Over the last two weeks we’ve been continuing with detailing and lighting, as well as new soundpasses, as we make our way through Episode 3. We’ve also been adding more interface graphics. Today we’ll share with you screenshots from E3M3, The Rending Chambers, as well as the recent loading screen made for E2M4, Twilight Altars.
Lighting The Rending Chambers
An industrial facility corrupted by the enemy, E3M3 is a grim mix of tortured flesh and corroded metal. It has been receiving its final detail and lighting passes, and we have some screenshots here to show you the resultant oppressive atmosphere.
Loading Screens
Once again, we have a completed loading screen to show you. This one gives a glimpse of E2M4 - Twilight Altars, a solid and stony, yet technologically advanced, temple complex from the lost civilization of WRATH’s world.
In other news…
Aside from map detailing, lighting, loading screens, and other fixes, tweaks, and polish, here is a look at some of the things we’ve worked on the last two weeks:
LEVELS
E3M2 - The Blood Pits - is receiving its soundpass
E3M4 - Crucible of Souls - adding lighting and gameplay to the Blue Door area
HUB3 - first pass on the terrain mesh
BOSS2 - more detail and lighting is being added, with playtesting underway
BOSS3 - final detailing, texturing, and lighting, with entity changes for gameplay
PROPS & TEXTURES
More flesh and bone models for Episode 3
Rune etching textures for Episode 3
That’s it for today’s update! We hope you enjoyed these progress images, and we’ll see you in two weeks!
An Update on the WRATH: Aeon of Ruin 1.0 Release Date
An Update on the WRATH: Aeon of Ruin 1.0 Release Date
Greetings Outlander,
We would like to use this opportunity to apologize for our lack of communication regarding the full release date of WRATH: Aeon of Ruin. The past year has been extremely difficult for the team; we have managed to reinforce it with some very talented new members however, and as you can see from our regular bi-weekly updates, progress is being made. Even though development is now moving forward at a steady pace, due to those past difficulties, we are behind our original schedule and unable to catch up.
We are sorry, but the game will not leave early access in 2023. We know this is a disappointment for all of our fans, and we have been trying our best to make it happen earlier than next year - in the end we could not, not without compromising the quality of the final version of the game.
Thank you everyone for your ongoing support.
WRATH bi-weekly update - 6.21.2023
Greetings Outlander,
The last two weeks we’ve been focusing on moving our remaining maps into the detailing and lighting stages, and continuing UI improvements. Today we’ll share with you some of our additions to the Outlander’s Journal, and more Item Pickup Icons.
Sketching in Outlander’s Journal
The Journal is a place to store information based on the Outlander’s findings in the old world. The Outlander records information about the new weapons, enemies, and environments that they discover.
Here are some detailed studies of one of the monsters - the Brute - on their way to the pages of the Journal.
Pickup Icons
Last time we showed you some of our new pickup icons. Here is a further selection of these little pieces of pixel art.
First, we have the complete set of artifact icons, for when the Outlander collects these exotic powerups.
From left to right and top to bottom they are: Vicious Animus, Shockwave, Mark of Revelation, Drowner’s Apparatus, Flask of Rage Cruel Aegis, Orb of Deflection, Life Siphon, Void Grenade, Confounding Attar.
Below is an assortment of other item icons, including: keys, health, ammunition, and some stranger things. The cat’s eye on the bottom row is an update of the icon shown when a secret is discovered, and it matches with the bizarre metal symbol on the top row of artifacts.
In other news…
Aside from drawings, icons, and other fixes, tweaks, and polish, here is a look at some of the things we’ve worked on the last two weeks:
LEVELS
E3M2 - The Blood Pits - is receiving its terrain pass
E3M3 - The Rending Chambers - is receiving its lighting pass
E3M4 - Crucible of Souls - adding lighting and gameplay to the Blue Door area
BOSS2 - layout is almost complete, more detail and lighting is being added
BOSS3 - further decoration is being added, as well as lighting
PROPS & TEXTURES
Idol models for E2M3 - Shadow Pantheon
New terrain textures for Episode 3
New slime falls
That’s it for today’s update! We hope you enjoyed these progress images, and we’ll see you in two weeks!
The last two weeks we’ve been continuing with adding setpieces to the game. Out of those additions, we would like to share the Relic Circles, which each hub level possesses, as well as new pickup icons that are in the works.
The Relic Circles
This sinister organic henge awaits the Outlander in HUB3, The Wretched Domain.
And below shows the Relic Circle appearing in the fragmented desert of HUB2, The Eventide Wastes.
As with HUB1, these ceremonial circles are where the Outlander must bring the relics from each level in the episode. Only then can they open a portal to this dying world’s guardians.
Pickup Icons
We’ve been adding more pickup icons. First are the Relics that the Outlander collects at the end of each level and deposits into the Relic Circles shown above. The next image shows some of the in-progress weapon pickup icons.
In other news…
Aside from the relic circles, icons, and other fixes, tweaks, and polish, here is a look at some of the things we’ve worked on the last two weeks:
LEVELS
E3M2 - The Blood Pits - is receiving a gameplay pass and detail pass
E3M3 - The Rending Chambers - is receiving a detail pass
E3M4 - Crucible of Souls - the industrial areas has been enhanced with more features such as chains and cages
BOSS2 - Detailing the arena
BOSS3 - Optimizing the arena, particularly for navigation
PROPS & TEXTURES
Larger textures for organic terrain, as well as some more metal trims
New lava falls
Additional loading screens
That’s it for today’s update! We hope you enjoyed these progress images, and we’ll see you in two weeks!
The last two weeks we’ve been focusing on the atmosphere of Episode 3. This involves creating skyboxes, props, and adding details to create the character of the environment. We’ve also been making lots of other subtle changes to improve upon the gameplay experience.
The Looming Skies of The Wretched Domain
As Outlander makes their way further into the world they find themselves surrounded by the ruin and corruption of a dying, twisted, environment. These are some of the skyboxes that are currently being worked on and integrated into the third episode:
In other news…
Aside from the skyboxes, and other fixes, tweaks, and polish, here is a look at some of the things we’ve worked on the last two weeks:
LEVELS
E3M2 - The Blood Pits - is receiving a gameplay pass
E3M3 - The Rending Chambers - has been receiving a texture pass
E3M4 - Crucible of Souls - an industrial area referred to as “The Header” is in progress with texturing, detailing, and gameplay
BOSS2 - Detailing arena
BOSS3 - Adding improved details to the layout and gameplay mechanics
WEAPONS
Improved animation for firing the Lance
Improved animation for picking up the Mace
Improved primary fire beam for the Crystallizer
PROPS & TEXTURES
Revised boat model
Improved vines
Added Crucible
Trim, stairs, meat, and door textures created for Episode 3
That’s it for today’s update! We hope you enjoyed these progress images, and we’ll see you in two weeks!
These last two weeks there has been much fixing and finishing of various content. For some levels, detailing and gameplay configuring are ongoing, but others have received their final polish and are complete.
Supporting elements - like sound effects, interface graphics, decoration and environment effects - are being added to fill out the experience of the levels.
Loading into E2…
One of the places that can make a visual impact outside of the actual world of Wrath is the loading screens for each level. Two more of these are now finished, and give some idea of the atmosphere and grandeur waiting to be discovered in Episode 2.
The Thorn Wall
We’ve been adding some set dressing pieces, especially to Episode 3. Here is a feature added to the start of E3M5 - The Red Throne. Like something out of a dark fairytale, thorned tendrils are spreading across the basalt facade of this imposing installation.
Now that most of the levels are near completion, decor like this is an important way for us to add visual impact to Wrath, and finalize the character of a level.
In other news…
Aside from new loading screens, E3 set dressing, and other fixes, tweaks, and polish, here is a look at some of the things we’ve worked on the last two weeks:
LEVELS
E3M3 - The Rending Chambers - has been receiving a texture pass
E3M4 - Crucible of Souls - an industrial area referred to as “The Header” is in progress with texturing, detailing, and gameplay
ENEMIES
Boss2 - a new movement behavior has been prototyped
Boss3 - has received additional animating, and playtesting
PROPS & TEXTURES
Added new slime and blood fall textures
Trim textures, with runes, created for Episode 3
That’s it for today’s update! We hope you enjoyed these progress images, and we’ll see you in two weeks!
These last two weeks there has been a focus on playtesting some of our levels as we prepare to have a batch of them finalized. In addition, we have been adding finishing touches with prop models, and reworking the UI.
Decorating E2 and E3
As mentioned in our previous update, The Watchtowers was formerly a place for the scholars of this world. We’ve been crafting an orrery that will hang in one of the tower atriums, and it is currently in its last stages of texturing. You can see some of the in-progress proof-of-concepts and updates below:
We’ve also been adding statues to Episode 3, with some of them depicting the image of a character that some may know as The Shepherd of Wayward Souls:
UI Improvements
As mentioned briefly in the previous update, we have been conducting a UI overhaul. There are more changes to come, in order to get the new graphics added (cursor, quantity, detail, etc), but here’s a look at one of the bigger changes: the Artifact Inventory.
Old Artifact Menu:
New In-Progress Artifact Menu:
Some other quality-of-life changes have included cleaning up the item messages, such as announcing the quantity of a pickup rather than flooding multiple messages to the HUD.
Old:
New:
Extensive work has also been done augmenting the presentation of text in the interface. One major advantage of this will be localization:
In other news…
Aside from new props, UI improvements, and other fixes, tweaks, and polish, here is a look at some of the things we’ve worked on the last two weeks:
LEVELS
E2M1 - The Crystal Dunes - has been thoroughly playtested, and all that remains is balancing items, particularly in secrets, and some bugfixing
E3M1 - Boundary Of The Living - has also been playtested, with a few entity and aesthetic changes made as a result.
BOSS3 map has a finalized layout, with detailing and item placement underway
ENEMIES
Boss 3 has had several expressive, creepy, and sinister animations added, as well as another form of attack
The AI for the Widow was improved with a small but significant bugfix
The Heretic now drops the correct number of Fangs
PROPS & TEXTURES
The Episode 3 Relic circle is now being modeled
A new model has been made for Fang Spitter ammunition, so the visual corresponds with the amount collected
A few more industrial textures have been made for E3M3. Blood and iron!
That’s it for today’s update! We hope you enjoyed these progress images, and we’ll see you in two weeks!
As we refine and detail the rest of the game, Episode 2 is giving way to Episode 3 as our focus. Let’s take a look at two of the work-in-progress maps from that episode:
Wander the temples along the Boundary of the Living
Leaving behind the deserts of the Eventide Wastes, you find yourself traveling deeper into the corrupted realm. Surreal and somber, E3M1 is fully textured, as detail and lighting continue to be adjusted.
Descend into the The Rending Chambers
Corroded metal lies in uncomfortable proximity to blood and tortured flesh. A prison of machinery, E3M3 has new texturing, plus a gameplay pass, and is now being playtested.
In other news…
Aside from E3M1, E3M3 and other fixes, tweaks, and polish, here is a look at some of the things we’ve worked on the last two weeks:
LEVELS
E3M4 - The Crucible of Souls - adding more terrain to “The Lagoon”, and secrets
HUB2 - The Eventide Wastes - extensive terrain has been sculpted and added
HUB3 - The Wretched Domain - is fully blocked out, with item pass completed
BOSS3 map has an expanded layout, with the second phase of combat in prototype
ENEMIES
Boss 3’s animations are being further blocked out and tested, with a particularly dramatic animation for one of his ‘powers’
The Brute movement has been refined to cope better with unusual architecture
PROPS & TEXTURES
The ‘corpse light’ now has a companion fixture; the corpse throne
Concepts for the E3 Relic Circle are underway
The UI has been overhauled, with a new inventory design, and a smoother presentation of text and graphics
OTHER
The Mace does significantly more damage, as an outcome of playtesting
The Mace also now has its own ammunition
Rock gib particles no longer float in water (!) and additional particle effects make the splashes more satisfying
That’s it for today’s update! We hope you enjoyed these progress screenshots, and we’ll see you in two weeks!
Stay tuned for more dev updates.
WRATH bi-weekly update - 3.29.2023
Hello everyone,
Today we'll be taking a look at the progress on two of our maps that are both in their end stages of development. These two maps are a part of Episode 2, namely E2M1, and E2M5. With the first being a temple complex below the dunes of the Eventide Wastes, and the latter being a temple in the skies, we hope you’ll enjoy the latest visual revisions:
Buried beneath The Crystal Dunes…
E2M1 has received its detail pass, which includes trims, texture adjustments, gameplay adjustments, and other polishing detail enhancements. Now that its visuals are complete with a gameplay pass, we’ll be playtesting with QA to check for any other revisions. Take a look at some sections of the Crystal Dunes:
The archive within The Watchtowers
For E2M5, The Watchtowers, we went back in and added thematic scholar prop detailing to the level as you can see with the below screenshot. In addition to more props and reading alcoves, we made some minor terrain adjustments, and a soundpass:
In other news…
Aside from E2M1, E2M5, and other fixes, tweaks, and polish, here is a look at some of the things we’ve worked on the last two weeks:
LEVELS
E3M1 - Boundary of the Living - continues with a detail pass, soundpass, and lighting adjustments
E3M3 - The Rending Chambers - is receiving a texture pass
E3M4 - The Crucible of Souls - added broken bridges and basalt columns to “The Lagoon”, and chains
HUB3 we’re continuing to further expand the blockout’s layout
BOSS3 map, we’re expanding on the layout, and adjusting the first phase of combat
ENEMIES
Boss 2’s visuals are complete, and it is currently being rigged in preparation for animation
Boss 3’s animations are being further blocked out and tested
PROPS & TEXTURES
The “Corpse Light” has a model, and is now being textured
Added E2 Relic Circle
More debris gibs
UI updates
That’s it for today’s update! We hope you enjoyed these progress screenshots, and we’ll see you in two weeks!
Today we'll be taking a look at our progress on E2M2, and one of the artifacts, the powerups in WRATH.
Traverse the Canyons of The Burrows
One of our maps that we’ve been wrapping up recently is E2M2, The Burrows. The map features a large, winding canyon. We’ve shown pieces of the map before, but now you can see in these screenshots some of the canyon itself:
The Flask of Rage
One of the most aggressive powerups in WRATH’s inventory is the Flask Of Rage, a damage multiplier that will let you vent more destruction on enemies than ever before. The visual effect for this powerup has been finalized, and here you can see the weapons smoldering with power:
In other news…
As always, much of the work we’ve done has been fixes, tweaks, and polish. Here is a run down of several of them:
LEVELS
E2M1 has had a last detail pass, adding rougher edges to where the architecture is broken, and trim in places where it isn’t
E2M5 further texture detailing, and soundpass has begun
E3M1 has had a major texture pass, and is now receiving finer details
E3M4 now has a sizeable piece of terrain in its central cavern
E3M5 has received a texture pass, set dressing, and a gameplay pass. It is now ready for playtesting.
BOSS2 map has been expanded to include block-out for an additional area
ENEMIES
Boss 2 is continuing to have its visuals refined as we now test the model in-game.
Boss 3 animations are being blocked out and tested
WEAPONS
The Crystalizer gun has had some tweaks and fixes, to complete its functionality
The Lance has been modified in a small yet significant way, for better balance
PROPS & TEXTURES
There is a switch model now made specifically for Episode 3
New candle variants
More debris gibs
E2 and E3 relics added to the journal art
That’s it for today’s update! We hope you enjoyed seeing a little of what we have been working on, and we look forward to sharing more with you in two weeks' time.
