We are finally on the home stretch! Time Hacker is coming out very soon in Early Access!
A lot has happened since our last dev diary. For eight months now we have been polishing the game towards its best possible version. For us, our games like children: you put your best into them, then (anxiously) watch with pride as they thrive in the world.
We spent a great deal of time searching for the best implementation of the game. We tested various hypotheses and looked for the best solutions. When it came to the mechanics, for example, we tried many options and performed dozens of tests. We received a lot of great feedback from the two open betas we released, so we want to say a big thank you to everyone who participated. You really helped us bring this game to where it is now!
Many of you know that as this game has developed, it’s name has changed several times. To be honest, we got a little confused ourselves! It started with the name "Revenge," then we moved on to Change Ranger, a name we thought was more descriptive. We liked Change Ranger, but eventually we realized that it did not characterize the game accurately enough, nor could it convey the game’s atmosphere sufficiently. We listened to the community and finally settled on the perfect name for the game: “Time Hacker.” We promise, we will not change the name again! :)
Moving on, we made rather comprehensive changes to the core mechanics of the game. When you play Time Hacker now, you’ll be surprised at how different it is from the Change Ranger demo. Character posing, movement, and time freezing mechanics have all changed significantly. The result is that playing the game now feels more dangerous and exciting. The new mechanics also unlock a much greater sense of interaction with the game environment. No matter how much we describe the changes, we won't be able to convey the feeling of the game. You should try it by yourself!
In terms of the in-game characters, we’ve replaced the original human-like characters with more ambiguous gold and aluminium colored bots. We’ve done this to ensure the game remains free of potential discriminatory insinuations.
However, please rest assured that the enemies are still very realistic in their own way. To achieve this, we recorded motion-capture character animations. Enemies will attack you dynamically and relentlessly. Here’s a video demonstration:
For the Early Access release, we have not yet managed to integrate a storyline for the game. We have, however, included bits and pieces of plot background in the hopes you will speculate on what is to come. We plan to integrate a complete storyline for the Full Release.
As for the structure of the game, we’ve redesigned the logic of the levels and divided the scenes into splints, easy levels, and difficult levels. Obviously, the difficulty of the levels will increase as you progress through the game. You will have to come up with more and more sophisticated methods of making it to the next level. You will definitely need to be clever!
We are now in the final stages of development! We're currently working on sounds, menu interfaces, and a final polishing of the levels.
This project means a lot to us. We put a great deal of effort into the creation of Time Hacker and we hope that as you play the game, you will be able to feel the love we put into it.
Thank you,
Joy Way Team