A short intro level has been added, and a healthbar in Classic mode - Thanks for the feedback! A new demo is live - intro level Small performance improvements and bug fixes

[ 2023-11-21 14:37:19 CET ] [ Original post ]

First, thank you all for your awesome feedback! As some of you know, this is my dream project for a couple of years now, and also my first released game. So I appreciate all the feedback I can get from you all, to make this game as good as possible. I've heard your feedback, did the work and now I have a lot of new improvements for you all to enjoy! A lot now, and more to come later! So let's get into it - what's new?

PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENTS!

A very nasty bug was discovered - one that chocked the graphic card on a lot of computers, making the game run slower that it should have (and caused some other issues as well). A lot of work was done to address the issue, and I'm happy to say the game runs a lot better now. As a quick note, the game engine uses some newer tech that doesn't run too well on older GPUs. The 5th gen. Intel iris for example (launched in 2009 / 14 years ago) can run the game, but not very smoothly. On newer hardware, it works awesome, and a lot more people can now enjoy the game even more!

CHARACTER MOBILITY

Originally I imagined the gameplay as being focused on building and managing momentum (inspired by Super Mario Bors, and Sonic) so part of the challenge was the slow building and decreasing of speed, and you had to decide when to accelerate, when to let go of the acceleration, and when to "hit the brakes". Working on the game for a couple of years I was very used to this system, but as it turns out, some players hated it with a passion, and found the game unplayable because of it. So I made a couple of adjustments and now we have a better balance between the original vision and player feedback. The default sword / skin for Vlad - Red Dracula with Ottoman Kilij sword - is more balanced now, not the stiffest movement, and not too much slide, just enough to get the players comfortable with the game. If you choose the hardcore mode you have more mobility options to choose from, each sword offers a different experience. Choose the Hungarian Pallos sword for the most stiffness if that's what you enjoy, or the Persian Saber sword for the most "slide" - which is the closest to the initial vision - slowly building and managing momentum. Or choose any other sword in between, you have 5 swords to choose from, so you can finish the game 5 times and have a different experience every time - if that's what you want. The other playable characters, Dracula's spy (level 2) and the Wallachian Captain Tudor (level 4) handle a little bit different as well, so you will have a fresh experience from level to level!

A NEW LEVEL HAS BEEN ADDED TO THE GAME!

If you play the Hardcore mode, you know there are 5 short sub-levels where the enemies are introduces and you get to know them, and then there is a 6th sub-level, three times longer and harder, that puts everything you learned to the test, after which you get to fight the boss. Level 5 has been added to the game, and this one is a bit longer, you have 6 short sub-levels, where you play either with Dracula or with one of his knights, and in the 7th sub-level you play with Dracula and his knights - but the difficulty ramps up a notch. That's definitely my favorite level - but if you want to skip the long and more challenging levels you can choose the easier mode (but you're missing out on some awesome fights!). Also I really love the level 5 boss - you will definitely know him! Read the short story in the world map section if you want some interesting details about him, or the in-game "Manual" inspired by Famicom / NES physical games manuals (as kids we used to trade / borrow each other's famicom games, but we had no manuals. This in-game manual is a "love letter" to the old physical manuals and it's included in the game so nobody will lose it).

OTHER IMPROVEMENTS

A lot of small improvements had been made. First, the "extra life" was removed from the easier difficulty because it doesn't work well with the game / level design. In the easier mode you only play short sub-levels so you don't really need an extra life in each sub-level. It would had made a lot more sense in the longer levels that really demand all your focus, but you skip those levels in the easier mode, so it basically just encourages you to play sloppy and that doesn't end up being a very entertaining experience. The whole point of the game was to be a little tactical, to feel threaten, but with a little courage and focus to overcome all obstacles - and the extra life in short sub-levels makes no sense, it just ruins that core experience the game was designed for. Among other improvements, the first sub-level in each level is a bit easier now (less punishing), it gives you a bit more space to get used to the new playable character. You now have a little more control over the jump - after landing the character doesn't automatically jump if you didn't release the jump button in the air (some of you experienced unintentional jumps because of this). Also a second control layout has been added both for the controllers and for the keyboard. Some of you were used to the [A] Controller Button for jump and requested this - so it's here, and I hope you have more fun now! (If you want more gamepad customizations know that steam offers you a lot more flexibility - check the settings button in each game from your steam library - you get support for more controllers and you can customize each controller after your own liking). You will also find a redesigned menu system among other smaller improvements. Also the full price of the game was lowered by $1 or 12.5% (from $8 to $7), and the free demo has also been updated!

FEEL FREE TO SHARE YOUR FEEDBACK!

As I said, this is my dream project so I do want you to enjoy it as much as possible. I still have a lot to learn (this being my first game) so I'm open to feedback, and I would definitely like to improve the game even more, in the next updates. Feel free to let me know what you think about the game, what you would like to see more of - it helps me make better games (and speaking of that, check the More Games section in Main menu to see the other projects I'm working on - you might like them!).

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THIS GAME!

Thank you for supporting independent game developers like myself, who want to build something beautiful out of passion. I hope you have a great time playing the game! All the best! Tiberius

[ 2023-10-30 17:36:14 CET ] [ Original post ]

The root of the performance issue has been identified. This is a quick update addressing the issue. More improvements are planned in the future. Also a few minor bugs had been fixed The character control for Dracula (Red skin / Ottoman Kilij sword) had been updated after the player feedback. More adjustments are planned in the future.

[ 2023-10-12 08:38:08 CET ] [ Original post ]

Some players experienced unjustified performance issues or malfunction of the app, that might be caused by the antivirus or Windows firewall blocking the app from functioning properly. If you experience such issues, please make sure you add an exception for the game to the firewall, and maybe disable the antivirus while you play the game. The game engine uses chrome, and that might cause some issues and suspicions with the antivirus.

[ 2023-10-07 06:20:58 CET ] [ Original post ]

Quite a few players were having too much difficulty controlling the characters, they didn't like the sliding, so it was addressed in this quick fix. More polish will come later (feel free to send me your feedback, for future adjustments). Players also reported some other bugs - thank you for reporting, I will address them in future updates. Thank you!

[ 2023-10-05 17:13:15 CET ] [ Original post ]

The wonderful moment has finally arrived, on this beautiful day of October 2nd, 2023! After years of hard work, long hours, tears and sacrifices, this new game is finally born into the world, ready to bring joy and beauty into many lives for decades to come. A small dent has been put out in the universe, something dark and beautiful, a little spark of (de)light, ready to be enjoyedfor generations to come. And we get to be part of its journey, we were there the moment it was born. It was neither huge, nor perfect, but it was beautiful in its own dark and twisted way. Thank you all for following its journey, thank you for testing the multiple unfinished and painful iterations, thank you for sharing your feedback in these last three years, to make the game better. I managed to implement a lot from your feedback, but there is a lot more that I would like to do in future updates. So feel free to speak your mind about the game, let me know what you think about, share your impressions and feedback - those are very valuable to me because I want to improve this game, and all my future games after this. So feel free to speak your mind and let me know what you think about the game! For those who stood by and waited for the game for such a long time, and were always ready to support the project, I decide to offer the biggest launch discount that Steam allows: 40%. After this, during sale events, the game will be sold with a 25-35% discount for about a year or two. So Im glad to say that the best deal is offered to those who supported the game from the beginning. Thank you for your support during these years!

Tiberius

[ 2023-10-02 16:03:31 CET ] [ Original post ]

After three years of working on the game, refining the concept over and over after player feedback, rebuilding everything from scratch (three times over), we finally have a game ready to be shipped and enjoyed by fans of the Classicvania genre! It's obviously not perfect, a lot of things can be improved, and are planned to be improved in future updates, but we have an awesome game for you! The full price is $8 (or $7.99 to be precise), to make it more affordable for most people, but it will launch with a 30% discount (so around $5.6) to reward the early adopters. I plan to offer the same 30% discount (+/- 5%) during Steam sales, and I plan to keep the same price for about 1-2 years. So if you're interested in the game, I encourage you to get it at launch, or during Sales events with this 30% discount, if you don't want to wait 1-2 years or more for a more significant occasional discount. (It's already affordable, don't wait 3 more years to save and extra $0.8, when you can play it now!) I would like to know what you think about it, so I encourage you to write a review, and let me know what you like / dislike about the game, so I can improve it in future updates, and make better games next time! If you enjoy these types of games, please buy the game and spread the news! I wish you all the best! Tiberius

[ 2023-09-03 08:52:21 CET ] [ Original post ]

• Almost all code has been rewritten
• New graphics
• New Story with a strong emphasis on plot, character development arch, and logical motivations and conflict points, all wrapped up in the medieval context surrounding the first ascension to the throne of Vlad Tepes Dracula. It's a very carefully structured plot, not just random lore to bore you for no reason.
• Select your main sword / outfit from the beginning. It affects your stats, so a different experience with each sword. You have 5 swords to choose from, so a replay value of 5x.
• I included an "in-game Manual" you might want to check it out (there is something interesting there).
• You get to play level 1 (out of 4 levels in the final version), so 25% of the game for free.
• The difficulty has been toned down a little (especially in the first level), but there is still a challenge.
• Steam page redesign, with new Trailer, new Gameplay video, new screenshots, new descriptions.

The new revised version of the (full game) can be summarized as following:A short, hard-core, tactical, story driven Classicvania with a Deathmatch spin (instant death-infinite respawn) where you play as Vlad Tepes, the historical Dracula, the Voievode (warlord) of medieval Wallachia. 4 Levels, 4 bosses, 6 Playable characters, aprox. 1h of gameplay. Try it out, let me know what you think about it!

[ 2023-07-12 15:45:19 CET ] [ Original post ]

DEMO 2.0

[olist]

Multiple Playable Characters

New Levels

New Graphics

Casual Mode / Pro Mode

Sword Pick-ups for Vlad

Skin Pick-ups for Vlad [/olist]

[ 2022-05-13 15:04:26 CET ] [ Original post ]

Demo update 1.4

- Dueling mode replaces "turn" button. Now, by default, the character turns, and if you want to lock the direction you're facing to engage in duels, toggle the dueling button. - The "Casual" mode was too brutal for many players, so in this demo it's going to be renamed as "Pro" mode. Meaning that in the full game the casual mode will be easier, than what's in this demo. - The default "Pro" mode comes with a different skin for Dracula. - Smoother movement. - Improved death mechanic. Now it's more clear when you get hit (why you died) - Other minor adjustments. There are a couple of small bugs left unfixed in the demo, but if they are not game braking, I would rather invest my time in the next build. If you find something game braking, please let me know. Thank you all for the feedback thus far. Happy Holidays everyone!

[ 2021-12-20 08:54:05 CET ] [ Original post ]

- Faster character movement - Faster attack speed - Better jumps - Less repetitive music - Better enemy and weapon placement - More ammo (Also the cave level has been deleted. It came from the prototype where it was used for testing bats and cave graphics, so the level design was not representative for the game, it was just a draft, and people found it very frustrating. So the red spearman level ends the demo). The feedback was consistent about those issues, so here they are. Try them out if you want, and leave feedback for further improvements, if you choose. I would appreciate it. (Not everything is going to be implemented in the demo, some will come in the full game only). Have fun, and have a great day!

[ 2021-12-03 16:03:10 CET ] [ Original post ]

First of all, I would like to thank you all for the feedback, I greatly appreciate you took the time to test the demo and share your impressions, feedback and suggestions with me. It's important for me to improve this game, and also to make sure that I clearly communicate to you what this game is and what it's not, so I don't set the wrong expectation.

Demo update 1.1.

After the first round of feedback, a few small things had been changed.

1. Game Perspective

A new screen has been added at the start of the demo, to clearly communicate the games vision, to put the demo in the right perspective. I received some feedback and suggestion that, if implemented, would transform the game into a Castlevania clone. I do agree that a lot of those things would create a great game, but I dont want to clone Casltevania, I want this game to be inspired by Castlevania in some aspects, but to have its own separate identity. So in that first screen there are some details about the general design of the game, the level structure and main mechanics, so basically how this game is different from Castlevania.

The jump button on the Xbox Controller has been assigned to the A button

Some of you really wanted this feature, so here it is. Its a quick fix, but in the full version I would like to build a menu for customising the controls. But until then, I hope you enjoy the demo more this way.

A little help for the most brutal jumps

The run speed had been very slightly increased to help a bit with the most frustrating jumps. Among the suggestions received, there was one about increasing the character's movement speed. I tried that, but the game started to feel more like a ninja game, and less like a Dracula game that I was aiming for. The fast-paced action doesnt work well with the core game design: tactical approach, action-puzzle rather than fast-paced action. And of course it doesnt work well with the theme, if you have a hyperactive ninja Dracula you dont lean towards horror theme, but rather towards SF, action or comedy. It would work great for a Dracula in light-hearted Hotel Transylvania game, or in a very intense action / fighting game, but it doesnt fit well with this games vision. Also If the speed was moderately increased, all the levels would have to be redesigned to accommodate for the change. A faster speed means a longer jump, so no jump in the game would still be a challenge for the player. The same is true for the disappearing platforms. They become meaningless, boring and repetitive tasks, and it feels like they were placed there to artificially extend the gameplay with ridiculous tasks (its as entertaining as sending the most epic geared up warrior to gather 10 mushrooms in the forest - kind of tasks).So the speed increase didnt work well with the game and had to be abandoned. I also received some feedback about the clunky movement, so the solution to that would be to add some acceleration / deceleration. I tried it, but the game became even harder, because it slows you down in the most crucial moments, when the enemy wants to hit you, and you try to step back to dodge the attack, but find yourself move ridiculously slow, because Vlad needs to gather momentum to run away from certain death. It feels very unfair, so it needed to be abandoned too.

The difficulty had been decreased slightly in the third level

As I understood from the feedback, some players couldnt get pass that third level (the one with the red spearmen) even after an hour of play, so one tough enemy (a yellow soldier) had been replaced with a weaker one, and the Rondel dagger has been added to the level. The Rondel dagger was used in medieval times to pierce knight armour, so in the game is as strong as the small throwing axe, but it straight trajectory gives you more control over it. It costs more ammo, so some ammo has been added to the level. I hope more people can reach the cave level now, that is the last level in the demo. An interesting suggestion from the feedback, to tone down the difficulty, was a health bar / multiple lives. I thought it was very interesting, and I tried it. But what happened was that every time I met a challenge I couldnt overcome in the first couple of seconds, I was tempted to sacrifice a life to get by. That approach works against the core idea of the game, the tactical approach becomes meaningless, and if you dont learn to properly overcome the challenges in the small safe environment (the small levels), the longer harder levels will not be anything but frustration. But if you learn to deal with the challenges properly, and you begin to anticipate the patterns, the timing and trajectories, the long hard levels become very intense and entertaining. And of course, I can't have the great Lord Vlad the Impaler Dracula, the Voievod of Wallachia taking a beating from a peasant, just to get by. (That insolent fool needs to be properly impaled for his defiance). So yes, the idea of a life bar / multiple lives had been abandoned, and a better approach for this game, would be to give the player better weapons to face the enemies head on, on equal level. And of course, help the player a little with the level design and enemy placement, but there still needs to be some challenge. This should be fine-tuned in the full game.

Small bug fixes

Also, a couple of bugs just discovered had been fixed, and a couple of minor details had been adjusted. _____ So this is the Demo update 1.1, a quick fix and some clarifications that hopefully will result in you having more fun with the demo. So give it a try if you want, and leave me a feedback if you so choose, I find them very useful, and I thank you all for taking the time to write them. Have a great day, and a great weekend!

[ 2021-11-26 15:00:59 CET ] [ Original post ]

It's been brought to my attention that some players spend more time playing the demo than I was initially expecting, and because of this, the song used as soundtrack (about 3 min long) was becoming too repetitive. (Thank you Sergiu for the feedback!). This update adds 2 more songs, and reorganizes the whole soundtrack. The song that used to play in the main menu (Enter Dracula / Dracula's Theme) becomes the chorus, and the other 3 songs (The craving,Restless andUnreachable) become "stanzas" in the new compilation of songs (Dracula: Rise of the Impaler) which is about 17 min long, and it loops. (Also, a couple of small bugs, just discovered, had been fixed). Now,with the new soundtrack,I hope you enjoy the demo more. All the best!

[ 2021-11-14 20:53:12 CET ] [ Original post ]

The demo just release is a proof of concept that allows you, the player, to experience the core gameplay, and it allows me, the developer, to get valuable feedback, so I can make the proper adjustments to the foundation of the game, before adding more and more content. So, if you enjoyed playing Castlevania 1/3, I would really like to hear your first impressions or feedback for this game. If you want to share what you like or dont like about it, feel free to write here about your experience and impression, or, if you prefer, you can use email me at dev.vvdracula@gmail.com - the email is great for more detailed feedback and conversations. If youre not a Castlevania fan, your first impressions and feedback are also valuable, but know that the game direction is already set, and Im looking for fine-tuning, not radical departures. Thanks in advance for sharing your first impressions and feedback, if you like the game please add it to your wishlist (it helps a lot), and please share it with whoever might be interested, the more interested people, the more Im going to invest in the game. Thanks for your help, I cant wait to hear your impressions. All the best!

[ 2021-11-11 17:21:28 CET ] [ Original post ]

First Demo, available now!

This demo includes: 7 enemy types, 4 small levels, 3 secondary weapons, 1 game mode (casual) with the first character skin (red Dracula). This demo is a proof of concept, it allows you to experience the core gameplay and asks for your feedback. The objective here is to listen very carefully to your first impressions and feedback, and test if the initial vision of the game was executed properly in the core gameplay; if the vision came across as intended. The target audience here is the NES era Castlevania fan. So if you enjoyed those games, Im really interested of what youre enjoying / not enjoying, what do you think about the core concept here. The goal is not to remake Castlevania with a different skin, but to create a new game, that offers a similar experience to people who want to enjoy it. If youre not a Castlevania fan, your first impressions and feedback are also valuable, but know that the game direction is already set, and Im looking for fine-tuning, not radical departures. You can send your first impressions and feedback through email (dev.vvdracula@gmail.com) or you can use the Community Hub here on Steam. Im waiting to hear from you! Have fun!

[ 2021-11-10 22:39:55 CET ] [ Original post ]