Hey everyone, I'm Dan, this is my first post after lurking about on the forum for a while, so I figured I'd use it to introduce myself along with my game Kodama. I'm a 3D Artist with a background in film & game, currently designing my own game whilst working on the wonderful A Hat in Time.
So What is Kodama?Kodama is physics based 2D Platformer set in the Genroku period of Japanese history (1868-1704).
Kodama is about Kodama, our tree spirit protagonist, with his mountain forest home burned to the ground, and all the Yokai (spirits, demons,ghosts) hiding in fear, Kodama is sent on a journey by Amaterasu (The Sun goddess) to discover the cause of the darkness and put an end to it.
The 2 below images are ingame screenshots, not concepts.And for anyone wanting to see those 2 images at a higher quality than the forums allow:
http://i.imgur.com/AFcj10j.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/sShJKmh.jpgUpdate 5: A quick video to show some movement going on.Game Mechanics and FeaturesPlayers will have to run, jump, climb, push and pull objects to solve puzzles in order to traverse several unique and challenging environments.
Progressing requires not only Platforming, but also a unique ability to question the objects and world around you and how to use them to your advantage.
The game features no GUI; instead the characters status is depicted by his physical condition bought on by the amount of water or sunlight absorbed.
The game takes place deep within Japanese mythology, creatures of all shapes sizes and purposes will be strewn throughout the areas, Kodama is unable to fight and instead must either use the environment to his advantage or preferably avoid enemies altogether. All enemies, terms and environments will stay as true to their mythological and Shinto origins as possible without hindering gameplay or accessibility. Any users who've played Okami will recognize various Shinto terms and symbols.
So what exactly makes Kodama special?Players must balance Kodamas abilities to absorb water & sunlight as they travel through each stage.
When players enter water they increase Kodamas weight, slowing them down whilst increasing their strength & allowing them to withstand heavy winds.
Players who absorb water can also use it to populate their environment with flora, a technique that enables them to grow the environment & reach new areas.
When a player enters sunlight they it drains Kodama of water, increasing his speed and decreasing their weight, however this makes Kodama weaker and unable to solve physically demanding puzzles.
Crossing a river on a log is a simple as losing some water to stop the log from sinking, but what if the other side of that river contains a boulder that requires you to absorb water to move? What should you do then?
What are these Puzzle you mentioned?:All puzzles throughout Kodama are physics based, requiring the player to use Kodamas various states to push or pull objects, dam rivers (or flood them), move impossible sized boulders, float on winds of fancy or simply play a musical piece with wind and hollow bamboo.
What Engine will the game be made in?Kodama is being programmed in the Unity Engine
FeedbackI welcome any kind of criticism; you can critique the concept work, the ideas, the mechanics, the title, etc. I will consistently post new concepts and screens as time passes by.
I'm looking forward to any kind of criticism, be it visuals, story, mechanics or otherwise, I'm open to all opinions. I'm well aware that due to source material some users may feel a little confused by the story, however the main aspect is gameplay, the story is there but it by no means interrupts the gameplay and ruins the immersion.
Describe the game for me in 1 sentanceLIMBO meets Ooromuramasa & Rayman Legends.
Gameplay wise I'd say think something along the lines of LIMBO, just without that amazing art style and dark tone, Kodama will have some darker areas but nothing to match the magnificence of LIMBO.
The TeamDan Tsukasa as Game Designer, Level Designer, Producer and all that jazz.
Chris Genova as Lead Programmer
Christopher Wilson on Environment Art
Emma-Louise Wakley on character animation.
Zoe Coleman on Composition and SFX.
And now for some Gifs & a piece of concept art, because everyone loves gifs & conceptsI'll share here a few gifs of Kodama himself in 3 of his states, Soaked, Normal and Crispy + an Enemy