Okay so, hi! I'm Justin. For those of you that don't know, I do creative direction, art, animation, as well as some of the game design and other odd ends on the project. For those unfamiliar with the project, The Wild at Heart is a story-rich adventure game with Pikmin-esque creatures and crafty crafts. This update may be tad short due to the new team getting settled in and us doing all the logistical work of setting up our new studio. That said, here's the recap on some of the new things that have been cookin':
Camps
Planning your day is a large part of the experience of The Wild at Heart. When night falls Wake and Kirby are at higher risk of being overrun by the Never's minions. Using light will help stave off these creatures, and a safe bet is to construct camps throughout the world. These camps provide a safe zone as well as a collection point for you to bring back and store valuable resources. Players can choose to rest until day at these camps or choose to risk exploring at night for rare resources only obtainable under the moonlight.
BUMBEEs!
Okay, not a crazy feature, but they're so cute! These fuzzy-buzzy fella's swarm certain areas and sting if they feel threatened, which can block progression for Wake and Kirby. Peblings (li'l rock dudes), who are immune to anything pokey, can be used to destroy their hives, causing the Bumbees to disperse. Oh, and leaving honey up for grabs! Who knows, maybe that can be crafted into something special!
Destructible obstacles
So, while this is still a WIP (not "in game" just yet), I've been spending some time designing out multiple stages of destructible obstacles eroding. Here is the mock up of the different stages of dirt walls that your spritelings can chip away at to open up new paths.
Story
Alex has been plugging away at the script for the game. For those who don't know, Alex wrote the very funny and charming story and script for Monsters Ate My Birthday Cake. We don't want to spoil anything for anyone so we're playing a lot of details close to the chest for now, but here is the synopsis if you're curious.
Synopsis:
Wake is a 12-year old boy from Willowvale, a town wrapped in thick forests on a shelf of oceanside cliffs. Wake spends most of his days alone, holed up in his room busying himself tinkering with self-made inventions and getting lost in video games to escape the complications of his home life. When a strange creature leads him and his curious neighbor, Kirby, into the woods one night, they unwittingly introduce themselves to a world full of magical creatures, an eccentric order devoted to the protection of these creatures, and uncover the mysteries of an ancient conflict. Together they must reinvigorate the order of the Greenshields that has long since lost its way, and stop the all-consuming Never before it is unleashed upon the world.
MUSIC
We are happy to announce that we are working with the wonderful and talented Amos Roddy to help bring The Wild at Heart's world to life. You may know some of his music from Kingdom or Strafe soundtracks. The music he has been working on thus far for the project has us very excited and we can't wait to share some of it with you.
ANYWHO! That's it for now. We’d love to hear what you think or if there is anything you'd like to see in future updates. Sorry this was a brief one! :P Let us know your thoughts on our social media.
Thank you to our supporters! Talking about and sharing the game really helps as we try to get the word out.
Thanks!