The studio The Astronauts, which created the adventure , , that the release of this horror-shooter about witch hunting will most likely take place only in 2020. In the latest update Studio head Adrian Chmielarz, who led the development of the first Painkiller and
Bulletstorm In the first demo, the player found themselves on the shore, where they were attacked by the risen dead Guardians of the Witch. The enemies attacked in waves, each created by fire in the witch totem. Once the flame extinguished, the last, most powerful spell was activated. If the player managed to deal with it, they could move to the next zone.
In the new demo, everything is arranged more complicated. The authors compare its gameplay to a puzzle. From the shore, the player enters a cursed village, where they are ambushed by musketeers, knights, and other witch's minions hiding in various locations. The boss of this area is the Bishop. He unleashes waves of demons on the player, attempting to protect the witch. If the gamer fails to defeat him, he will retreat to a hideout, where the final battle will occur. At this point, the demo ends — the subsequent zones are not yet ready.
The developers complete the second demo in 15 minutes. According to Chmielarz, the average user may take several hours to do this, while speedrunning will take between 6 to 10 minutes. The level is linear, but in the final game, he promises, the structure will be more complex.
Developers complete the second demo in 15 minutes. According to Khmeliaz, an average user may take several hours, while a quick walkthrough will take between 6 to 10 minutes. The level is linear, but he promises that the structure will be more complex in the final game.
Overall, the creators are satisfied with how the second demo turned out. During its development, they learned how to structure the entire game, as well as figured out details regarding weapons, spells, talismans, and characteristics. However, some elements are not functioning as the developers would like. This includes the alert system for approaching enemies that are outside the player's line of sight (for example, if the enemy is behind the player). Such features are rarely found in games, as noted by Khmeliaz, which led to difficulties. The gameplay turned out to be 'engaging and hardcore', 'unlike anything else', but balance, AI, and the enemy spawn system need improvements.
The developers plan to create a third demo version, but players are unlikely to see it either. The manager describes such demos not as goals, but as 'by-products' of development that help them determine their work direction and test various systems.
The events of Witchfire take place in a fantastical world reminiscent of the late 19th century. The authors emphasize that this is not steampunk, categorizing the game as 'Victorian fantasy' (gaslamp fantasy). The shooter is partly inspired by the Souls series (how it resembles and does not resemble those games in terms of game design, Khmeliaz explained in ) and the Destiny duology (from Bungie, they some 'non-obvious' design decisions). Apparently, it will indeed be hardcore: friends of the developers who tried the demo admitted that it is 'very difficult' to play. Witchfire focuses on action and skill improvement — there will be no elaborate story or in-engine cutscenes.
Witchfire is being developed by nine people. At the end of last year, the team consisted of eight specialists, and even then, Khmeliaz noted that they did not plan to expand it. Currently, Witchfire is only announced for PC.
Source: 3dnews.ru
