Hey Guys! Today I want to give you a quick rundown about OUTBUDDIES' world and its gear-based progression system. OUTBUDDIES follows a classic handrafted metroidvania design, that is very much on the Metroid-side of things. Unlike most titles, the Undercity of Bahlam can be explored with high freedom of movement like climbing, crawling and diving right from the start. Btw, unlimited oxygen is included. ;)
As you progress your set of options will expand by discovering four upgradable weapon system as well as five suit upgrades and hacking protocols for your droid. All gear was carefully balanced in terms of combat abilities and has to be used selectively to overcome specific hazards and puzzles. In OUTBUDDIES', grinding mechanics are skipped in total.
Some MV protagonists tend to become quite overpowered towards the endgame, something I really wanted to avoid for the game. Each biome offers a unique set of enemies that need to be approached in specific ways; the game even has an optional stealth system. Players will have to rely on their bare skills and select gear wisely to overcome those challenges.
The map size of OUTBUDDIES can be compared to titles like Super Metroid and Axiom Verge. The game has four main areas, all divided into two sub-areas, as well as various bridging zones and three Wozan colonies, where you can talk to NPC and gather some additional information about the game's world. I'm the dialogue skipper kind of player and Outbuddies reflects that with a clear focus on environmental storytelling.
Our beta testers needed around 15 – 20 hours to complete the game in their first run. Most of the areas are constructed as loops to minimize backtracking as much as possible. Also, some essential sequence breaks are possible to execute for experienced players and I implemented various secret pipes as well as portals that can be unlocked to speed up traversal a lot.
Standing out in the metroidvania genre is not easy at all, but I believe OUTBUDDIES has a special game-feel to it by delivering a certain Nintendo-fanboy cuteness paired with an edgy protagonist and a little Lovecraftian horror vibe. I think a Metroidvania should aim to foster the whole palette of human emotions by delivering daunting challenges while also experiencing the wonder of exploration and making memorable NPC contacts.
The game's core gameplay was crafted to live up to the standards of the genre's most excellent titles and the unique Buddy-feature offers a nice touch without questioning the loved core elements of a classic MV title. In my next post we'll discuss OUTBUDDIES' combat mechanics in detail, so stay tuned.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1083310