Hi everyone! Sorry I’ve been so quiet this year, but thank you very much to everyone who’s checked in with me or offered their support =) I’ve spoken to a lot of you individually on Steam, Twitter, Discord, and so on, but I’ve refrained from doing a major update post because I’ve been waiting until I could announce a release date and start promoting the game’s launch.
However, that hasn’t happened, and you all deserve an explanation as to why. So that’s what this update is for!
First of all, the good news for anyone who hasn’t heard – 8-Bit Adventures 2 is complete. Every cutscene, every battle, every environment, all 100% finished, polished, and tested. I’ve played through the full game from beginning to end multiple times, and it will take players around 30-40 hours to complete – give or take, due to a wealth of optional content (including a Developer Room with behind-the-scenes info and early assets!).
I’d also like to thank Benedikt Geierhofer (@RealLeogrim on Twitter) for his help testing the game in recent months! Please check out his upcoming pixel-art RPG “For a Vast Future”, just announced to be releasing in November: Store.steampowered.com
So if 8-Bit Adventures 2 is finished, why is it not out yet? Well, that’s because we’re waiting for the console ports to be ready. Ratalaika Games have been working really hard on the porting process, despite dealing with a lot of challenges over the past year. But unfortunately, 8-Bit Adventures 2 has taken a lot longer than I expected to be ported – partly due to the size of the project and the very large number of plugins used in the game (all of which need to be manually converted). Ratalaika have been making consistent progress and doing their best to get the game ready, but it's one of those jobs that just seems to take as long as it takes.
Porting is something that I have no control over (it's totally out of my hands), and so I’ve spent the last several months waiting along with all of you. However, I’ve been using this time as effectively as possible. Not only for testing, but also to make numerous improvements to 8-Bit Adventures 2; combing over every line of dialogue, smoothing any difficulty spikes, testing out more battle configurations and crazy combinations, etc. I’ve now reached the end of that process, but I believe having that extra time to take a deep breath and look over the game as a completed project has resulted in a greatly improved product – in a lot of small ways that really add up.
Beyond that, I’ve also been starting working on the game’s Free DLC, which has consequently become more substantial than originally planned thanks to this extra time, as well as working on more promotional content (such as mini-trailers highlighting specific sections of the game, and updating the Steam page), and also future top secret plans for releases beyond 8-Bit Adventures 2. While that last one’s a bit premature and relies on 8BA2 selling well, I’m trying to plan ahead so that I can release a game every 2 years, rather than once every 7 years =P
I know that information is cold-comfort for everyone out there eagerly anticipating the release, but you all deserve an explanation and that’s the honest situation. I’ll be providing updates as I’m given news myself, and once we've passed certification I'll be shouting a release date from the rooftops!
But on the very bright side, 8-Bit Adventures 2 is finally done and, in my opinion, it’s turned out to be a great game and something really special. Obviously I’m the most biased person in the world when it comes to this project, but I’ve also been taking a hyper-critical eye to the game for the past seven years, so I think I can at least say that anyone who loves JRPGs like I do will have a lot of fun. I’m really, really proud of 8-Bit Adventures 2 – and so grateful to everyone on our team who made it possible!
There’s not much I can do to tide you over while we all wait, and I know a lot of people don't want any spoilers beyond what I've shown so far. BUT for anyone who’s interested, here’s a sneak-peek at the “Adventures in Anbu” mini-trailer – focusing on a small section of the game where you battle a legendary Samurai and his undead army in a distant land inspired by medieval Japan. The video’s unlisted, so it’s just a bonus for anyone who read this =)
Anyway, I just wanted to make sure that everyone knew what was going on, and where we're at. Essentially, I'm waiting like everyone else now. But I'm also trying to plan and think ahead so that - if 8-Bit Adventures 2 does well - I'll be able to provide you guys with a steady stream of fun content in future. But for now, thank you very much for all of your support; it really means the world to me!
~Josh
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