
| HUNGER | After each kill, you regain a little life and a 1.5x speed boost. | But if 30 seconds pass without a kill, the character slows down and does less damage. After 60 seconds the effects worsen and after 90 seconds they reach a maximum. This effect cancels after the kill and the timer is reset to 0. The timer is paused during dialog and cutscenes. |
| INTOXICATION | Your attacks do much more damage. | The view is strongly limited. The user interface is also obscured. The game throbs a bit (like a heartbeat.) |
| COURAGE | Parrying has more frames - thus more effective. And a correctly executed parry guarantees a crit hit - a blow against the opponent's weak spot, which does extra damage. | No more block holding. |
| FORTUNA | The chance of Crit Hits is higher | But also the chance of Crit Hits against the character are increased. |
| DELAYED GRATIFICATION | Rather than damage hitting immediately, it ticks down after you get hit. | // |
more to follow!
Weapon upgrades can be used regardless of the path. Once the player has collected the materials for an upgrade, they will run into the smith - who helps them upgrade the weapon in a skippable scene filled with animations and dialog.
| TITLE | MATERIAL | EFFECT |
|---|---|---|
| Eliana - the silvered crow (standard) | —- | Standard weapon - feathery effects on your attacks / movements. |
| Eliana - the melody | Notesheets (picked up in crypta of cathedral starting level) | Notesheets (picked up in crypta of cathedral starting level) |
| Eliana - the heavy | Claw of Monster breaks off after you’ve successfully blocked 100 attacks | Scythe blade looks bigger/heavier, she does more damage. |
| Eliana - the slight | you’ve gone through a level without taking any damage | Scythe blade looks thinner, you move faster. |
| Eliana- the crashing wave | Seashells | Waves slash from your blade - extending the reach of your weapon without obstruction. |
| Eliana - the blooddrinker | Blood (gained by finishing a stage on 1 HP) | Attacks take shape of bloodsplashes/splatters, movement like a red mist. Does double damage to enemies at 1/3rd of their health or below. |
| Eliana - the poisonqueen | Poison Frog (gained by fishing in swamp) | Blade dripping in purple, movement colour changed to purple. Apply poison to enemies. Ticks every 6 seconds, does damage - up to 5 times. |
| Eliana - the silvered crow + | Silver (gift from owner of the lion) | Like standard weapon, except further dash, higher damage. |
| Eliana - the fisher | Traded Fishing-rod (giving food to shopkeep in Mirdak) | Fishingpole as the handle, blade seems attached with string. More effective against aquatic enemies, grabs enemies with dash. |
| Eliana - the revengance | PATH C - picking up Kalyks silvered arrows after defeating him | Looks as if Eliana’s gained a bunch of feathers in the form of Arrows. On charged attacks she shoots out arrows. On attack+dash you drop arrows below yourself. |
| Eliana - the blessed | PATH A - bells from the HUNTERS ORDER you receive after returning to them | The bells chime when you dash - and they make hunger-enemies freeze for a second or so. |
| Eliana - the memory | all the mementos | Eliana looks more decorated, bows and bands. If you do a charge attack you can do a range attack with Kalyks arrow wherever you’re pointing the left joycon. Your dash is quicker. Your attacks hit harder. |
| Eliana - the loving | PATH B - (Act 2 end) You meet with the smith without even having a weapon upgrade on you | Decorated in flowers / leaves, they fall after you when you dash. The petals do damage to opponents. A charge attack draws enemies to you, in a storm of fallen leaves. |
There is an option to fish at many spots in the game. Whenever you see water, and use the “interact” button (Y-Key), you can fish. There is a fishing minigame and you get to collect fish.
You can consume fish to heal yourself during levels - but you can only heal as much as the amount of fish you’ve caught.
When Esther heals himself using the fish, he simply devours them whole, in one bite. He’s vulnerable to attacks during this.
At resting places Esther can sit down and rest. The enemies in the level are reset, the night essence is reset, and Esther heals himself completely. Here players can change their constellations and their weapon upgrades.
Resting places usually are gravesites, shrines or the like. They have crows circling them and lillies growing between them. Sometimes Esther will light an incense stick, sometimes just a campfire.
When Kalyk is with him, he sleeps before Esther does.
When Kalyk is with him, he sleeps before Esther does.