v2.0
- Technical overhaul, the game is broadly restructured to focus on rendering at 1080p.
-- Added multiple resolution options, from the original 576p to a full 4K.
--- The game still internally renders at 1080p, but it can at least scale to higher resolutions in windowed mode.
-- Optimisations to code where possible to reduce bad practices and maybe save performance.
- A comprehensive overhaul of every cutscene in the game. Character busts have been improved across the board.
- New game logo to accommodate the "plus" amendment to the name.
-- I'll be working to update the store's assets to reflect this.
- Added some missing localization lines.
- A brand new level added to the EX level menu, along with 2 new accessories.
-- There are no prerequisites to access the level but it does contain a late-game area's visual setting and mechanics introduced in World 3.
- Added camera shake system.
-- Triggers on death and certain level interactions.
-- Can be reduced or turned off entirely in the Options menu.
- The camera can now be zoomed out by pressing Back (Xbox)/Q (PC)
-- Will retain previous selection between scenes.
-- The game is absolutely not designed around the camera being this zoomed out, certain level items will be harder to see.
- Slevels have seen non-gameplay impacting alterations to upper bounds limits and tilemaps to accommodate the camera shake and zoom out systems.
- A marker appears during Freecam mode to display the Game Camera's actual position.
-- It's a bit janky in execution so this gives a better idea of when it'll start moving.
- The camera comes to a smoother stop when it hits its limits.
- Redone transition/screen wipe.
- Replaced all tutorial drawings with in-level comments from Otonoji.
-- In most situations, they will only play when the level has not yet been cleared, and only repeat if the level is left and then returned to before a first clear.
- Yomi now spins much faster after using a Lily Launcher. Purely for the funny.
-- Also added a new tutorial explaining how to zoom out/in the camera.
- Added a failsafe to 1-2 where if the door closes and Yomi has no power, an Extra Power token is spawned near the door switch.
-- This is done to better differentiate 1-2 and 1-3 for tutorial purposes. 1-3 is intended to teach about restarting but 1-2 is equally easy to mess up.
- Added a similar failsafe to the one above to level 3-1 to avoid needing to restart and clear the entire rest of the level for another chance.
- Changes to menu layouts.
- Collectible scraps have been visually changed from photobook scraps to diary scraps. This is to better align with the reworked true ending's framing.
- Added a shine effect to each of the level end medals and collectible scraps.
- Added a few slight visual tweaks tied to the game's camera to better fit the game's mood in levels.
- Significant visual changes to Omuro Cave's background.
- Not quite as significant but still notable changes to Higan's background.
- Reworked UI to be cleaner and more minimal.
-- This also removes the small fire particles that subtly denote the current rank on the level, should you complete it then. With the introduction of the belts in v1.1 this has become less useful, and isn't nearly precise enough to justify keeping as is.
- Increased the volume of breaking Omuro Cave blocks so it's actually audible now.
- Fix to transformations; only Yomi's base form sprite is rendered invisible during transformations now, so things like death effects will now render properly if killed during a transformation.
- Corrected an instance in the "To Narusawa" cutscene where Yomi is speaking but Izanami remains highlighted.
- Otonoji's dialogue is now a light purple to better distinguish him from Izanami, this also applies to his tutorial messages.
- Edited a conversation with Izanami unlocked after beating World 3-5.
-- Since Otonoji now guides Yomi in early levels, said conversation is no longer where she first hears his voice, so it's been adjusted accordingly.
-- I also think it made Izanami appear a bit meaner than intended with his last line so it also better fleshes out their relation to one another.
- Edited a line in one of Yomi's conversations with Izanami; Yomi now speculates she was cremated rather than buried.
-- Since making the game I've learned burial is not a common practice in Japan so this was changed for authenticity. The conversation is otherwise identical.
- Corrected an instance of Izanami repeating her previous line in the pre-World 7 cutscene.
- Fixed a grammatical error in Izanami's dialogue you unlock upon obtaining 35 SS ranks (there is a snowball's chance in Hell anyone will ever see this legitimately but that's the power of autism for ya).
Dev notes: This is it, officially the finale for Afterlife Reverie. Only so much I can do on a foundation this wobbly, but I'd like to believe I've maximised its potential. There are of course things I wish were better, but holding on any longer will only inhibit me from working on new things, so this is the end of Yomi's story. I had intended the next game I'm working on to be a follow-up narratively, though of a radically different genre, but plans have changed, so for now the game's True Ending is my final word on Yomi's journey. I'm sure there'll be a few things AR players will pick up on though, whenever that game finishes. Thank you all for your support, thank you everyone who played the pre-Plus version, everyone who playtested the game, and everyone who threw the game on their wishlist or bought it to show a bit of support. Any future updates will be bug hotfixes, should any come to my attention. For now, back to work. The next game is of a demanding genre, so I better head back to the Cave :^)