The first Games Done Quick marathon of the year finishes tomorrow and, although Valfaris didn't feature in the event, it seems like a perfect opportunity to give a shout-out to the speedrunners who have recorded the most impressive times beating Valfaris so far.
FASTEST FINISH
[previewyoutube="-BT4-ok4sMQ;leftthumb"] Time: 55 mins 03 secs Player: Jackerizzle --
I'm happy if I behead the Hydravok and finish the game in under seven hours, so these run times absolutely blow my slow-moving mind. Massive respect to the players noted above and to anyone who has had a crack at speedrunning Valfaris.
And if you fancy doing a high-velocity Valfaris run, be sure to record your playthrough and submit it to Speedrun.com. There are currently no runs recorded for Full Metal Mode yet, so it could be YOUR chance to shine and prove your mettle!
Game of the Year 2019 (SwitchWatch): "Valfaris is the dark horse of our Game of the Year list. Among a list of Nintendo Switch exclusives, Valfaris is the one indie game we chose because of its spectacular action and amazing heavy metal soundtrack."
PC Invasion's Games of 2019: Jordan’s Picks(PC Invasion): "Breathtaking visuals, a crushing difficulty curve, and a head-banging soundtrack had me cranking my headphones up to 11 as I wrestled with waves of alien baddies."
Indie Game of the Year(The Famicast): "Beautifully combines a run-and-gun shooter a-la Contra, with glorious heavy metal aesthetics and music, plus a decent helping of gore and explosions!"
DreadXP Game of the Year 2019 List(Dread Central): "Starts shit off with headbanging metal and never stops. It’s brain damage inducing amounts of fun."
Best Indie Game Music of 2019 (IndieGameReviewer): "Valfaris exudes Heavy Metal in all its gloriously over-the-top forms... it always comes back to raw, dirty electric guitar riffs and pummeling blast beats."
2D Action Game of the Year (Video Chums): "Went above and beyond my expectations and it remains one of my favourite 2D action games ever made."
Any time we see a piece of Valfaris fan-art, it really makes our day. So it's our absolute pleasure to share all the following pieces with you here. Thanks to the artists who spent time on these. We love them all!
Oh, and in addition to the Valfaris fan-art, we've added some from developer Steel Mantis' previous game, Slain: Back From Hell.
So you completed Valfaris and are feeling pretty smug about yourself. Well, don't get too cocky because the challenge isn't over yet! I'm happy to confirm that the free Full Metal Mode update is now live and it can't wait to kick your ass.
Here's what Full Metal Mode has got in store for you:
All weapons, upgrades, and upgrade items carry over between runs
Enemies have increased health, attack, and aggression
Bosses receive the same buffs - with additional attack patterns
Therion takes more damage
New Destroyer Class Weapon
New Achievement for defeating Full Metal Mode
Full Metal Mode unlocks after completing the game, so if you've already got a 'Game Clear' save file, you'll be able to jump into the – even deadlier – action as soon as the update has installed.
See the new weapon in action, as well as catching a glimpse of a couple of the new boss attacks, in the Full Metal Mode trailer:
[previewyoutube="Sc-ap6mvwEY;full"] Good luck and godspeed to everyone firing up Full Metal Mode!
There's also good news for anyone who hasn't picked up Valfaris yet – it's on sale now with 30% off as part of a Steam Weeklong Deal (ends 14 Dec, 10am PT). The Digital Deluxe Edition, which includes the soundtrack and art book, is also discounted.
If you've completed Valfaris and are looking for a new challenge – good news! – we're rolling out Full Metal Mode as a free update next Saturday, 7th December.
Not for the faint-hearted, Full Metal Mode is essentially a New Game+ that turns the deadly up to MAX by remixing various aspects of gameplay. The new mode will unlock after completing the game, so if you've already got a 'Clear Game' save file, you'll be able to jump into Full Metal Mode as soon as the update's been installed.
Here's a rundown of features:
All weapons, upgrades, and upgrade items carry over between runs
Enemies have increased health, attack, and aggression
Bosses receive the same buffs - with additional attack patterns
Therion takes more damage
New Destroyer Class Weapon
New Achievement for defeating Full Metal Mode
While a lot of the changes are behind-the-scenes, there are several noticeable differences to certain sections/encounters. For example, the Hell Cobra mini-boss in the Eco-Dome has an additional attack. Whenever the biomechanical snake descends into or emerges from its toxic swamp, it sends out a wave of deadly gas:
In addition to his flaming hammers attack, Cathedral boss Furrok can also shoot fireballs that bounce around the arena:
And the gnashing worms in The Tombs spit out projectiles when they burst from the sand:
You'll also get a new Destroyer class weapon to play/kill with. It's called Vroll's First and is the weapon used by big boss Kyvok. It's pretty devastating. Here's what it looks like in action:
That's a quick sneak-peek at Full Metal Mode. It launches next Saturday, 7th December. Don't miss it!
And, while you're here, a reminder that the Steam Award nominations have opened and we'd love Valfaris to be included with the final nominees. So if you agree that Valfaris is worthy, please do vote for us in the 'Outstanding Visual Style' category. More details in this previous post.
Nominations for the annual Steam Awards have opened! Having looked through this year's categories, we think Valfaris is worthy of some love in the 'Outstanding Visual Style' category. Obviously we are biased as hell, but if we had a dollar for every time we had seen or heard glowing praise for Valfaris' looks, well, we would have enough dollars to buy the award with a big, fat bribe. But we don't, so we're relying on all you wonderful folks to nominate us instead.
So, if you feel you have been suitably eye-dazzled by Valfaris, please go right ahead and show your appreciation by clicking the widget above to register your nomination. Getting into the final selection would be enough to make Therion smile. Maybe.
And if you need a reminder of Valfaris' distinct visual style, refresh your memory with the trailer:
This latest release means you can now grab Valfaris digitally on PC, Switch, PS4, and Xbox One. And if you want to get physical, there are boxed versions for Switch and PS4 (available from GameStop, Game, Amazon etc.).
As of today, Valfaris is also available to enjoy on PS4! It can be downloaded from the PlayStation Store right now with a 10% launch discount for a limited time. PS4 players in Europe will have to wait an extra day – Valfaris hits the EU PS Store tomorrow, 6 November.
The Xbox One version launches Friday, 15 November, although it's available to pre-order now with a 10% discount from the Xbox Store.
To celebrate how well Valfaris has reviewed so far – the Switch and PC versions currently have 80 and 88 Metacritic rankings respectively – we've put together a new 'Accolades Trailer' because, hey, this trumpet isn't going to blow itself:
[previewyoutube="kQ_YudmGLQo;full"] In other news, we should be able to share more info about Full Metal Mode soon – the New Game+ mode that Steel Mantis is working on at the moment and will be released as a free update in the not-too-distant future.
Hey you! Yes, you. There's a Reddit AMA Live now on r/PCGaming.
Want to learn more about the inspiration of the ludicrously beautiful artwork, punishingly designed levels, or headbanging sound track. Head over to the PCGamring Subreddit right now and ask away.
Thank you for your patience. We have rooted out what we believe to be the issue with controller compatibility. Particularly the lack of input from triggers. Please let us know if you as are still having issues. Brief patch notes below.
Fixed issue with trigger buttons not working when Steam's Controller Configuration Support mode is switched on.
