It has been a while coming, but we've we're happy to be adding the fourth boss to our game, Venom, along with our eighth and final playable character, Peanut.
As per our usual pattern, Venom is unfinished - he lacks final art, dialogue and effects, and while we have prioritised getting his gameplay to a good place, his balance and difficulty are still being assessed, so let us know what you think on the Steam forums! (Venom is currently not part of Boss Rush)
He does however have a totally awesome themesong, so be sure to set the music volume up and play him with headphones!
We also hope you all like Peanut - she has a distinctive playstyle that might take a little getting used to, but we're looking forwards to seeing what the community makes of her!
Features/changes
New whitebox Zone 4 Boss - Venom
New playable character - Peanut - she can be unlocked by defeating Venom
Justice (zone 3 boss) has been tuned slightly easier in his first two phases
Focus (zone 4 - 3) has been rebalanced to be more challenging
Added a new command line argument, "-safe". This will force AAC to start in 640x480 windowed resolution and can be used to recover in case the game gets stuck in an unsupported resolution. This is a workaround until we can better detect/prevent this case!
Fixes
Fixed glitch with Aubergine's singularity that was reducing it's intended impact damage
Fixed Coral's plasma field lightning effect
Fixed Starch's micromissile homing algorithm that was very occasionally causing missiles to pick inappropriate targets
Updated XInput drivers
Many many fixes and improvements under the hood
Known Issues
When starting the game with "-popupwindow" in order to play in full screen windowed mode (in Windows) you will not be able to set the game to fullscreen mode, but the options menu does not reflect this
Native Dual Shock 3 support in OSX is busted. It is possible to work around it using a control remapper that makes the DS3 to emulate an xbox pad or similar, and we are working on a proper fix
Shadows are missing on certain integrated videocards under Linux
Native Steam Controller support still coming soon
Aubergine's singularity effect looks different on Linux. Functionality is fine, it's just distorting the screen in the wrong direction. Been tricky to figure out...
Early Access Update 8.6
A minor maintenance update, it mostly fixes a couple of small issues and adds expanded credits.
Features/changes
Smoothed the player character movement across frames - addresses camera judder when framerate and physics rate are close but drift slightly out of sync, causing the game to look like it was struggling when it was not. Should also offer a visual improvement to anyone running the game at high (eg. 120htz) refresh rates.
Expanded Credits
Fixes
Fixed an issue that was sometimes causing mines to spawn with shutdown applied
Mines now immediately detonate when falling down holes while shutdown
Mines don't leave their shutdown ring behind when they fall down holes
Boss Rush - fixed powerups and battery incorrectly displaying their icons when Justice's stage appears
Vespula - destroying a wasp on the same frame as destroying Vespula is no long able to increment chain counter
Known Issues
When starting the game with "-popupwindow" in order to play in full screen windowed mode (in Windows) you will not be able to set the game to fullscreen mode, but the options menu does not reflect this
Native Dual Shock 3 support in OSX is busted. It is possible to work around it using a control remapper that makes the DS3 to emulate an xbox pad or similar, and we are working on a proper fix
Shadows are missing on certain integrated videocards under Linux
Native Steam Controller support still coming soon
Aubergine's singularity effect looks different on Linux. Functionality is fine, it's just distorting the screen in the wrong direction. Been tricky to figure out...
Early Access Update 8.5!
Infinity Drive has been extremely well received, so much so I decided to prioritise the art pass so people can play a more finished version of it. Normally I wouldn't consider a weeks work a .5 update, but what a week! I'm about ready to collapse...
There have been some tuning changes at the higher levels and Jeff has reworked the Infinity Drive soundtrack, so please enjoy the new and improved mode!
Features/changes
Art Dressing for Infinity Drive
Tuning adjustments to higher levels of Infinity Drive, as we anticipate this will allow higher scores going forwards, we haven't reset the leaderboard
Shiitake's railgun and Starch's laser have had their range extended
Fixes
Fixed Aubergine's Singularity Launcher firing through certain walls
Took another attempt at fixing wasps getting stuck on top of blocks. Apologies for this lingering, it's a strangely complex problem!
Fixed a couple of Character Select animations that weren't looping
Fixed formatting on Infinity Drive's end screen so it supports a 5:4 ratio, y'know, for anyone playing Cactus on a square...
Known Issues
When starting the game with "-popupwindow" in order to play in full screen windowed mode (in Windows) you will not be able to set the game to fullscreen mode, but the options menu does not reflect this
Native Dual Shock 3 support in OSX is busted. It is possible to work around it using a control remapper that makes the DS3 to emulate an xbox pad or similar, and we are working on a proper fix
Shadows are missing on certain integrated videocards under Linux
Native Steam Controller support still coming soon
Proper credits coming soon
Aubergine's singularity effect looks different on Linux. Functionality is fine, it's just distorting the screen in the wrong direction. Been tricky to figure out...
Early Access Update 8!
We've added the last of our three gameplay modes, Infinity Drive, a long format mode where you take your favourite android and battle through as many layers as you can before your battery gives out. It gets intense and there's some surprises inside so if you think regular Cactus levels are over too soon or you want to kill some time with some friends, be sure to check it out! The stage art is whitebox and there are likely to be some tuning adjustments to be made once we see how people interact with it, but we think it's in a good place and are keen to hear reactions!
We have also added voice acting for the androids! It's been a long time coming and we worked with some very talented people to bring more character to the game!
Features
New game mode - Infinity Drive - see how far you can get through increasingly challanging waves of enemies (whitebox)
Placeholder synthetic voices have been replaced (note that Boss Dialogue is intended to be text only)
Pressing Y (on game controller) to locate your character in multiplayer will also make them call their name
updated whitebox level Transit (world 3 - 2)
Fixes
Aubergine's Singularity slows Embryo's movement again and is detached when he relocates
Fixed an issue that was incorrectly forcing lower graphics settings when it got an unexpected value from the videocard. This mostly affected laptops. If the game seems to be running slower than before (but looks better!) reduce the setting to get the same result
Fixed glitch that stopped Kegs playing their Shutdown animation correctly
Fixed glitch that caused Leaderboards to fail to display scores if you had not registered a score on that board yet
Fixed glitch with leaderboards not handling cases when only one or two entries were avaliable to process
Improved wasp behaviour to allow them to get unstuck if they end up on top of things
Known Issues
When starting the game with "-popupwindow" in order to play in full screen windowed mode (in Windows) you will not be able to set the game to fullscreen mode, but the options menu does not reflect this
Native Dual Shock 3 support in OSX is busted. It is possible to work around it using a control remapper that makes the DS3 to emulate an xbox pad or similar, and we are working on a proper fix
Shadows are missing on certain integrated videocards under Linux
Native Steam Controller support still coming soon
Proper credits coming soon
Early Access Update 7!
This update includes work on the first three stages of World 5 including a new-from-scratch version of the level Control, new enemies and the first of our additional game modes, Boss Rush!
Features
New enemy variant - Bullet Reaper
New enemy variant - Melee Bomber
New game mode - Boss Rush - currently includes Embryo, Vespula and Justice, it is selectable from the main menu
New whitebox level Control (world 5 - 2) (replaces the previous 'Control' whitebox level)
Assembly and Relay have had their order switched
Rebalanced Centrifuge and Convection - as a result, their leaderboards have been reset
Added new geometry to Filament
Fixes
support for Leaderboards in 64bit Linux
Vespula and Justice correctly split their score in multiplayer
Shiitake's Propeller Mines interact with multiple moving walkways
Justice's head is aligned with his hands when he rips it off to throw at you
Known Issues
Highest graphic setting no longer uses SSAO (Screen Space Ambient Occlusion) we have had an issue with it and have needed to disable it while we investigate
When starting the game with "-popupwindow" in order to play in full screen windowed mode (in Windows) you will not be able to set the game to fullscreen mode, but the options menu does not reflect this
Native Dual Shock 3 support in OSX is busted. It is possible to work around it using a control remapper that makes the DS3 to emulate an xbox pad or similar, and we are working on a proper fix
Shadows are missing on certain integrated videocards under Linux
Native Steam Controller support still coming soon
Early Access Update 6.2
Art update for Justice (third boss) He now has character textures and a stage. There is still more to add in terms of effects and polish, but he's much closer to how he's meant to look!
Features
Justice has had a texture pass
Justice's stage has had an art pass
First pass Justice dialogue text
Fixes
fix for an issue where Firepower Drones could get stuck on Justice
fix for an issue where killing Justice's head simultaneously with his body would result in the incorrect score multiplier
Known Issues
Highest graphic setting no longer uses SSAO (Screen Space Ambient Occlusion) we have had an issue with it and have needed to disable it while we investigate
When starting the game with "-popupwindow" in order to play in full screen windowed mode (in Windows) you will not be able to set the game to fullscreen mode, but the options menu does not reflect this
Native Dual Shock 3 support in OSX is busted. It is possible to work around it using a control remapper that makes the DS3 to emulate an xbox pad or similar, and we are working on a proper fix
Shadows are missing on certain integrated videocards under Linux
Native Steam Controller support still coming soon
Early Access Update 6.1!
This is a small update to iterate on the Justice boss battle and fix minor issues. We've also updated middleware and are on the lookout for any bugs or performance changes this may have introduced. In particular we have disabled SSAO (previously active when running the game in Highest settings) while we investigate alternatives.
Features
Justice has an ingame voice
Adjusted positions of the Justice's laser fence posts
Justice's companion units now travel through most enemies (they will still bounce off Justice) resulting in more predictable trajectories
Justice's point value has been increased slightly, higher scores are now expected
Fixes
Influx - Fixed a rare but gameplay-halting bug introduced last update
Defeating Justice's second phase will now cancel an in-progress slowdown wave
Justice fires more missiles during multiplayer
Added off screen indicators to Justice's laser fence posts
Aubergine's singularity now has less influence on Justice's missiles
Process - increased the number of wasp spawn positions during multiplayer
Identified an issue in the OSX build where buttons would fail to register after changing scenes and added a workaround
Known Issues
Highest graphic setting no longer uses SSAO (Screen Space Ambient Occlusion) we have had an issue with it and have needed to disable it while we investigate
When starting the game with "-popupwindow" in order to play in full screen windowed mode (in Windows) you will not be able to set the game to fullscreen mode, but the options menu does not reflect this
Native Dual Shock 3 support in OSX is busted. It is possible to work around it using a control remapper that makes the DS3 to emulate an xbox pad or similar, and we are working on a proper fix
Shadows are missing on certain integrated videocards under Linux
Native Steam Controller support still coming soon
Early Access Update 6!
In this update we are excited to release the third world boss, Justice, and our next playable character, Shiitake!
Justice is work in progress, both him and his stage will see a substantial overhaul then continued refinement over following updates. If you recall the transformation between initial Vespula and her current state, you can expect something similar! Our priority was getting his gameplay to where we wanted it then getting into your hands.
We're now keen to hear feedback, either on the forum or you can contact us directly through email or twitter, although if you do get stuck on Justice, please give him another go with different characters and try varying your tactics! We want to hear about initial frustrations, but it's more constructive if it's in the context of having seen his entire battle.
We are also very much looking forwards to hearing peoples impressions of Shiitake. She's not as unorthodox as Aubergine, but still has her own tactics and strengths and we'll be paying close attention to how well she integrates into the game!
Features
New whitebox World 3 Boss - Justice
New playable character - Shiitake - she can be unlocked by defeating Justice
new visuals for Centrifuge (world 5 - 1) with rebalanced enemies - as a result the leaderboard has been reset
Aubergine's singularity has had a minor damage increase and when using mouse and keyboard, Helo now controls cursor relative.
Tutorial support for up to four players - starting a game with cleared settings will now ask you to confirm players before progressing to the tutorial. The tutorial can also be played in multiplayer from the Stage Select menu
Rebalanced audio across the game - if the game seems too quiet, check your volume settings. The mix should be more even so you might want to set them back to default
hitting Y / top button on a gamepad during multiplayer will indicate your character
Fixes
Performance improvements and reduced spikes during gameplay
Improved visual tell on lasso dogs
Improved enemy pathfinding on Repeater
Fixed some effects that weren't firing when they should
Fixed formatting errors on the leaderboard and clear screen
Audio walls in World 3 now simulate a pattern when music is disabled
Many many small fixes
Known Issues
When starting the game with "-popupwindow" in order to play in full screen windowed mode (in Windows) you will not be able to set the game to fullscreen mode, but the options menu does not reflect this
Native Dual Shock 3 support in OSX is busted. It is possible to work around it using a control remapper that makes the DS3 to emulate an xbox pad or similar, and we are working on a proper fix
Shadows are missing on certain integrated videocards under Linux
Native Steam Controller support still coming soon
Early Access Update 5!
Hi everyone! We lost a bit of momentum last month but we're trying to build up steam again with new enemies and levels and tuning!
Features
New enemy type - "Reaper"
New enemy variant - fido-that-drags-you-around
New enemy variant - "Bubbler"
new visuals for Heat (world 3 - 3) Also a slightly reworked level design. Enjoy being chased by a flamethrower on shiny floors!
new whitebox level Relay (world 4 - 1) (replaces the whitebox level Pillars)
new whitebox level Repeater (world 4 - 4)
Assembly and Focus have been rebuilt with the new enemy types and rebalanced to represent a better progression through world 4 - as a result their leaderboards have been reset
New music for world 5!
Fixes
Cactus now crash lands in the hangar, instead of getting caught on a hanger
Red Bombers no longer attempt to beatbox while inside black holes
The AI will no longer attempt to use your Pro Mode settings during Attract Mode
slightly more lenient chain extension rules for end of waves during local co-op
many tweaks and rebalances
Known Issues
When starting the game with "-popupwindow" in order to play in full screen windowed mode (in Windows) you will not be able to set the game to fullscreen mode, but the options menu does not reflect this
"Music Walls" still don't display anything when Music volume is set to zero.
Native Dual Shock 3 support in OSX is busted. It is possible to work around it using a control remapper that makes the DS3 to emulate an xbox pad or similiar, and we are working on a proper fix
Shadows are missing on certain integrated videocards under Linux
Native Steam Controller support coming soon
Early Access Update 4.1
Early Access Update 4.1
Features
added 'Pro Mode' - after achieving an S+ on any level, you can enable the S+ indicator that will show you the moment you drop your chain or lose a life. You can also switch to Auto Restart mode which will restart the level when an S+ cannot be achieved
Fast boss restarts - when restarting a boss battle, the bosses will play a fast version of their spawn animation and skip their name plate. You can also disable Boss Dialogue in the Game Options menu
Laser SFX added to Transit - less stealth laser kills maybe!
Attract mode now only shows 2-4 player gameplay (more interesting to watch!) and includes Revolution
Fixes
Found at least one of the leading causes for the game freeze issue - has been disabled while we figure out exactly what the cause is!
Fixed various formatting issues
Improved the physics effects on Transit
Known Issues
"Music Walls" still don't display anything when Music volume is set to zero.
Native Dual Shock 3 support in OSX is busted. It is possible to work around it using a control remapper that makes the DS3 to emulate an xbox pad or similiar, and we are working on a proper fix
