v0.2.0 - Unison Level and Improved Lighting

Additions

• Introduced the 3rd level: Unison!
  • Desync with your reflection and position both avatars in specific positions to complete the challenge.
  • This level consists of 6 phases, equating to ~5 minutes of gameplay!

Changes

• The game’s lighting system has gone through a major iteration. Hopefully it looks a bit better and more stylized.
  • It definitely still needs some work, though. More iterations are to follow.
  • There is now a diamond-shaped object on every mirror; this is a Crystal. It is tied to the game’s story and will be expanded on with future updates.
• Made numerous changes to the Carefully Guided level. Includes but is not limited to:
  • Added more lasers to the level in hopes to better help navigate players.
  • Split phase #4 into two separate phases (both sections were fairly difficult independently).
    • What is now phase #4 (the first section) has been re-approached design-wise.
  • Improved the behavior of the platform and its controls.
• Made a few minor changes to the Catch and Tutorial levels.
• Collectables have been visually reworked.

Fixes

• Removed the blue shard object that sat on the player’s head in the main menu. This was a leftover from a scrapped mechanic.
• Improved the game’s refresh rate, in some cases.
  • On Quest 2, the game should now run consistently anywhere between 60-72Hz; my goal is to clamp it at 72Hz (or higher), but man is optimization difficult. I will work towards this goal with future updates.

What’s Next?

• This game is still incredibly early in development; there is so much more work to be done. So, in order to organize things a bit better, I’ve decided to follow a simple format for the content I focus on for each update. This format consists of: one major content addition, one major system iteration, and any minor changes I make on the side.
  • For example, v0.2.0 introduced: the new Unison level, a massive refactoring of the lighting system, and various changes to the pre-existing levels based on player feedback.
  • My goal is to release an update every ~1.5 months. Two each quarter, eight a year!
• For v0.3.0, my goals are:
  • Introduce a new level: Shield.
  • Create the first pass for the main menu scene. It’s time to move past the current temporary one.
    • This includes the beginning of a progression/save system (maybe).
  • Improve the Crystal’s atmosphere. Improve the experience of collecting Collectables.
  • Finally fix a handful of known, common bugs.