City of Brass has launched on Steam, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One!
Thanks to everyone in the community who played the game during Early Access and has given us invaluable feedback and suggestions, you have helped shape City of Brass into the game it is today.
Early Access owners should all now have the Founders Pack and Original Soundtrack DLC in their Steam Libraries!
Please help us spread the word by sharing our Launch Trailer below on (your favorite social network)
https://youtu.be/Mml1SyN9njQ
What's Next?
We are already hard at work on some exciting future content updates. We're currently testing a swag of new gear and relics that will be coming in the first Free Update very soon!
OK, cool, but what about all the details for 1.0??
New Features:
Final BOSS FIGHT, you can now finish the game!
Mixer Integration for PC
Twitch Integration for PC
Added an attract screen to PC
Journal now contains rendered images of many of the entries
Archer Mini Boss Escalation
Community Feedback and Tuning:
There is now a delay after you swap out an equipped item, before the old one appears in chests and genies, to stop cases of duplicate input instantly re-equipping the item.
Arrows of the archer mini boss and its clones now explode when whipped instead of being reflected
Added visual indication to enemies confused by the Talisman of Confusion
There are now sounds that occur when the invisibility cloak activates
Improved the dodge timing to ignore almost instant double clicks and
improved the dodging when using a controller
Removed the purse of heft
Added an aim assist strength slider to the options screen
When using a level skip portal, we now provide feedback that the wishes were used before we load the level
Added camera shakes and controller vibrations when mini bosses die and some other big events
Changed club icon to better match the weapon
Aim Assist improvements
Increased use distance of level portals
Allow safe zone to be moved further towards the edge of the screen
Stopped the player being slowed while sprinting and using the whip
Fixes:
Cudgel description fixed to indicate it does damage
Fixed crash with archer mini boss
Fixed a crash when opening several interface screens quickly
Fixed bug where player could get stuck with no movement if a enemy hooked them and then died before it had finished dragging them
Fix the archer and flying skull mini bosses not unlocking their journal entries
Fixed being able to climb out of the level by jumping through blocking volumes
Fixed the tall shield blocking damage that occurred beneath you
Fixed many traps and explosions not correctly setting the direction that damage came from
Fixed cases where movement would automatically occur after going into a menu and exiting it
Fixed enemies not correctly triggering the What Is This option
Fixed story ghosts not playing their sounds correctly
Fixed a case where the movement icon would not appear
Fixed cases where enemy genie minions would respawn
Fixed Vessel of Vigor not carrying over progress between levels
Fixed controller sensitivity settings on gamepad, changing incorrectly in large steps
Fixed case where you could bank the Hourglass Necklace and still receive its benefits.
Fixed display error in local high score completion leaderboards
Fixed crash when poisoning an enemy who had not seen you yet
Fixed Silent Effigy chasing after player allies in full view of the player
Fixed AIs being unable to get over lava traps when placed near stairs or in case where the only way to jump over them is diagonally. This also improves their behaviour with the small pit traps.
Fixed being able to double up on some relics in some rare cases
Fixed the mage homing projectiles always coming for the player, even if it was allied or targetting an ally of the player.
Fixed friendly genies not allowing players to use them if the player was hidden (like with the Invisibility Cloak)
Fixed genies not noticing the player for a limited amount of time after respawning via the hourglass necklace
Fixed controller rumble occuring on PC if you had a gamepad plugged in but had never used it
Fixed some cases of AI damage invulnerability or restrictions not working
Fixed projectile based traps not awarding XP for player assisted kills
Remove Height Variation from the tutorial Dungeon Settings
Fix controller vibrate not turning off on death in some cases
City of Brass - Full Steam Release this Friday - May 4th.
We're leaving Early Access this Friday!
Not long to wait now for of City of Brass to be available in Full Steam Release.
We have locked in our release time to 9am PST on May the 4th. So look for the game to update to v1.0 around that time.
Founders' Cutlass and Original Soundtrack DLC will be granted to Early Access owners on launch day when the games transitions to Full Steam Release.
v1.0 reveals the Final Boss Fight, along with a slew of tuning stability and performance improvements.
v1.0 will also support awesome new MIXER and TWITCH modes that lets viewers interact with your game in real time as they watch!
Leaderboard Reset
ALL Leaderboards will be reset on Launch Day, this is because with the final Boss Fight in place, some scores or times may no longer be valid.
Individual progress; Journal unlocks, Achievements, Portals, Burdens will NOT be reset.
See you all on Friday!
AJ & the Uppercut Team
City of Brass - whipping towards v1.0!
Hello fellow Steam denizens!
The time is almost upon us! We've been quiet of late, but that's because we are rapidly approaching the final 1.0 version of City of Brass. It's been a lot of hard work, but we're thrilled to be able to finally announce that ...
When we first launched City of Brass on Early Access, we wanted to be conservative about how long it would remain there - having never done Early Access before, we gave ourselves 6-12 months.
Turns out we've been able to progress more rapidly than we had hoped, thanks in large part to a great deal of useful feedback from our community. So to that end, we're thrilled to announce that City of Brass will be leaving Early Access AND simultaneously launching on PC, XBOX One and Playstation 4 ... all on May 4th.
That's right, May 4th - less than one month from now!
As with each update we've done, the release version of City of Brass will come with a whole slew of bug fixes, tuning and balance changes.
Additionally, we've now integrated Mixer for streaming - we've had a lot of fun with the interactivity options that let viewers help or hinder you on a run by spawning health and loot, or swarms of enemies to get in your way.
Finally, and most importantly, v1.0 has the 13th level - the Innermost Chamber; the final trial at the very center of the City. It's a challenge that should ask you to use every skill you've built up and every trick you've learned from playing the game from start to finish.
We're not done! As City of Brass has grown and changed over time, we've had plenty of ideas for how we might expand it. And we still want to hear from you - our players - about how we can add to and improve the game. So we are planning a number of updates going forward, using a mixture of free and paid, major updates. Stay tuned for more information on that front, but in the meantime ...
When we first launched the game, the basic price was $24.99, and we had a launch discount that took it down to $19.99. Over time, we got feedback from the community and other game developers about the market and price point people expect from this type of product, and that feedback was that our price point is a bit too high. Like everything else we learned in Early Access, we have decided to take that feedback on board and make the change before Full Release: we're happy to announce that City of Brass will be $19.99 USD on all platforms on launch.
BUT WAIT! We know that some of our earliest of Early Access-ers bought the game at full price, so ...
We've been really fortunate to have such a passionate community spring up around the game on Steam - lots of enthusiastic people took the time to give us incredibly useful feedback, which we've then been able to act on and put into the game! We cannot thank you all enough for helping us make City of Brass the best game it can be. But we want to try, so we have some rewards for our Early Access supporters.
The Founder's Cutlass
Whenever you boot up the game, we wanted you to have a reminder of the help you've given us, and so we have created the Founder's Cutlass. It's snazzier than the Fool's Blade, and you'll be the envy of ghouls and other steam denizens alike when you flash it around. Only available to our Early Access purchasers.
City of Brass Original Soundtrack
We were overjoyed to be able to have Justin Mullins compose the music for City of Brass. Justin is another Irrational Games alumni, and has crafted some truly unique tunes for both in-game and our trailers. It's all compiled into this nifty soundtrack, a gift from us to you.
This has been a huge learning experience for us at Uppercut Games, and we couldn't have done it without your help. Thank you all so much, and see you on the forums!
The City of Brass is filled with danger and death, but not everyone who comes to the City arrives for the same reasons. While treasure is an attraction, there are those who would prefer to explore, others who live for thrill of battle.
Blessings & Burdens allow players to tailor the game to the experience and level of challenge that they desire. We hope that the combination of Blessings & Burdens make the game fun & accessible for players of all skill levels.
Blessings
Blessings make the game overall easier, and can be enabled from the outset.
Proficient - Increase Player Damage
Hardy - Increase Player Health
Intimidating - Fewer Enemies
Fortunate - Decrease Number of Traps
Discerning - Increase Drop of Rarer Items
Helpful - Reduce all Genie Costs
Leisurely - Remove the Time Limit
Confounding - Decrease Enemy Attack Rate
Burdens
Burdens make the game harder, and must be unlocked.
Breakneck - Increase Enemy Movement Speed
Deadline - Halve the Time Limit
Deadly - Double Enemy Damage
Eclipse - Always Night
Excessive - Double Number of Traps
Rebirth - Enemies Respawn
Stout - Double Enemy Health
Unhelpful - Halve Number of Genies Spawned
While Burdens have been in previous builds of City of Brass, Blessings are a new addition, inspired and informed by player feedback.
More New Stuff!
Of course, it's not just about the Blessings! We've also been working hard , adding new features, fixes and addressing more community feedback!
Headline Features:
8 new Divine Blessings allow players to create an game experience tuned to their skill level and style of play.
Blessings Leaderboards - Turning on any of the Divine Blessings means your scores are logged to separate leaderboards.
New Flying Mini Boss
New Features:
Added a local high score system, leaderboards now shows an in game interface which shows both steam based leaderboards and your top 10 local scores.
Improved Controller Support; Sticky Targeting & Soft Lock and Rumble
Upgraded to Unreal Engine 4.18.2
Genie Character Model - he looks so much better and has a cool mustache!
Gardens Fountains and Waterfalls - Part of the original design for the Gardens, the waterfalls and fountains add to the lush
Sliding now breaks destructible objects and causes the player to stand up
Our interfaces now show your current username and level
VFX and SFX for enemy bodies disintegrating
Added a safe zone adjustment screen
Community Feedback and Tuning:
Divine Burden requirements reduced in some cases to make them easier to achieve
Climbing System improvements, its is now even more reliable. In particular the cases where if you faced into the wall and it failed are now fixed. Also polished the climb animation to follow the camera view better.
Exit arrow design changed to help be more clear which way it was pointing.
Journal entries in each category are now sorted alphabetically based on unlocked entries only. When going back from an entry to its category, the menu will stay highlighted over that entry.
Vessel of Vigor gear icon now shows visual indication of progress
Charmed enemies and companions now will earn you experience and count as kills towards the Vessel of Vigor
Knocking or pulling enemies into traps will also now award you experience and count as kills toward the Vessel of Vigor.
Sympathetic sword damage rate reduced slightly
Breath of Disintegration no longer will hurt you through walls
Improved 'Eclipse' Divine Burden lighting theme
Reduced controller deadzone and reconfigured turn speed increments to make it easier to make slight targeting changes.
Shove animation timing changed to have a longer draw back and hold before firing.
Animation Glitches when player is crouching, jumping and throwing fixed.
All Swing Actors under Archways moved to a consistent 650 units above the ground.
Mercenary and Charmed AI improvements. They better respond to threats and will no longer accidently target each other.
General AI v AI improvements. AI can now hear each other and will more easily engage each other. They will also change targets more often based on what they sense last if they are not in combat.
Performance Optimizations:
Scene Capture of Direction Arrow used approx 20% of GPU Time, moved to 2D HUD element.
Optimize Sand Trap Effects
AI Distance culling system
AI Animation Update optimization
Trap activation distance optimization
AI Sensing system optimised to be 50% faster
Shader Model 4 optimized shaders for low end systems
Optimization of Depth Collision on Particle systems (creating unnecessary load on lower end CPUs)
Removed performance hitch when opening doors, especially into large areas.
Fixes:
Divine Burdens for Unhelpful and Excessive now work correctly
Audio will no longer go silent or click loudly when you lower the the in game volume
In game audio settings now all function
Fixed audio being wrong when returning back to the main menu
Tutorial now supports gamepad key icons and shows the currently bound key, even if it is different from default.
Fixed the Column of Shredding blocking the players path when traps are disabled. They now lower. This stops the cases where they would block exit or entry into doors and block progression.
Fixed the Pool of Searing blocking the path for the exit arrow.
Fixed the game looking like it was in a lower resolution on ultra graphics
Fixed journal entries not unlocking if they were given as part of a level up reward
Fixed lightning sword effects auto starting even if the extra powers of the sword were not active.
Fixed the exit arrow in the tutorial not working
Fixed impeding whip being able to kill an enemy if you constantly hit it
Fixed loot not being able to be instantly picked up when falling out of destructibles
Fixed Zombie Chicken audio to play more in sequence and not use the other enemy sounds in some cases
Fixed AIs who were close to the Zombie Chicken when taunted, not turning to face them.
Fix many cases of the player death animation sequence not playing or going through the ground
Stopped some mini bosses, companions, genie spawned enemies and zombie chickens from respawning via the divine burden.
Fixed poison damage making the shield effects from the ?? from flickering on and off constantly
Fixed the gear bar not showing up after respawning via the Hourglass Necklace
Fixed being able to pause and other inputs during loading
Fixed Brass Knuckles damaging the same enemy multiple times in one shove
Fixed passive AIs running into the Jaws of Impediment
Fix cases where the game would not update achievements correctly and it will now do so on every launch and after every game.
Fixed cases where AIs were not playing their patrol sounds.
Fixed cases where some AIs would still patrol even if they were very far away.
Fixed being able to dodge or do some other movement actions whilst hooked by enemies
Fixed AIs no correctly targeting allies of the player, if the player is no longer a valid target
Fixed some boss ais being charmed
Fix allied AIs not changing targets when their target changes sides. This meant allied AIs would sometimes kill each other.
Fix genies spawning directly across from secret entrances in one width corridors causing a blockage.
Fixed broken navigation on two height stairs in room platforms.
Stopped genies spawning next to low walls (the UI was clipping them sometimes).
Phew!
We hope you enjoy this new update!
Cheers,
The Uppercut Team
v0.5 Blessings & Burdens - Coming Soon!
Coming soon to City of Brass Update v0.5
The City of Brass is filled with danger and death, but not everyone who comes to the City arrives for the same reasons. While treasure is an attraction, there are those who would prefer to explore, others who live for thrill of battle.
Blessings & Burdens allow players to tailor the game to the experience and level of challenge that they desire. Blessings make the game overall easier, and can be enabled from the outset. Burdens make the game harder, and must be unlocked.
While Burdens have been in previous builds of City of Brass, Blessings are a new addition, inspired and informed by player feedback. We hope that the combination of Blessings & Burdens make the game fun & accessible for players of all skill levels.
Update 0.4 - Secrets of the City - Now Available!
Hi all, we've been cranking away, and while we will be taking a break over Xmas, we wanted to get the next major update out for you to play with. So here it is: Secrets of the City!
So What's New?
Player Progression: Ranks!
Killing enemies and collecting loot awards XP. Gather enough XP to rank up and you will be rewarded with gear for your next run.
Secret Rooms
Each level now has hidden entrances to secret areas, with different entrances depending on the district. Can you find them all?
New Weapon
Sword of Antar - Shock your enemies into submission.
New Throwable
Puzzling Fowl - distract your enemies with this screeching undead bird.
New Boss Areas
We continue to expand the mini- boss Arenas, giving each their own Arena with custom art.
Gatekeeper boss behaviours refined and new ones added
Player Polish
Weapon Feedback, Hit Decals, Trails, animation revision.
New Melee Weapon hit detection to improve hit consistency.
New Features
Step-turn animations for AI characters
Directional locomotion animations added to reduce sliding in movement on AI Characters
New custom animation set for shield carrying AI
New ‘Shield Whip Pulling’ behaviour for shield carrying AI
Shield bearing enemies can be whip pulled again after whip pulling their Shield away
New custom animation set for Shield Gatekeeper
New attack animations for Spear AI
Directional whip pull animations for AI
Hit decals for player whip and sword
‘Swish’ trail effect on player sword and whip
Scorch decals for explosions (thrown and explosive barrels)
Improved visuals of box loot item found on platforms
‘Tall Shield’ Gear item now has visual feedback when equipped and active.
New Loot Variants! Gather ancient treasures, more than just a box and a teapot!
Journal now has an equipped category to describe what you already have on you
Portals now cost wishes on use
Sprint state is remembered between levels on a single run
Space bar now also accepts menus
Player now takes momentum from being damaged in certain situations
New Mage Boss Arena ‘The Pergola’
New Melee Boss Arena ‘The Pit’
New Archer Boss Arena ‘The Ring’
Started to create unique start rooms for each level
Background towers and cityscape generated outside the playable level
More variations on the breakable doorway
Community Feedback and Tuning
Whip Grab recovery reduced
Journal button on gamepad changed to the Special Left key (Back / Select / View / Share)
Player Sword animation tuning and polish; fixed broken arm (elbow) pose, all sword swipes travel at a more consistent rate and have more consistent path through reticle. (center of the screen), changed sword combo idle poses to take up less screen real estate.
Reduced physics forces applied to ragdolls from explosions and projectiles, also tuned some broken ragdoll constraints.
Suppressed enemy spawning in the first room / corridor
Fixes
Fixed broken cloth on Spearman weapon
Genie Icons tint green when wished
Improved whip hit area for projectiles
Fix text not wrapping correctly in the journal
Fix destructible objects not breaking from shove if very close
Fix radius damage and effects not applying correctly when they were near the edge of the radius or the object was larger than the radius
Fixed the Cudgel of Refutation from being able to stun enemies when it hits their shield
Fixed cases where the death animation would put the players camera through the ground
Fixed Charm of Fortune not appearing in chests or stores
City of Brass - Beware the Palace Grounds - Available Now!
Ok folks, it's been just over a month, so that means it's time for our next major update: v0.3 The Palace Grounds!
This time around we are replacing the levels it seems most people rarely see: levels 9-12 have been completely overhauled with the new Palace Grounds environment.
New Enemies!
The Gatekeepers are some of the toughest foes, and the newest addition is the Fallen Champion. Once honored for her unique skills, this accursed Archer stands between you and the exit, and she has a few new tricks up her sleeve.
New Traps!
The City of Brass is brimming with deadly traps to keep you on your toes (and might even remove your toes if you're not careful). Watch your step when looking out for:
Jaws of Impediment
Steps of Frustration
New Relics!
Scattered throughout the City, new Relics can be found in chests and bought from helpful Genies. Keep some gold in your purse to purchase:
Bloom of Frost
Gauntlet of Hurling
Bracelet of the Phoenix
Vessel of Vigor
Talisman of Confusion
New Genie!
Be on the lookout for Zaibof the Guarantor. While he won't let you keep ALL of your money if you perish, he will supply you with a small nest egg to begin your next run with. The amount you start with grows with every purchase you make, and of course using a wish will only increase your reward.
New Features!
Dodging! Added quick side and back jumps. Double tap movement keys on keyboard and double tap crouch on gamepad.
Reflecting projectiles of Etol the Hurler now temporarily stuns the Genie
Air Control when Whip Swinging!
New Layout Features! Double height walls/stairs to outdoor areas; new stair placement system; indoor height variation can now go downwards into the floor.
Dedicated Gatekeeper Arenas! Gatekeeper Mini Bosses now have an area dedicated just to them.
Achievements!
Community Feedback and Tuning
Massive overhaul of difficulty tuning - added a difficulty curve for the first three levels. This has touched on the spawning of enemies, traps and pickups, required the creation of new weaker AIs, and a general tweaking of the campaign.
Player will now automatically stand after a slide
Movement mode HUD icons are now always visible
Melee weapon improvements, making them feel more reliable in terms of hitting targets
Increased speed of initial sword attack and resulting combo attacks.
Added HUD animations on health gain and wish using
Improved the whip hit detection and smoothed out their animations
Increased the proportion of open walls in rooms
Reversed Order of the Portals outside the city
Fixed a bunch of reported crashes (Mostly rare-ish)
Light of Following now has massively increased light radius
Enemies can now be stunned and tripped during their disarm animation.
Increased Genie summoned enemy attack range so they can attack large enemies when wished.
Reduced large enemy collision radius.
Fix Gatekeeper enemies being charmed by Vest of Alliance, meaning you could not kill them
Silent Effigies are no longer targeted by wished Thrower Genies (since they can't be damaged by them)
More enemy sounds when passive to give player preview of nearby enemies.
Grand Sorcerer Gatekeeper - more animations for better state feedback
Wished Genie fireballs will no longer hurt the player.
Genies now have signage to help identify them from a distance
Fixes
v0.3 The Palace Grounds - New Environment!
Coming soon to City of Brass Update v0.3
The fourth district of the City has now been realized! If you survive the underground labyrinth of the Catacombs, you will emerge into to the shining jewel that is the Palace Grounds.
No expense was spared as the corrupt leaders of the City of Brass chose to flaunt their wealth and prosperity.
The palace grounds surround the central tower of the City, and only the wealthiest of the wealthy were allowed to set foot there: opulent, ostentatious, and - ultimately - a testament to greed.
However nice things may appear, visitors are not welcome here...new traps and hazards await even the most robust of adventurer. Will you survive the temptations of the Palace Grounds?
Coming Soon: v0.3 Update - The Palace Grounds
The palace grounds surround the central tower of the City, and only the wealthiest of the wealthy were allowed to set foot there: opulent, ostentatious, and - ultimately - a testament to greed.
Will you survive the temptations of the Palace Grounds?
City of Brass - Enter the Catacombs - Available Now!
We have been working hard since Early Access launch and we're thrilled to release our first major update. V0.2 - Enter the Catacombs.
So what's new?
New Environment!
If you've survived long enough to see levels 6-9 before, your next visit will be very different. All three have been completely replaced with a unique new underground Catacombs environment, including a new, deadly trap.
New Enemies!
Spilling forth from the caverns underground are a host of devious new enemies to fight!
Unstable Salitar
Hazardous Gladiator
A mystical new Gatekeeper to defeat in level 3
New Relics!
Scattered throughout the City, new Relics can be found in chests and bought from helpful Genies. Keep some gold in your purse to purchase:
The Charm of Fortune
Coin of Soldiering
Gauntlet of Thrusting
Tongue of Silver
Pads of Silence
New Features:
Boss AI can block Player’s Shove Ability (Only turned on on the Shield Boss)
New Trap: Maw of Howling
Italian Localisation
"What Is This?" feature, opening the journal to what is under your mouse cursor.
Relic Icons now feedback when they are active via an animation.
New HUD Notification appears when a Divine Burden is unlocked.
New HUD indicator for Movement State.
Pool of Searing trap now releases splashes of burning oil when whipped.
Tuning:
Difficulty curve now ramps up over first three levels.
Increased spawning of throwable pickups … because they’re fun.
Reduced max number of enemy genies (from 5 to 4)
Slightly slower movement speed for large enemies.
Expanded Tutorial:
Tutorial has been revised to teach more of the player’s actions including:
Whip Grab
Shove
Crouch
Slide
Fixes:
Fire damage over time no longer stacks multiple times from the same source.
Braziers cause small radial damage effects when destroyed.
Fix tutorial ghosts messages not fading in and out.
Fix cases of the same gear being given by different chests in an area.
Community Bug Fixes:
A big thanks to all the players giving us feedback, ideas and reporting bugs on the forums. Keep them coming!
Fixing issue where Lantern fixtures were no longer whip-able.
Damage Effects like fire, now no longer affect an AI if you hit their shield.
Added extra (larger) hit boxes to pickups for whip collision.
Changes to Fire Effects to (hopefully?) fix invisible fire on some players machines.
