Five years ago, we entered Early Access with a version of Hope Trigger that was still pretty rough around the edges.
Even then, the game already had the core direction we wanted to pursue, but many of its systems were still in their earliest form.
Over the next few years, we kept putting new ideas into the game and trying them out for ourselves.
Some of those ideas stayed.
Others got partway through before we realized they weren't turning out quite the way we had imagined, so we took them apart and rebuilt them.
And some started as very small ideas, only to keep growing until they became part of the combat system we have today.
And so, one update followed another.
After five years of updates, Hope Trigger has gone from v1.00 all the way to v2.15.
Looking back now, we realize just how far the game has come.
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Combat System:
Of all the things that changed over the years, the combat system probably changed the most.
The combat in Hope Trigger started with a very simple idea:
What if we took fighting-game combos and put them into a side-scrolling action RPG?
Early on, combat mainly revolved around three-hit Original Sin combos. Players could switch between different Original Sins to use different basic attacks.
But after spending more time with the system, we gradually realized that simply adding different attacks wasn't enough to make combat truly feel different.
So over the next few years, we gradually added Covenant of Sin, magic, classes, Slay, Combo, canceling, Sin Shift, Crimson Remnant: Soul Return, and Sin Unleashed.
These systems didn't naturally work together at first, either.
For a while, melee combat, bows, and magic almost functioned as separate systems. Even a Warrior who wanted to make use of their class abilities had to spend time using a bow first just to generate the resource they needed.
Later, we started finding ways to tie these systems back together.
Melee attacks can be canceled into skills, Combo can be converted into damage or resources, and Red Magic Elements can be further converted into MP. Switching between Original Sins has also gradually become part of the overall combat loop.
Today, combat in Hope Trigger is no longer just about finishing a single combo string.
Instead, it is about combining melee combat, Combo, resources, magic, Original Sins, and Ukehi to shape the way you want to fight.
Build / Progression System:
As more ways to fight became available, character builds began to change along with them.
Early on, equipment and abilities mostly revolved around basic stats such as ATK, DEF, HP, and MP.
Today, however, we want builds to change more than just "how much damage the same playstyle can deal." We want them to change how players actually use the combat systems.
Some equipment can extend Combo duration, some can change the pace of MP consumption, and others can strengthen Covenant of Sin, Burst, or specific Original Sins.
These builds gradually take shape through different systems, including loot, Alchemy, equipment affixes, classes, and Enchanted Artifacts.
Players can combine different systems and gradually build a combat loop that suits the way they want to play.
So today, a build is no longer just about choosing whichever piece of equipment has the bigger numbers.
It is also about choosing how you want to fight.
World and Adventure Content:
Beyond combat and builds, the world of Hope Trigger has also continued to expand over the years.
New areas, enemies, bosses, quests, and characters have gradually been added, and we have also been trying to make exploration more than simply moving from one stage to the next.
Some events can develop further depending on the player's actions. Some characters may appear elsewhere after the player leaves, while content hidden along side paths and in secret areas can help players piece together the same events from different perspectives.
As the story progresses, players gradually begin to encounter another side of the world beyond the fantasy setting—the Ark Lab.
Diaries in the Ark Lab are unlocked as the adventure continues, allowing players to see events beyond the fantasy world from the perspectives of different researchers.
At first, the adventure in the fantasy world and the story of the Ark Lab seem like two separate paths.
But as more clues emerge on both sides, characters, events, and anomalies that once seemed unrelated begin to echo one another.
So today, Hope Trigger is no longer just about pushing deeper into dungeons and defeating new enemies.
Exploration itself has gradually become part of how players understand the world and its story.
Death, Destiny, and Backups:
Death in Hope Trigger is not simply a matter of falling and starting over.
Each death brings the test subject one step closer to complete collapse. Once the power to endure death is exhausted, the player will face a "True Death" and return to a previously created backup.
But death does not always mean loss.
After the character falls, there is a chance to trigger Destiny's Written Revelation. The revelation temporarily strengthens the character, and during this time, players can also gain experience toward their Destiny Level, turning part of what they gain through death into permanent growth.
Backups themselves are also more than just a way to save progress.
Whenever a new backup is created, new Diaries are unlocked in the Ark Laboratory. While continuing their adventure in the fantasy world, players can also use these preserved records to gradually understand the experiment they are going through.
By now, death, Destiny's Written, and backups are no longer separate systems.
Every time the player falls, gets back up, or even returns to an earlier backup, it is all part of the same experiment.
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Over the five years from v1.00 to v2.15, we have added a lot of new content while also tearing down and rebuilding many of our earlier designs.
Some of those changes came from new ideas. Others came after playing the game ourselves and realizing that the original approach did not work quite as well as we had imagined.
If it has been a while since you last played Hope Trigger, the game you see today may be quite different from the version you remember.
And of course, v2.15 is not the end.
We will keep moving forward and continue this adventure we have been building for the past five years.