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[Deano_27]

UPDATE (19/12/2018):

ASCENT: Crash Landing has finally been released on Steam! Just over 2 years of work now wrapped up

https://store.steampowered.com/app/932790/ASCENT_Crash_Landing/

Trailer:




More content planned for the future!

Created in UE4.
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Thanks!


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Hello,

We have just finished our first gameplay demo for ASCENT, a platformer inspired by games such as Crash Bandicoot and Spyro.

ASCENT features two stranded heroes, Bluu and Blip, who must ascend a gigantic tree to escape an alien world. Encountering a ruthless species known as the Aphids, along with the aggressive wildlife of the mysterious planet, this makes for a dangerous and lengthy journey.

Here is the gameplay





https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qt2UOQOHmMg

Any thoughts and feedback much appreciated!

Many thanks

[modding]

The game looks great . He was waiting for a game like this. I 'll follow you

[Deano_27]

Thank you, glad you like it :D

Yes please do!

[GertyGame]

Crash Bandicoot and Spyro were my favourite PS games when I was a kid. Really nostalgic to see a project like this that actually looks decent.

Hard to give good feedback without actually playing it, but from the video I could say that collecting the shiny bits could be done like the gems in Spyro. That you just walk near them and they fly to you. That way the process of collecting might be more pleasing for the player.

Also the animation when you rise up from the water looks like it might become really irritating if there is a lot of swimming  in the game or in some levels. I mean it looks good, but since it stops the character in place for the duration of animation, it also stops the action.

Anyhow looking forward to see and hear more about this. Is there a playable demo coming?

[Deano_27]

Thanks! That's really nice to hear, I'm going for that nostalgic 90's feel

Sure, I'm looking to work on the second part of the demo and then maybe releasing it. Apart from the music, I am the only person working on the game, so it'll take some time, but I'm determined to get it done!

Yeah the collectibles are something I want to improve. Will be looking at making them do what the gems do in Spyro. As for the swimming that's something I want to make more fluid, especially when getting back on your feet.

There should be something coming either the end of Summer/start of Autumn.

There's also plenty more on the YouTube channel so don't forget to check that out! :D

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-qShd1Qe2r7NY7E1PGuJbA

[Deano_27]

Hi all,

Here is the latest preview for our 3D platform game ASCENT:





Feedback welcome!

Thanks.

Dean

[Frogs_Milk]

Nice. Always was a fan of Spyro-esque and Bandicootish gameplay/aesthetics.

[Deano_27]

Thank you Glad you like it!

[FrostyChao]

Hello!

First off, the background objects and scenario are very nice! And I like the details such as the footprints on the sand.

- I was a hardcore fan of ripto's rage (spyro 2), which got me curious: What kinds of different moves are you planning to give Bluu? Also, will Blip play a part of the core gameplay or serve more as a "zelda fairy" just talking and giving tips? Will the collectables serve as currency in the game world?

- I don't know if it served as inspiration as well, but the game also reminded me of the Ratchet and Clank series.

- Also, I agree with GertyGame on the collectibles flying to you. On this topic, maybe you could also have the particles effects fade out instead of just disappearing when they're done. The same could be done with enemies. I'm not sure if it will look good, but it's worth a try. About the enemies, I think the death animation could be a tad faster as well, as generally speaking no one will wait for the enemy to disappear to move on.

- The soundtrack is pretty cool.

Good luck to you, I'll keep checking for updates. Looks good so far!

[Deano_27]

Hi

Thank you, glad you like it! Trying to put little touches like that in here and there.

I played the Spyro trilogy last year and it really helped to inspire our game, they really are a great set of games! Bluu's spin attack will be standard but collecting Sparks (the blue shiny orbs) in the game will unlock new abilities for Bluu and Blip (other moves that still need to be decided, higher jump, more powerful spin etc.) The Sparks also unlock new areas similar to Spyro too.

Blip will be an optional 2nd player as I will be implementing split screen co-op at some point. This should be a drop-in drop-out feature a bit like Rayman Origins. In answer to your question, yes he acts a bit like a guide throughout and will have different abilities to Bluu.

Sure, the flying collectibles would be a good feature to implement. I've had other people say it reminds them of Ratchet & Clank too

The composers have definitely done a great job matching the soundtrack to the world :D

Many thanks for your comments!

[io3 creations]

Looks nice.  I like the "smooth" cartoony style.

I agree, getting out of water takes too much time and it should be (almost) instantaneous to keep the gameplay momentum going.   Perhaps if you have a ladder or actual ledge then it's fine if the character takes a little longer.

I also agree that it'd be nice if nearby collectibles automatically moved to you.  Some games use an upgrade-able "magnet" skill/ability that extends the magnet's reach.  That could be useful for some games if it fits the gameplay and upgrade system.

[Deano_27]

Thank you

We did fix the water animation in the second play-through video, so now he just slides out and gets up rather than stopping

That's a nice idea! I like the concept of unlocking/upgrading a magnet system, will have to give it a go.

Thanks for your feedback!

[Deano_27]

Here's our latest level preview:





Video URL Here: https://youtu.be/IV4XM5kmGU0?list=PLb1o7ZVtDTgVC5eRAzw5zYej29Zg0P79-

Hope you guys like it! All feedback welcome

[io3 creations]

In general, if you add clickable links to a video then it's also good to display the url (or the id for social media websites).  If someone watches the video embedded outside of YouTube (e.g. here) then they won't see the links in the description and the clickable links may not be available either.

[Deano_27]

Ok thanks for the tip, I'll make sure to update my post

[io3 creations]

Oh, actually, I was referring to the Twitter, Facebook, etc links at the end of the video.  Watching the embedded video seems to be fine but I've seen a few blogs where people also post the video url (YouTube/Vimeo) separately.

[Deano_27]

Ah I see, I haven't put any clickable links on them logos yet. Maybe I should though ha! :p

[Deano_27]

Here is our latest demo gameplay from the level 'Polar Pathway':





All feedback appreciated

Thanks!

[Deano_27]

We're getting closer to completing the demo for our platform game ASCENT.

Here is our latest video:





We are now working on a split-screen co-op level which is progressing nicely

[jctwood]

Yeah splitscreen co-op is very fun! Look forward to seeing more.