As we get closer to Early Access, we’ve been thinking about how our two factions, the Cobalt Expedition and the Slaraash Swarm, interact with bosses across Story and Free Play. Story mode needs coherence. Free Play needs variety. And we want both to feel right.
In the early chapters, you’re fighting through Slaraash space corrupted by the Voltari. You haven’t unlocked Slaraash yet, so you’re playing as Cobalt. Those bosses need to feel native to that space, leaning into acid damage, drones, and the biological tech that defines the Slaraash. Later, when the story moves into corrupted Cobalt territory, the bosses shift to match that faction’s identity.
Free Play works differently. It mixes everything together. Bosses can appear in any order, and you can fight either faction. That freedom is fun, but it creates a mismatch when a boss built for one faction shows up during a run focused on the other.
So we split them. Story bosses stay tied to their chapters. Free Play bosses get their own versions. Most will work with either faction, with adjusted phases and buffs so they fit any run. A few will stay faction specific because their identity is too strong to change.
This also helps with balance. The first two story bosses are intentionally gentle, but their Free Play versions can be strengthened so they stand as real challenges. Splitting them lets us tune difficulty without affecting the story.
Our goal is simple. Story mode should feel like a guided journey. Free Play should feel open and surprising while still making sense. Coherence on one side. Variety on the other. Both working together to make the game feel alive as we head into Early Access.