Devlog #6 14.09.21

Brief introduction

This is the last devlog of this game jam, so I'll try to debrief my experience.

Game and level design

Metroid Engineer is my first metroid vania, it was very interesting to discover this genre and to study the different codes and major titles in order to reappropriate the genre and create a new video game experience. I tried to make the experience as interesting as possible with a low number of game mechanics and easy to learn controls. The lore deserves to be more developed as it would give meaning to the level design which was designed to make the player want to wander around and get lost in the corridors looking for the precious repair materials.

Development

I used GameMaker Studio 2 to make Metroid Engineer, which allowed me to deepen some concepts while consolidating my knowledge of GML (the engine language). Throughout the development I tried to keep a clean organization of my assets and code. Luckily I encountered very few major bugs so development was very smooth and I was able to complete 100% of my to-do list! (hence the importance of having a scalable and not too big scope)

Art

The art aspect was the biggest challenge of the jam, both in terms of graphic and sound assets. The construction of this AD was not easy to achieve and I ended up opting for clean and easy to identify geometric shapes. I then created a UI and FX in harmony. The final render is interesting but in my opinion it lacks detail and variation in the FX (almost all made with the GMS2 particle system). As for the sound effects, I tried to find sounds that match the AD as much as possible but it's really hard to find something convincing on the internet.

Conclusion

To finish, it was a very good experience and I'm satisfied with the work produced, I don't plan to continue working on the project but with a richer story it could consist of many different levels to tell the hero's story. I am waiting for your feedback on the game and this devlog, a first experience for me. On that note...

Enjoy the game!