In the last couple of weeks, we dived deeper into the direction we want to take SunderBound after the open playtest gameplay-wise. This week, we want to take a slight detour into the story and the lore that you’re going to experience while blasting your way up the Mega-Tower.

Let’s start from the beginning. Generations ago, a massive military conflict sparked an irreversible and devastating ecological catastrophe. All survivors sought shelter inside a massive megalithic fortress called Haven. Over the years, sections of it have fallen into disrepair. Overpopulation, resource scarcity, and corruption have gripped the populace, but hope lives on. Hope for those living above to keep building up and reach for clear air and skies. And hope for the downtrodden, that they may some day climb up the tower to a better life.

Haven has and always will be governed by its esteemed Council of Ministers. The figure, known as ‘The Minister’, is the head of the council, and together, they strive for the survival and prosperity of all citizens of Haven. Or at least, that’s the official version. Tensions have been rising, especially in the lower depths of the Mega-Tower. The Children of Rust are stirring up rebellious uprisings, and things have gone bad enough that even Ministers have begun to take the journey down to enforce order. Prey all that no tragedies would befall them.

Despite all, hope endures. Haven will stand.

From this point on, the story is yours to experience. However, as a non-linear action game, we want SunderBound to focus on, well, the action! Because of that, we’re opting to tell our main story through specifically designated story missions. They will also be used to introduce new game mechanics, enemies, biomes, and bosses, unlocking them for your regular play sessions after. In short, these story missions will be:

• Handmade, unlike the regular levels, which are procedurally generated (check our last dev log!)

• Fully replayable

• Focused on story

• A way for you to unlock new locations, game mechanics, and enemies to fight.

What about the regular missions? We’re working on ways to integrate side stories there without disrupting the action. For that reason, we will utilize environmental storytelling, dialogue quips between Vuk, Nu, and their adversaries, and possibly some other surprises ;)

See you again soon, with some more tidbits on SunderBound! 

Obey the Minister, and thank Him for His service.

- Daniel, Community Manager @Kipi Interactive

Last week, we went through the combat changes that we are working on for the next playable iteration of SunderBound. We pushed the needle more towards a tactical approach. The enemies are fewer, their attacks are more obvious, but they are tougher and hit way harder. You can read more about it in our last Dev Log!

The changes to SunderBound’s combat made us rethink the battlefields in Haven. The corridors and walkways of its sewers had to give way for wider generator rooms and ruined maintenance tunnels. This restructuring also allowed us to rethink the mission system. Here’s a TL;DR:

• Engaging in tactical combat in tight spaces is quite hard. We’ve redesigned our levels to fit our new combat system needs. More room for maneuverability, cover, and recuperation. 

• We’ve replaced Sub-Missions with optional objectives you can discover through the mission. This makes missions more immersive with optional risk-reward situations and with a clearer goal.

Let’s dive in!

The new combat system relies on fewer, smarter, stronger opponents that take longer to kill. This makes the combat more tactical and choices more meaningful, and you can only make so many tactical choices in a level, designed for hordes of melee enemies.

This led us to reevaluate the level design of every level in SunderBound. We ended up with new combat areas with more free space for deliberate combat decisions. Through these new designs, we’re encouraging you to look for choke points, use exploding barrels strategically, and find cover when you need to discuss tactics with your partner.

That’s right, we are removing the sub-mission select screen, but we are not removing your choice. In fact, we’ve added more! 

The previous system separated each mission into several Sub-Missions and gave you a choice which one to take. However, it had several flaws - choosing a Sub-Mission happened in a separate UI window that stopped the gameplay flow. We also wanted to increase the number of choices you make (and the rewards you receive) without making the mission too long.

The new mission structure gives you one cohesive experience that rewards exploration. Instead of making decisions in front of a UI, you have a larger level to explore, and they are presented with meaningful risk-reward choices through optional objectives. This way, you have a clear goal through the mission, which culminates in one final challenge.

Thanks to this new system, you will:

• Enter each mission without really knowing what they will find in there. Befitting the mysterious depths of Haven.

• Be encouraged to explore each side path, knowing that there might be an encounter waiting for them at the end (with great rewards, of course).

• Be able to make a risk-reward choice on the spot.

• Get to the action faster without pesky menus in the way at every floor.

More SunderBound news coming up very soon, keep a lookout for another article next Friday!

See you then!

Obey the Minister, and thank Him for His service.

- Daniel, Community Manager @Kipi Interactive