Hello, this is WrongTaken.

This winter update focuses on unifying the overall visual style and improving the UI.

Ive also made several changes to combat systems to provide a smoother and more enjoyable combat experience.

And with the Winter Sale, the game is now available at a more affordable priceso I hope youll jump in and give it a try!

Now, lets take a closer look.

Now a Pixel Game

When development first began, the goal was to create a pixel art based action game. However, I later felt that cleaner, sharper graphic assets would provide a more comfortable gameplay experience, which led to the visual style used up until now.

That said, overly sharp and clearly defined enemies and terrain didnt blend well with the background tiles. Unfortunately, I also failed to realize that this visual contrast caused eye fatigue during long play sessions.

After much consideration, all objects have now been pixelated to better harmonize with the background. The art style has also been simplified, allowing players to enjoy longer play sessions more comfortably.

Ongoing UI Improvements

UI updates never truly end.\nWhile the previous update significantly expanded the field of view, some players pointed out that the left and right UI elements lacked visual symmetry, making gameplay feel uncomfortable.

To address this, I put a lot of thought into creating a more symmetrical layout while maximizing information clarity. Although design preferences vary from player to player, I adjusted the UI to reflect some minority feedback while aiming for an experience that satisfies the majority.

If you have any UI-related feedback, please feel free to share it!

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/44820697/f9cfe79462999af71f15e838d467e7b8a74abe89.png\"][/img]

Level System Adjustments

Leveling is a key part of character progression, affecting Bellas stat growth and skill acquisition.\nPreviously, combat would pause every 4 levels, allowing players to gain stat points and skills at the same time. This design was intended to preserve combat flow by limiting interruptions.

However, this approach didnt align well with the roguelike genre. Many players felt disappointed when a level-up effect occurred without any actual character growth, and some wanted brief pauses to consider stat and skill choices based on the current combat situation.

To address this, Ive reworked the system so that Bella always grows with every level-up, as outlined below:

• Skill Acquisition: Every 4 levels Every 3 levels

  [/*]

• Stat Points:

  [list]

• Previously gained every 4 levels

  [/*]

• Now gained on level-ups without skill acquisition

  [/*]

Faster (Literally) Combat

Veteran players may already be cutting down enemies and formidable foes on their way to glorious battles against heroes (hero difficulty was largely inspired by first-release raid bosses from online RPGs).

However, during offline demo showcases, I noticed many players still struggling on the very first stage.

While lowering enemy stats or directly buffing Bella would have been an easy fix, I felt that approach would reduce the enjoyment for skilled players. Instead, I slightly increased Bellas base movement speed.

In an action game where dodging enemy attacks is critical, movement speed has a major impact on balance. Still, this change helps new players adapt more easily, while experienced players can enjoy a faster, more dynamic combat tempo.

Experience a more action-packed Berserk Highright now.

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/44820697/8c666eb23a576f6caf26ccde1ca539ac2b11156d.gif\"][/img]

In Closing

That wraps up this update!\nI hope you have a wonderful holiday season, and Ill be back next year with an even better version of the game.

Thank you for your continued support!

Hello, this is WrongTaken.

With this update, youll now be able to face Frahm, the Keel Breaker.

Frahm is both powerful and cunningso be prepared before you take him on.

In addition, Ive made improvements to UI visibility and adjusted battle balance.

Frahm, the Keel Breaker

If Frahm had displayed all the massive sea monsters he hunted, he could have built a city as vast as modern-day New York. With his skill in slaying thousands of sea beasts, he played a pivotal role in the War against Madness, later sacrificing himself alongside fellow heroes during the Omega Battle to finally end that nightmare.

Now, twisted by madness and sealed away, he still retains his primal ferocity.

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/44820697/8428c72b2f5ee6d079f2cc3cc87eba6a4850d485.png\"][/img]

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/44820697/328ab5368a03503558215193b74401526330771a.png\"][/img]

Frahm is, as of this update, the enemy with the widest variety of techniques:

• From a distance, he will either rush straight into your face or throw a harpoon.

  [/*]

• Up close, hell kick you away or bite down with crushing jaws.

  [/*]

• And for the first time, youll face an opponent that uses an Ultimate Skill.

  [/*]

A deeper strategy will be requiredgood luck, challengers!

UI Updates Continue

After the last UI update, many praised the improved visibility. However, some felt the information layout was cluttered. Looking back, I agreedtoo much information was concentrated in one area.

I carefully studied other games in-game UI layouts and, after much analysis, reworked the design to distribute information more clearly.

Before

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/44820697/f529e82d320e7eccd0d93c8ae9cffec0fccd5b5f.png\"][/img]

After

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/44820697/7d868082e129a89c44f9f3ca82464f0ed6852a6f.png\"][/img]

Along with this, Ive slightly expanded the field of view to match the new layout.

As always, please share your feedback.

Balance Adjustments

Last update focused heavily on Swordforce skills, but that doesnt mean other skill types were perfect.

To highlight each skills strengths and encourage meaningful choices, Ive implemented another round of balance tweaks.

Arts

• Turbulence : Cost 60 50

  [/*]

• Head Splitter : Knockback Damage 40 30

  [/*]

• Surface Slicer : Knockback Damage 12 24

  [/*]

• Kastian Diplomacy : Damage 220% 300%

  [/*]

• X - Cross Saber : Damage 3860% 3680%

  [/*]

• Ascending Dragon : Damage 660% 690% / Cost 90 60

  [/*]

• Berserker Edge : Damage 1310% 1410%

  [/*]

• Cyclone : Damage 1240% 1760% / Acceleration 5 7

  [/*]

• Heavy Stunner : Cooldown 13s 12s

  [/*]

• Skywalker : Damage 8490% 7890% / Cooldown 32s 30s

  [/*]

• Descending Tiger : Damage 1520% 1820% / Cooldown 12s 10s

  [/*]

• Fatal Petals : Damage 1080% 1280% / Cooldown 6s 7s

  [/*]

Magics

• Mana Blade : Damage 50% 100%

  [/*]

• Shockwave : Damage 240% 450% / Cost 115 100

  [/*]

• Ice Totem : Cost 65 50 / Cooldown 21s 16s

  [/*]

• Magma Blade : Damage 10% 20%

  [/*]

• Ground Zero : Damage 3610% 3810% / Knockback Damage 40 100

  [/*]

• Energy Discharge : Damage 1580% 2080% / Cost 110 120

  [/*]

• Sweeping Gale : Damage 420% 670% / Cost 65 80 / Cooldown 10s 9s

  [/*]

• Rock Skewer : Knockback Damage 80 60

  [/*]

• Magnum Sniping : Damage 640% 680%

  [/*]

• Air Blade : Knockback Increase 10% 20%

  [/*]

Swordforces

• Denial : Damage 1130% 1230%

  [/*]

• Patience : Damage 3270% 3470%

  [/*]

• Liberation : Cooldown 60s 40s

  [/*]

Closing

Thats it for this update. Big or small, Ill continue to deliver updates and push this game toward becoming something better.

Thank you, as always!

WrongTaken

Greetings, this is WrongTaken.

Originally, I planned to release a small patch as a follow-up to the previous update. However, due to several core system changes and the resulting balance adjustments, this has evolved into a large-scale patch.

Here are the key changes:

Overkill System

Overkill, a core mechanic of the game, is a system that grants players a chance to face the bossaka the formidableif they eliminate additional enemies even after meeting the stages kill quota.

This gave players two options:

• If you wanted to challenge the formidable, you\'d push past the quota and trigger an Overkill.

  [/*]

• If not, you could simply meet the quota and move on to the next stage.

  [/*]

However, I noticed some players were going for Overkill without intending to fight the formidable. Why? Likely for the bonus EXP. Once the quota was met, enemies would continue to spawn until Overkill was triggered, allowing players to farm additional experience.

That said, skipping the boss battle while farming EXP often resulted in slower character growth. And since regular enemies also provided varying EXP amounts, Overkill became less of a choice and more of an unspoken requirement.

To address this, I\'ve removed the \"additional kill count\" requirement for Overkill.\nNow, simply reaching the stage\'s kill quota will automatically activate Overkill, spawning portals that allow you to either move on to the next stage or challenge the formidable directly.

While the term Overkill might feel a little out of place now, it still fits in the sense that youve taken down more than enough enemies. (At least, that\'s how I like to see it.)

Check out the new portal designs!

• The left portal takes you to the next stage.

  [/*]

• The right portal leads you straight into the fight against the formidable.

  [/*]

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/44820697/fd066f69c54632c5ea45a98d5f0652ce16fd3f7f.gif\"][/img]

Swordforce Overhaul

Swordforce is a unique ability available only to our protagonist, Bella. It allows her to summon golden phantom blades that strike down enemies with swift, elegant force. By landing basic attacks, Bella builds up her Swordforce gauge. Once filled, it generates Swordforce Orbsresources that fuel her powerful Swordforce skills. With extremely short cooldowns, this skill line offers a fast-paced, action-heavy playstyle (which is why Agility stat scales Swordforce damage!).

Swordforce skills also hold massive potential against the formidable. Unlike regular enemies, landing basic attacks on the formidable fills the gauge faster, enabling more frequent use of Swordforce skills. And when the formidable is staggered, Bella can unleash a barrage of these skills with zero restrictions.

Balancing Swordforce has been one of the toughest tasks. If the gauge fills too quickly, bosses go down too easily. If it fills too slowly, the high-tempo gameplay that defines Swordforce is lost.

So, Ive adjusted key elements of the Swordforce systemfine-tuning them without compromising game balance. Here are the changes:

Swordforce System Adjustments

• Max Gauge: 360 160

  [/*]

• Base Gauge Gain per Hit: 45 40

  [/*]

• Gauge Multiplier (vs. Formidable): 2x 1.5x

  [/*]

• Gauge Multiplier (vs. Staggered Formidable): 2x 1x

  [/*]

Skill Adjustments: Swordforces

• Pioneer: Cooldown 0.5s 0.4s / Increased size

  [/*]

• Judgment: Cooldown 1s 0.8s

  [/*]

• Conviction: Cooldown 0.8s 0.7s

  [/*]

• Severance: Cost 4 6

  [/*]

• Exclusion: Damage 300% 520% / Cooldown 1s 0.8s

  [/*]

• Purge: Cooldown 1s 0.8s

  [/*]

• Retribution: Cooldown 1s 0.6s / Increased size

  [/*]

• Propagation: Cooldown 3s 2s

  [/*]

• Fury: Cooldown 9s 15s

  [/*]

• Inhibition: Cooldown 12s 20s

  [/*]

• Defiance: Knockback damage 30 20

  [/*]

• Drive: Damage 960% 880% / Knockback damage 28 20

  [/*]

• Vigor: Damage 520% 600%

  [/*]

• Challenge: Damage 500% 560%

  [/*]

Other Skill Adjustments

Magics

• Ice Totem: Cooldown 24s 21s

  [/*]

• Mana Reflection: Cost 120 100 / Cooldown 6s 5s

  [/*]

• Earthquake: Damage 210% 420% / Cooldown 40s 30s

  [/*]

• Frost Blade: Cooldown 50s 30s

  [/*]

Arts

• Fang Pull: Damage 1980% 2840% / Cooldown 8s 10s

  [/*]

• Jet Stream: Knockback damage 80 90

  [/*]

• Swallow Returns: Damage 100% 200% / Knockback damage 60 40 / Cooldown 10s 6s

  [/*]

While maintaining game balance is important, my top priority will always be creating an enjoyable experience for you, the players. I promise to avoid unnecessary nerfs that take the fun out of the game. Thank you always for your feedback and passion!

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/44820697/e7f962060e23a6a0008ae4f9c49bcb10b0902279.gif\"][/img]

Visual & Effects Improvements

When I first started developing this game, I was inexperienced in almost every way. And while I\'ve grown more skilled and confident over time, there\'s one area where I still feel like I\'m fumbling: aesthetic sense.

If you\'ve been with me since the early versions, you probably remember just how far the UI has come. (It still pains me a little to think of all those hand-made UI assets I scrapped along the way)

But this transformation wouldn\'t have been possible without your passionate feedback. Every improvementevery overhaulwas driven by your voices. And if there\'s anything more you\'d like to see, Ill always be ready to listen with one ear and type with both hands.

That said, some of you mentioned that the game still feels a bit too static or lifeless. So, Ive started giving more attention to visual effects and animations.

In this update, Ive added:

• New Skill selection animations

  [/*]

• Status message popups

  [/*]

• New hit effects

  [/*]

• Low-HP (near-death) visual indicators

  [/*]

And thats just the beginningmany more visual touches and effects are on the way.

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/44820697/88ffcf02f013f4486b17a090c6d4e7b9e47b3e4b.gif\"][/img]

That wraps up this update.

I know this game doesn\'t have a large player baselikely due to my own limitations as a developerbut if even a few of you can enjoy this patch and have fun with it, that alone makes me incredibly happy.

Thank you, always!

Hello, this is WrongTaken.

This patch includes significantly more changes compared to previous updates, so Im reaching out with this detailed announcement.

I have incorporated as much of your valuable feedback as possible from past exhibitions and online surveys.

UI (User Interface)

The game's UI has been completely redesigned.

There was a lot of feedback stating that the visibility of elements like HP, stamina, mana, and swordforce gauges in the old UI was poor.

So I have updated it as shown in the following screenshots.

Before

After

I have reduced the amount of screen space the UI takes up and widened the field of view, allowing players to enjoy a more open and expansive combat experience.

This change is intended to provide a more comfortable and immersive play environment.

If you have any feedback on the new UI, Ill do my best to reflect it in the game.

Difficulty

First of all, I apologize for the previously high level of difficulty.

Since I had a limited number of testers, I personally adjusted the game balance while playing it myself. However, since Im quite familiar with the game, the difficulty settings ended up being too high for new players.

Because of this, many players couldnt complete all the content.

I have now adjusted the overall game difficulty to ensure that new users can also enjoy the game more easily.

Stats

Previously, Bella could use stat points to increase her stats every time she leveled up.

From now on, you will only be able to allocate stat points every 4 levels (e.g., level 4, 8, 12).

The old system contributed to the high difficultyconstantly opening menus to allocate points disrupted immersion, but ignoring it made it hard to keep up with increasingly stronger enemies.

Now, similar to how new skills are unlocked, a pop-up will appear every 4 levels allowing you to allocate stat points.

Additionally, I have reduced Bellas base stats but tripled the scaling efficiency of each stat to increase their overall impact.

Stat Point Acquisition Timing

• Before: Gained on every level up

  [/*]

• Now: Gained every 4 levels

  [/*]

Stat Points per Gain: 3 4

Base Stats Changes

Health: 9 3

Strength: 12 4

Clarity: 7 2

Agility: 11 4

Violence: 9 3

Grit: 11 Removed

(Note: While base stats have been reduced, the effectiveness per point has tripled, so the overall impact is about the same.)

Grit Stat Removed

The "Grit" stat has been removed.

Originally, it was intended to increase armor and poise, offering better HP efficiency and resistance to Dots.

However, its function overlapped too much with the Health stat, and having six different stats ended up confusing players rather than providing meaningful choices.

Items that previously boosted Grit now enhance appropriate defensive attributes (such as Health, HP, or Armor).

Additionally, increasing the Health stat will now also increase armor.

Effect of Increasing Health

• Before: +11 HP

  [/*]

• Now: +33 HP, +1 Armor

  [/*]

Map Structure Changes

Before facing the formidable, many of the stages had too many obstacles and terrain elements, making it hard to deal with multiple enemies.

To address this and balance difficulty, I have removed many of the obstacles that hindered Bellas movement, allowing players to engage in combat more smoothly.

(Some maps have been completely redesigned.)

I have prioritized and updated the most critical elements first, and further UI patches are planned.

I will continue to make regular updates to ensure the game continues to grow and improve for players.

Thank you!

- SteamOS can run this game
- All content can be accessed by using the default controller configuration
- Interface text is legible
- 1280 x 800 resolution

I adjusted ratio of skills for balance. Thanks for your feedback!

-Buff-
Arts
- Head Splitter <-- Cast Speed, Knockback
- Blade Buster <-- Damage, Knockback
- Flash Slasher <-- Damage
- Berserker Edge <-- Damage
- Swallow Returns <-- Knockback, Cooldown
- Fatal Petals <-- Damage

Magics
- Mana Reflection <-- Damage, Cooldown

Swordforces
- Pioneer <-- Damage
- Surge <-- Damage

-Nerf-
Arts
- Head Splitter <-- Cooldown
- Jet Stream <-- Damage
- Skywalker <-- Knockback

Magics
- Mana Reflection <-- Cost

Swordforces
- Purge <-- Cost
- Vigor <-- Knockback
- Challenge <-- Knockback
- Reminiscence <-- Damage, Knockback

I used to launch demo 7 months ago, and now is re-activated.
Feel free to play this free demo game and enjoy!

Thank you!

1. Some enemy's attacks and move speed are adjusted.
2. Character's HP is increased.

Thank you for playing and I am still eyes on feedback!

Please have fun by playing Berserk High!
I put a 20% launch discount on this game for 10 days.
All feedback is welcome in X or Steam Community.
I appreciate your waiting and I hope you get good experience from Berserk High.

Thank you!

First of all, I'd like to thank you whose wishlist or played my first game.
Despite there being thousands of well-made games during Steam Next Fest, choosing my game makes me happy.

Honestly, I'm introverted, so I used to hesitate to register my game on Steam Next Fest. However, promoting to SNSs or communities like Reddit is extremely hard for me, so I registered the 'Berserk High' on Fest rather than social network promotion.

Thanks to all dearest players, my wishlist numbers luckily soared more than I expected after Steam Fest, which makes me confident.
The 'Berserk High' will be upgraded every day, and I hope to watch you enjoy the completed game in the future.
Also, I will use Discord and YouTube soon to share my work progress or communicate with players.

If you want to give me any feedback, please let me know through this page.

Thank you!

From Beginning to main boss, I hope you get interest in my game.

The 'Overkill' is gone, and 'Berserk High' has come. (Only title has changed, not game systems)

There are major graphical upgrades, so landscape in map now looks better. (Enemies who confront Bella also become fancy!)

Now players can fight with the bosses called The Formidable. You must take care of yourself and check your equipment or consumable items for battle with powerful enemy.

There are 2 of the formidable and a hero in Demo. I don't want to suggest you to fight with the hero, however if you are eager to challenge or get thrill, it is up to you.

You can download Demo and play during Steam Next Fest and if you feel difficult with the game, I recommend you to watch Steam streaming service in Steam Next Fest page.

Thank you!

From Beginning to main boss, I hope you get interest in my game.