SKAR - The Hammer Returns
Hello Polycounters!
We at newly founded Blink Studios are making a game called SKAR and would like to share a few bits and pieces from the game as the development moves forward.
Skar is a hack n' slash rpg dungeon crawler for mobile/iOS, with a following pc and mac release, so all assets are made with this in mind. We will gladly discuss other platform alternatives should these opportunities arise.
Skar - The Hammer Returns - is an indie game developed by a team of four people and aims for a Q3-Q4 2012 release. The game is set in a fantasy/norse mythology theme and will feature 3 different character classes, a "hero's journey" storyline, active/passive skills/character&gear upgrades, and so forth. More info to follow. We are actively looking for publishing/investment opportunities and just sent out a playable demo to potential partners, hoping to secure more funding to be able to really make the game shine.
We will try to post updates and new material here regularly, and would be more than happy to answer any questions about the game and the development. As a first post, here are some screenshots plus a couple of characters as seen in our current iOS playable demo.
It would be great to hear what the awesome people at Polycount think of it so far..
Thanks for checking it out, your feedback would be most appreciated!
Sincerely,
Christer Sveen
Art & Creative Director
Blink Studios AS
www.blinkstudios.no
Screenshots:
And here are some characters; first up a troll boss (as posted earlier in the lowpoly thread):
And finally here's one of the three main characters, this guy being the wizard/mage archetype, called GALDR;
Replies
I do feel that at the size the main character is in game it feels a bit generic. I mean the silhouette is fairly standard shaped, if well made, and the colors are all in a similar range. If someone were to ask me what is this character about? Where am I supposed to look? His face? The shield on his shirt? His staff?
With the troll it's his amazing face, but not sure if that will show up in the level when he's seen from above unless he...lifted his head and sniffed the air trying to find the scent of human!
Maybe you'll make the character stand out through equipment he picks up that changes the colors/silhouette? Dye? the way he's animated vs the way the enemies move? Ability/spell effects?
For most of the screenshots I feel the same way. It's all uniformly pretty but all in the same range. And your environment has more contrast and color than your characters do. So you'll lose all sorts of nice things in your characters because your lights overpower them.
Think about what will happen when you have 50 creatures on the screen all of the same color scheme. It could get difficult to find your character.
In most games I feel have nice color schemes the characters have more contrast and color and the environments have less as a backdrop to them.
I'm not a huge fan of flash + traditional art mixed together but M&M:Clash of Heroes is a good example of having a pretty background that still doesn't overpower the characters. Also you know what you're supposed to look at on these enemies...
...like his gauntlets.
...or his sword.
Also they are a game for teens and their game is darker than yours.
As I recall they change the value of the background and have dark value backgrounds in places where it's scary and lighter value backgrounds in less dangerous places.
You could do some neat stuff limiting the lighting in your horror game and making it a part of game play?
like this...
...or this?
Perhaps more lighting near your character and less farther away? Darker parts of the screen that could be a lurking enemy or just a wall?
Don't know if any of this is feedback you want or can use but there you go. You've clearly got talented artists.