A lot has been going on indeed.
Engine
The gameplay engine has been revisited: I was not too happy with the old one, so I rebuilt it completely. This means, that the player moves way smoother, attacks feel more realistic and all other interaction with the world has a more immersive feeling to it.
Graphics / Sound
Alongside with the new gameplay engine, the game has also received a complete graphical overhaul. The game can now be rescaled to any desired 16:9 resolution, you are also able to play the game in fullscreen mode. Rendering works faster and avoids artifacts. The viewport which the player is able to overview has been embiggened. Animations are more detailed, there are more graphical effects, more sound effects and the display of player information adds more to the overall atmosphere. Also, there is a CRT-Scanline-Filter which can be turned off, if desired.
Gameplay
Player actions now include, moving, attacking, defending. The player can run to move faster and jump further. Attacks can be carried out normally or heavily by charging the attack beforehand. Defending is done by pulling out your shield; then you are not able to attack but are protected in the current direction. Once the shield is pulled out, the direction of the player - regardless of movement - locks, which allows you to move backwards and still be protected. To get familiar with the basics of the game there is a quick tutorial in the first level of the game.
Enemies will now behave more realistic and will challenge your skills and reactions much more. For instance, different kinds of enemy knights will try and confuse you, try different kinds of attacks on you and will go into defense as well. Once you do kill an enemy, you are now able to pick up their weapon and shield and use it from there on; different swords and shields have different stats.
To challenge you even more, there are additions like moving platforms, spikes or new blocks. Such additions allowed me to create a more varying set of levels gamplay-wise and different worlds and levels which feature different styles look-wise.
An newly added overworld gives you the possiblity to wander through the world of 'Super Knight World' and discover all of the levels. All progress is manifested here: completed levels, collected coins and achievements. Achievements challenge you in every level to collect a hidden special coin or defeat all of the enemies.
New menus for game start and while the game is paused were implemented.
Outlook
The game can be played as is; gameplay and graphics are almost fully finished. Content includes various levels but has to be expanded still. A small set of testers is playing the game after each update to allow me to add new features and sharpen the existing ones.
To stay in touch and keep updated you can follow me over at @coffeemuggames or check out the coffeemuggames youtube channel.
