For the past year or so, I've been mentioning my work and future plans for new releases, developing those ideas on my own before I'm confident enough to show it to the public. If you've been following my Twitter account, you'd know that I've been sharing screenshots of a new fantasy/sci-fi action game called Iron Reckoning. You may have also seen some early footage in an announcement trailer, or caught the process of my character modeling in a timelapse video on my channel. In my discussions here on the forums and around the internet, you'd probably know that the goal is to further continue my storytelling style from BOP while continuing to improve my artwork and programming way beyond what I could accomplish 2 years ago. So with all of that practice in mind, all of those hints/vague discussions out there, I'm happy to announce that Iron Reckoning will be releasing in early November 2020, for PC, Mac, and Linux! You can check out the Steam page and wishlist it using the link below if you're interested :) https://store.steampowered.com/app/1281920/Iron_Reckoning/
I'd like to once again thank all of you for supporting me and playing Burden of Proof! It means everything to me that I was able to have an impact on your life and entertain by telling my stories. I'm confident that fans of BOP will find something to enjoy in Iron Reckoning, whether it be a story experience, character design, music--it's all evolved from the way I've liked to make games in the past. And I will continue to improve as I learn even more from this development and pursue more ideas down the road. My approach to game design is somewhat counter-intuitive when compared to other indies. Other game makers at my scale will often tend to find unique tricks and workarounds to the resource problem. i.e. super unique game mechanics that challenge AAA ideas while offering a smaller production that entertains nonetheless. While I would say that Iron Reckoning (and most of my future ideas) have unique game mechanics/gameplay ideas to focus on, the core experience is meant to imitate that of a AAA title, even if a majority of the art/content is not able to match what a larger studio could accomplish. Why? Because I appreciate the AAA mentality; giving the player something expected (gameplay wise) without giving them a total repeat of what they've seen before. My angle is that I believe we can put a little more imagination into big blockbuster titles. That's why I aim to tell my own stories with my own unique gameplay ideas, while wrapping it in an easily accessible experience that anyone can get into.
But let's bring it back to the here and now: Iron Reckoning. This is a fantasy/sci-fi themed adventure that follows a warrior called Jaena as she attempts to reclaim lost territory from an army of machines. The gameplay experience revolves around a unique ability called Bladerush, which allows you to soar through the air towards a thrown weapon. This ability allows you to explore the levels vertically, rapidly reposition yourself in combat, and dodge projectiles and enemy attacks with a burst of speed. Your main form of attack is wielding Jaena's broadsword--the Claymore V. Understanding the attack combo is key in taking down hordes of enemies and creating your own strategies during battle. You can also wield offensive magic, which costs mana resources. Managing this meter is important, as it also is affected by Bladerush and your ability to air-dodge.
In BOP, I told the story through a VN system. Here, I have opted for real-time cutscenes, all custom animated with keyframed camera motion, and fully voice-acted. It's a huge step up in quality from BOP, and a huge advancement in technology for me, as I had to consider quite a few mechanics in terms of programming and make a lot of content for cutscene animation. But the results are certainly worthwhile for a game like this.
The highlight of these cutscenes has to be the realization of the game's main antagonist, Nomad. An incredible performance by the skilled Thomas Cuba has really brought this character to life, and added a huge amount of depth to the story. It was a blast developing Nomad's design, his speech patterns, recording with Thomas, and crafting the way Nomad moves and responds to Jaena. By the way, you can hear a lovely sample of his performance in Iron Reckoning's new Story Trailer! Definitely look forward to the full game and performance, I'm certain you can appreciate the character and the hard work that went into crafting a believable villain.
That's all I'll say for now! The game is shaping up with development heading into "content-complete" territory for October. Most of what remains is polishing up what I have and fitting as many extra ideas into it as I can, while promoting the title and getting ready for release. I'm hoping that if you've played BOP you will check out Iron Reckoning and give it a shot! This is by far the biggest game I've ever worked on in terms of scope, and I'm hoping you can enjoy what I've put together for everyone to try out.
Once again, you can check out the new game here. Wishlisting really helps to gain visibility and keep everyone up to date on sales/release! So it would really mean a lot if you could help IR and bump up those numbers :) You can always follow my progress on Twitter, and shoot me a message if you have any questions. In October I'll be announcing a more exact release date, along with yet another new trailer, so keep your eyes open and look forward to the completion of this new project! Thanks for playing my games and supporting my work! -Matt