Viola: The Heroine's Melody
Viola is in Early Access!
And if you're reading this on the 23rd, head on over to Reddit's r/Games subreddit for an AMA with yours truly.
See you, violin girl! Someday, somewhere!
Release Date and AMA!
To celebrate Viola's release, I'll be doing an AMA on Reddit's r/Games subreddit. This'll go down on the same day, July 23, at 11 AM PST/2 PM EST/7 PM GMT. So swing on by, ask any question you'll like and I'll do my best to deliver a decently comedic answer.
I hope you're as excited as I am. Goodbye for now!
See you, violin girl! Someday, somewhere!
A few more weeks!
Viola is not far from releasing into Early Access. Let's talk about some of the things you'll see when playing!
Explore!
Viola is a hybrid of Platforming and JRPG. Rather than walking around in an overworld, potentially being stopped by random encounters, you're free to jump and run around the levels as you please. Don't want to fight a monster? Just go around!
Viola is trapped in Vylna: a world created by nine gods known as the Patrons. Vylna's inhabitants still worship these gods, relying on them to protect them against the monsters that roam their realm.
With Viola's arrival, a second dark sun has appeared in the sky, causing monsters to become more wildspread and dangerous...
Battle!
Let's have a battle beyond measure! If you touch a monster, get ready for a fight! You can attack, cast spells, use items, or defend your party members. However, Viola is not a passive RPG: attacks require a bit of rhythm to deal extra damage! But if you mess up, you'll deal less, so be ready!
Spells take a bit more effort: you'll have to mash, press, or hold buttons that appear on-screen! They are consistent, and can deal a lot of damage, heal your allies or raise and lower stats. By taking damage, you build up CP: points you can spend to unleash a powerful Crescendo!
Play!
Viola isn't musically-themed for nothing. You can play and learn songs, which can unlock passages, stories and more. The characters in your party will even play along with you!
That's all for now! Stay tuned for more!
See you, Violin Girl! Someday, somewhere!
Getting Closer and Closer
Quick introduction: my name's Jelle van Doorne. I'm the sole creator of Viola, the musically themed RPG Platformer. Viola is my love letter to classic JRPGs and indie games, and I've been working on her since March of 2018. I've done everything in Viola other than the music. All the art, animations, story, the design and programming, even the sound effects were all done by me.
Viola is getting closer and closer to its Early Access release date. In less than two months, you'll all get to be part of this little journey. I'm nervous. Excited, but nervous. Why don't we answer a few questions you might have?
So, what's in the first Early Access version?
In the Early Access build you'll find the first four levels of the game, and a small town to explore. You'll gain a full party right at the end of it, which is where the game will 'stop' for now as I work on more content.
Okay, so what will the new versions add?
Other than the remaining levels, I'm planning on adding an overworld map, double the amount of recruitable characters, "Personal Quests" that deal with the party characters, a shop to buy items, Steam achievements, and perhaps even trading cards!
Alright, alright, but why should I buy it now?
Viola will be cheaper during Early Access. The entirety of it. You can buy it now while it's essentially "on sale", and play it when it's complete! Or, play it during Early Access and join the Viola community!
Wait, there's a community?
Sure is! I've recently opened up a Discord server, or you can simply follow the game's progress on my Twitter!
Wow! If I wasn't a hypothetical person that you made up for this announcement, I would be totally convinced!
Thank... you?
In any case, there will be more Viola news in the future! I'm working with Indie Bros. of Rimworld fame to get the word out there, and you can help, too. Even something as simple as putting Viola on your wishlist helps me stay visible on Steam. Thanks for reading!
See you, violin girl! Someday, somewhere!