Last week we attended Gamescom Asia. Travelling around the globe from Europe we weren’t sure what to expect, but we were overwhelmed by our welcome and the support we had for the duration of our stay. Being able to meet players from another part of the world was really something special, as it showed just how strong the gaming community is globally!
Introducing you to Gripper and seeing you play for the first time is always such a memorable experience at these events, as we love to see you enjoy the game, as well as gain feedback! We were also fortunate to meet big names in the industry, such as Shuhei Yoshida, former President of SIE Worldwide Studios. Getting mentioned on his Twitter was an unexpected surprise, and we were blown away with the amount of positive support that came from it. Watching people such as Daniel Robson, Chief Editor at IGN Japan, get stuck into the game really brings so much pride to the team as we’re ecstatic people are enjoying it this much.
If you want to get a taste of Gripper, check out the limited time demo on our page now, as well as our latest trailer!
Thank you all for being a part of this journey with us! Make sure you follow us and wishlist the game so you don’t miss an update!
Devlog #3
Welcome back to another update!
This time we’ll be looking at progress the team made throughout September.
Game Development Progress
A lot has happened this month, and we’re getting to a stage where we don’t want to share too much in case it ruins the experience of playing the game once you’re able to get your hands on it! That being said, here’s what we can share…
A lot of tweaks and adjustments are being made to different models, as we want them to look as clean as possible. We’ve scaled down the hook size slightly to make it look better positioned within the bike and have less clipping issues. With the hook being one of the main gameplay features, we have to be careful that hit boxes remain reliable and feel good to play.
The art team have run into challenges whilst creating certain models due to having a grand vision that they’re eager to implement. Working through these issues is a creative challenge but well worth it as we want to make sure it looks super epic for you all! Besides, would it really be game development without a few hitches along the way?
Continuously updating models such as None, our main protagonist, is important to elevate the overall quality of the art within the game. We’re also creating new concept art to redesign some already implemented models, as we want everything to feel meshed together and as though it belongs in the same world.
Character models are being built upon to make sure they’re more in line with the concept art created, adding any details that may have been missed off in the beginning to keep things simple. This is important as we want our designs to be visually interesting and stand out when the game is being played. The same is happening with environmental objects already implemented in the build, to really make them feel as though they belong in this post-apocalyptic cyberpunk world.
Making sure models are implemented with story beats in mind is something the team have been going over, as some aspects of models will change throughout the game. Ensuring all versions of a model are given the same care within the code and art teams is super important to the momentum of the game. Deciding how much time is put into certain models before the final polish is an ongoing conversation, as some parts of models aren’t visible from the gameplay camera or within cutscenes, so we want to make sure everything that *is* visible is to the highest standard.
Late game arenas are being built into their final stages where gameplay, namely combat, can be focused on. Playing around with 2D and 3D elements to flesh out environments is also in the works, but this is in early stages so we’re unsure if it will make it into the final build of the game. Testing different lighting within environments is in progress, and whilst we can’t show you anything right now, our areas are looking really beautiful! Finessing code has also been happening to make aspects of the game smoother, as well as giving the team a higher level of control when implementing things.
New features are being implemented into the game, such as:
Victory screens
Game mode menus
Quest menus
Health bar in tunnels
Progression in upgrade menus
Big progress has been made with in-house play testing, and is allowing us to understand what the strengths and weaknesses are within the game at this point in development. We’re really excited about it as a lot of what’s being picked up on to improve is already within our schedule at later dates, so we’re hopeful the final build will be awesome.
Finally, we have a lot of audio in development, trying to make soundtracks sound awesome and capture the feeling of the story. Deciding whether certain tracks will benefit from being instrumental or with vocals is a choice in discussion, and we really want to get this one right as a great soundtrack can add so much to a game.
We don’t want to share too much more at this stage, as it will ruin the surprise!
Until next time! See you soon!
Devlog #2
Hey everyone!
In this update: August was a busy month for us - we made some great progress in the game, and we went to Gamescom! Keep reading to find out more about what went on behind the scenes.
Game Development Progress
Lots of headway has been made within the team, with some exciting updates. Some I can share now, some you’ll have to wait and see!
We’ve been busy making sure we have the bare bones of all the arenas and tunnels, so later on we can focus on polish and making them all shiny. This has included making sure all the decorative objects are added, as well as interactable ones. VFX, lighting and shading has also been added, with textures being played around with and voted on within the team’s Discord server.
Making sure there’s collision has also been on the task list, as we don’t want players riding through objects that are meant to be a challenge to navigate. Within the tunnels we had placeholder objects that had yet to be sculpted, but progress has been made turning our flying rectangles into threatening daggers. Check out the before and after video on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Gripper_action/status/1565757698242740230?s=20&t=nEzk1LaSH-iyVXnEscjfZQ
Physics has also been a topic of discussion, with ideas circulating around interactions between different elements (such as heat evaporating water). It’s too early to definitively say if this will make it into the final build, but we’re all about creating the best environments and atmosphere’s we can - only time will tell!
Boss concept art has been created so the team has a reference for the final boss models. These models have also been created for the most part, and are being added into their arena’s. We’ve been starting to animate models to ensure they don’t look stiff and clunky, with the main protagonist seeing some improvements. In the words of one of our artists,
“None became the proud owner of controlled knees and elbows”.
Movement and combat design are all in the works, to try and make the fights feel as epic as possible. We’ve changed and updated textures for certain objects like the bike, making the wheels and windshield reflective rather than matte.
Updates to characters have also been done, with multiple characters starting to come to life. Narrative has started to be written, with character artwork being updated to show different expressions and personality during dialogue scenes, as well as during gameplay. Designing new and interesting characters is a challenge as there are so many great characters out in the gaming world, but the team have dug into the world and the story to try and achieve engaging persona’s.
The team have been working on UI, and have added in a controls menu to make sure players can readily check what the inputs are. Whilst quick time events have already been implemented, refining QTE’s in terms of their timing has been done. It’s important for the timings of our QTE’s to feel fluid, and adjusting timings around whether a button press will be a success or a failure has been fiddled with to get this right.
Continued QA tests have allowed us to find bugs within the main build and the dem- oh phew, nearly let that one slip! As is the nature of game development, we’ve managed to find and fix issues found within cinematics, boss fights and audio. As more gets added into the game there’s more chance of bugs popping up, but we’re confident in getting these smoothed out before launch.
Gamescom 2022
We were fortunate enough to have a booth at Gamescom this year, where we were found in the Indie Booth Arena. It was both exciting and daunting, but we had the best time talking to players, devs and press alike. We loved being able to see your reactions to playing the game for the first time, and really understanding what it is that you’re all excited about for when Gripper releases.
Creating marketing art for the booth (both digitally, and printing posters and stickers), ensuring we had a playable build, setting up an online stream and all the admin behind-the-scenes stuff were just a few of the tasks we faced in making sure we had a successful time.
Going to a convention as big as Gamescom was a massive learning experience and we found you could never do enough preparation. It came with its struggles, but overall the experience was invaluable. The support and feedback we received was so welcomed by the team, and it was a kick into reality to see how far Gripper has come over the years. We couldn’t be prouder of the team for making it happen, but most of all we want to thank you - the players, both new and old to the community - for sticking with us and making this all possible. We can’t wait to share the game with you.
Thanks for reading this far! We'll see you again in October with the next update!
GRIPPER — watch a gameplay of demo at Gamescom!
Gripper is an Action RPG on a bike with top-down boss battles in a cyberpunk world. Face boss fights on wheels, use your hook to rip-and-grip apart enemies and upgrade abilities. Play as protagonist None and uncover his story.
Devlog Update #1
Hey all!
It’s been quite some time since we last updated you properly about the development process, so we wanted to share what we’ve been up to!
What’s included in Devlog #1:
General update of Gripper’s development
Summary of what's been worked on the past few months
A lot has happened since our last update post. In there we mentioned how we have updated the game’s graphics, as well as make the controls smoother and more enjoyable to play. Firstly I wanted to say thank you to everyone who played our first demo Gripper: Prologue (yes, first - something exciting is coming!👀). It gave insightful feedback which has changed the game for the better! Secondly, the aesthetic and overall look of the game has changed dramatically since the idea of Gripper was born 5 years ago, and to this day the team is still working on updating models to make sure the game looks as good as it can.
Last month we shared on our socials an updated model of the bike that the art team have been working on - follow us over on Twitter if you want to see more behind the scenes content! https://twitter.com/Gripper_action
Gripper’s Development
The whole team has been super busy over the last few months making as much progress as possible, here’s a quick peek into some of the work that’s been completed!
There has been lots of advancement within the game’s design with the team looking at the combat. Discussions around overall difficulty and skill of the game have taken place, along with tweaking individual bosses. We’ve had in-house play testing happening to see what’s working and what isn’t, and have made adjustments in game based on this information. Controls, abilities and bosses have also been adjusted or added into the game, and are being completed in good time.
The art department has made massive headway, working with both the game designers and marketing team to create different content. Concept art for later maps in the game, including battle arenas and tunnel maps that link areas, have been completed. They’ve been hard at work bringing these concepts to life with models, animations and in-game assets.
There have also been updates to maps and models, making sure the art direction is consistent and the models, such as our main protagonist and bike, look as good as possible. New menus are being created, such as where you’ll see your abilities, with UX and UI work happening on the main hud. We want to make sure everything on screen is readable and translates well to the player whilst they’re playing the game. With new promotional material being created for Gamescom, cutscene artwork has taken a backseat for now, but we can’t wait to get back to it and flesh out the narrative!
Here's some in-development sneak peaks:
We have a busy month ahead of us making sure we’re all ready for our appearance at the Indie Arena Booth at Gamescom, so make sure you check back in with our future updates - especially as we get closer to release!
See you then!
Updated Gripper Artwork
Hello everyone!
We’re excited to show you our new look! We’ve updated our logo and headers on all our socials. Let us know what you think!
We decided to give Gripper a fresh look before Gamescom to make sure we’re representing the game as clearly as possible. We’ve taken inspiration from comic book-style art for our new imagery so that all the promotional art for the game is inline with the art inside the game.
We chose bold and contrasting colours that are dramatic and eye-catching, and also match our main character's colour scheme. We pride ourselves in having a unique art style within the game, and we wanted to make sure that’s one of the first things people see when looking at our game on store pages and social media. The art team took inspiration from Japanese calligraphy, as well as striking game art that stuck in our minds, such as Wolfenstein. After playing around with different facial expressions, font design and colours, the team settled on what you see now.
We hope you love the new design as much as we do, and we’ll see you in the next update!
New Hazards And Challenges | Frozen Biome Preview
New biome
As the story of Gripper unfolds, players will find themselves in new territories where they are to face completely new enemies and explore new landscapes. The frozen biome is one of them: dark, hostile and dangerous, it will bring a new atmosphere to Gripper, as well as new hazards to the player.
New hazards and challenges
Here, on the glacier, you have to outlast the rockets. Where did they come from? We’ll keep this secret for a while. But you should definitely be a skillful driver to avoid them, as they hit precisely where the player is and chase their target relentlessly.
Of course rockets won’t be the only hazard that awaits you in the frozen lands: somewhere, there is wandering a gigantic robotic serpent – and maybe once you’ll encounter it?
A story-centered adventure
We shall once again emphasize that we intend to make Gripper a deep and dramatic story. And the frozen biome is to deepen the sense that the story gives you by its art and atmosphere.
Unlike the desert, this territory is dark and silent – as if it had been abandoned and long forgotten by every living creature. And, as you ride through the vast lands filled only with ice blocks and danger, you should feel something our characters felt at critical moments of their lives.
Greetings!
We’re very excited to announce, that we have been working hard on our game, improving its core mechanics, its style, and other details of the Gripper world.
In the newer, better version of Gripper, we have:
optimized the controller as well as the mouse + keyboard controls, made them more sensible and enjoyable.
upgraded the looks of the game. Our artists have done a great job on upgrading the aesthetics of the Gripper-verse, the graphics and the surroundings are now eye-catching. And mobs are fancier than ever!
None is now a rageful BIKER. He thought, and thought, and thought and concluded, that a bike is much faster and more maneuverable than a car. And it is!
removed and fixed a lot of bugs, making your experience more atmospheric
there is definitely too much to talk about, but be sure to keep track of news, updates and challenges from the developer team!
Also, you can check out our brand-new teaser, that shows the mighty spider-boss Shock [previewyoutube="v0eN4PSf_TU;full"] Thanks for your support, comments, reviews, etc. It really means the world to us!
Gripper Demo Walkthrough
In a world where everyone is damaged one way or another, you and your sister live peacefully on a farm. Until someone comes and burns it down. All you have left is your car with a hook. The time to learn how to kill with it is running out.
Gripper Demo is out and ready for you to play.
Tear your enemies apart with a hook and finish them with their own weapons.
Fight and rip away the hearts of 2 colossal bosses to gain new abilities.
Explore 4 bizarre biomes.
Fight and fly through a nightmarish tunnel to the beat of incredible tracks by KillTheBarber!, Mezzanine, pqQp.
Gripper is our personal story of loss. We turned it into the game to let it go. We hope it will help you too.
Gripper: Prologue available now!
Three years. Three engines. Hearts that was torn out and broken by personal tragedies. Living hearts. And this is not the end of the road, but an important stage. Much has been done, more remains to be done. But today we are celebrating because the Gripper demo is available on Steam for free! Let's celebrate with us — play and share your thoughts and feelings with us.
