Additional character: DLC, cut content or too much imagination?

[Corrsk]

I noticed something a little bit ago: It does feel like the devs have or had intention to have multiples characters.

A few oddities first:

-When you select a chapter, it also show your character. In a large window. For no reason.
-Same menu, you have abilities being shown (Charge, Know no Fear, Grenades). No reason again, it doesn't tell you what they do either (Grenade and Charge is kinda obvious of course, but Know no Fear?). (Actually it does, partially)
-Cinematics never show you the main character, beside the Bolter. Barely a hand. Even at the very end of the game.
-The Steam page don't even mention Malum Caedo (The protagonist) by name, his "unit type" (Sternguard Veteran), or even his chapter (Ultramarine). It's "a Space Marine".
-Neither do the game outside of the chapter selection.
-"Across the Galaxy" might be a slight wording mistake, but... we don't fight across the galaxy. just Graia and it's orbit.
-The only character who mention Caedo's name, and Ultramar, is Caedo himself. He don't hesitate at all compared to the rest of the game to mention who he is, and where he is from.
-The tutorial for the Charge can be achieved without charging at all. It looks like a tutorial to show players they can run, more than than they can charge. If the tutorial was about the Charge, why not have something destructible blocking the path instead?
-There is no tutorial, or mention of "Know no fear" and what it does outside of a single hint during loading time (I think?)

My suspicion is that, the devs plan or planned to have multiple characters, which you can select at Chapter selection, and have different abilities (Instead of Charge and Know no Fear, maybe Grenades too.)
Never showing or talking about the protagonist is a "decent hint", as it mean they can (or could) add any number of Space Marine without having to make different lines or cinematics for characters already in the game. As long as they use a Bolter.
Though, while it's rather easy to colour swap, i do suspect they would all be Ultramarine so they don't have to change the weapon sprites at all.

In the end, it could also be for "expansions". A new character with different abilities, a couple new chapters with new enemies and a new gun. That sort of thing.


Just food for thought. Could be completely coincidental. Don't take this too seriously.

[GrenadeMagnet6]

My take is that this was a small independent studio that was allowed to build the game, and they left a few loose ends. They didn't have time or resources to build out proper tutorials, or flesh out more of the story and character's development. Nor give more details to the boss enemies' character development, either.

For a small studio they did pretty good. They likely didn't have time or resources to further polish the level design and other atmospheric details. Same for lack of an automap, as they didn't have time or resources to do it based on their allocated budget.

But if the game is successful maybe Focus Interactive will provide funding to this small studio for a more developed sequel, to include desired features like automap, more player classes, etc.

[Corrsk]

Originally posted by GrenadeMagnet6:

They didn't have time or resources to build out proper tutorials, or flesh out more of the story and character's development.

Time and resource, sure. Why i think cuts are a possibility.
But i wouldn't underestimate the devs considering the rest of the game's design being pretty good and well thought out. It's even odd they did put a tutorial at all considering what they were aiming for (90s FPS, which hardly had tutorials)

And they were not aiming for a deep story either, and that's not what i mean. I find it odd that none of the cinematics show or mention Caedo when they could have done so often; and more appropriately, they try really hard to never show him. It looks very intentional.

You would think they'd show Caedo at the end reloading the Bolter, or Caedo driving the Landspeeder for Chapter 2. But no, you only see the Bolter itself being reloaded, and the Speeder from behind. Even as he shoot the remains of the Sorcerer, you don't see him. Just the Bolter. And they are not shy of showing the Inquisitor in comparison.

Even Doom guy appeared visibly in one still image (in Doom 2).

[Neo]

When I saw screen at the end with abilities mentioned I also wondered if they would have more characters.

[Malum Caedo]

LETS HOPE FOR SOME DLC .

[Dinosaurs_Are_Friends]

Originally posted by GrenadeMagnet6:

My take is that this was a small independent studio that was allowed to build the game, and they left a few loose ends. They didn't have time or resources to build out proper tutorials, or flesh out more of the story and character's development. Nor give more details to the boss enemies' character development, either.

For a small studio they did pretty good. They likely didn't have time or resources to further polish the level design and other atmospheric details. Same for lack of an automap, as they didn't have time or resources to do it based on their allocated budget.

But if the game is successful maybe Focus Interactive will provide funding to this small studio for a more developed sequel, to include desired features like automap, more player classes, etc.

Couldn't have said it better. They accomplished something remarkable given their resources, but it was pretty clear that they were running a tight ship.