FranknJohn (now early Access Update #3) $

[getter77]

http://store.steampowered.com/app/305460 $14.99 Win

FranknJohn is a head-smashing action RPG with rogue-like elements. Young FranknJohn is a failed experiment of a demented scientist, Dr Harmin. He wakes, with no memory, bursting from his grave, with a head that can only stay on his body with the help of a chain. FranknJohn is far from helpless however, as his flaw becomes his strength - he can swing his head wildly round to smash away the plethora of strange creatures that roam the house of horror..

Current Features
Smash enemies with FranknJohn's weaponized head
Experiment with 15 different Skullcaps that alter gameplay in many different ways
Huge skill tree. Collect shiny Marbles and use them to upgrade your stats
Randomly generated adventure. A new experience with each new life
Battle through the first area of the game, The Garden of Denial
Perma-death, challenging enemies and the spider Queen Sheela will test the sternest of players
Glorious soundtrack by Ben Prunty (FTL/Gravity Ghost)
Explore FrankJohn's underground hideout

Planned Features
Content
More areas - The Furnace of Anger, The Cistern of Depression and The Lab of Isolation
More variety, challenges and secrets - We have lot's of fun stuff in store
More Skullcaps - these are so much fun to make we want to keep making them forever
More enemies - Each new area will have roughly the same amount of enemies currently available
More bosses - Dr. Harmins most prized creations are being readied for battle
Local co-op - play with a friend! Currently in closed-testing and will be launching soon
More glorious soundtrack by Ben Prunty

Bug Fixing
We have put a lot of effort into making sure FranknJohn is as bug free as possible, however the game is in Early Access so it is unavoidable. We will do our best to squish them as soon as they present their ugly heads.

Balancing
A game like this lives or dies on it's balance, so expect a lot of tweaking to occur throughout Early Access.

Why Early Access?
“Your feedback is immensely valuable. Early Access is your chance to get involved with the games development. We want to know what you like about our game, but more importantly, what you dislike. We want you to play it, break it, scream at it and help us polish off the rough edges so that we can make it the best game we can.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?
“The game shall remain in Early Access until full launch, which we estimate to be within Q4 2015. Throughout development, Early Access supporters will receive a regular stream of tasty content updates, patches, access to development and full transparency.”

How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?
“We've been working on the game for well over a year now and it has finally reached a point where the core systems are fun and playable. From here on out, our primary focus is on content creation, as well as listening to your feedback and tweaking the game until it's ready for launch. Scroll down to the 'About this Game' section to get an idea of all the exciting content we have planned.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?
“The game is in Alpha, currently marching towards Beta. The core game systems are in place. Currently there is only one play area, The Garden of Denial, but due to the unforgiving, randomly generated nature of the game, players should find plenty of replayability. Collect Marbles and upgrade your character in preparation for the next area release, The Furnace of Anger. As it is still in development, there will be bugs and issues with hardware configurations, but we will endeavor to squash those nasties as quickly as possible.”

Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?
“The Early Access price for FranknJohn will be the same as the full launch price.”

How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?
“We want your feedback! You can get actively involved in the development of FranknJohn by registering on our forum http://forum.bitsmithgames.com/ and through the Steam community group. Join discussions and chat directly with with us and other players. On top of that, we'll be running community polls, design a Skullcap competitions and all sorts of fun things. We also stream live development regularly on Twitch.”

Update 2, 1

Hey there!

We've been busy putting the finishing touches on local co-op play and we can't wait to share it with you. We've also been making nice progress on the next area, The Furnace of Anger. In the coming days I'll be sharing more information with you, including a release date for the co-op update as well as concepts for the Furnace enemies. Rest assured however, you'll be able to play with your friends very soon

Onto Update #2 then. It's a small one, but that doesn't mean it's insignificant, right?

General
Base upgrade cost adjusted to correct value

Skullcaps
Skullcaps are now swappable! Picked up a new one but want your old one back? No problem! Just pick it back up again from where you left it.
Cherufe's Rage can now damage the boss

Boss - Queen Sheila
Mega Puke poison puddles are slightly smaller
Body slam - big dust cloud plays upon ground contact
Call for Younglings much clearer now - added feedback
Younglings now explode with particle cloud and screen shake when hit FNJ
Younglings now spawn poison puddles and no longer play big explode animation when squished
Foot Stab has more feedback
Lightened cocoons, easier to see now
Increased boss health by around 30%
Increased speed and attack rate slightly

Audio
Added FranknJohn hurt audio
Added some sfx to Upgrade Table
Added sfx to Zombie Spewer
Added sound effect for Cherufe's Rage

Bug Fixes
A number of small bug fixes

General
You now start in the upgrade table after dying and returning to the hub
The treehouse now teleports you automatically upon entering with added cool camera pan
Camera resets quicker when you fall off the edge

Enemies
FranknZombie attack behaviour changed
Nibbler attack behaviour changed
New enemy 'Spewer' added
Mimics no longer become un-attackable after being feared
Boss poison puddles are jumpable now

Environment
Trees now shed leaves when face punched
Bushes now shed leaves when walked in
Rocks now smash and break up when face punched twice
Statues now smash and break up when face punched twice
Garden rake now looks like more of a threat...

Gameplay
Floor length adjusted slightly
More enemies spawn in 1-1 now
Drop rate values tweaked slightly

Skullcaps
Rarities adjusted on certain Skullcaps
Adjusted damage, recharge rates on some Skullcaps

Interface
Floating status text now way more visible! Popup text shows health loss/gain, damage done, marbles collected and Skullcap names
Added a subtle screen flash when damage is taken and when on low hp
Upgrade UI confirmation box now defaults to yes

Visuals
Adjusted bloom to be more subtle
Dead enemies no longer show a red outline on their meshes
Red outlines only appear on enemies that are in close range and behind geometry

Audio
FranknZombie audio works again

Bug Fixes
Lots!

[getter77]

Update #3

Here it is! Today's update brings a swath of additions and changes, namingly local co-op play and revamped combat. We're super excited to get the update out and hear what you think of it!

One last thing before we hit the patch notes, I'd like to introduce you to MaryAnne, the first additional playable character in FranknJohn. She is a badass fighter created by Dr.Harmin some years ago, but he found her too wild and powerful to control. Since then, she has been biding her time, waiting for the right moment to unleash her ferocious retribution.

Patch Notes
Local Co-op
Connect an xbox controller and press Start in the hub to join in as MaryAnne!
Enemy health is scaled up by 30%
Enemy aggro is distance based
If a player dies, the living player can cast Blood Sacrifice to resurrect them - at the cost of a 50% health transfer
Marbles are shared
Upgrades are shared
No split-screen! All the action takes place through the same camera
You can use a combination of two controllers, or one controller & keyboard/mouse.

Combat Revamp
More accuracy! Base attack no longer uses unreliable physics forces/spring joints. Now controlled with a combination of animation and collisions
Shooting angle changes to match the angle and direction of slopes
Skullcaps now alter Damage, Attack Speed and Attack Range values
Skullcaps now have a damage type (Physical, Fire, Poison, Shock, Ice)
Every Skullcap has a special ability with a recharge counter filled by killing enemies
Added lot's of yummy feedback to base attack
Added hit particle effects for each damage type
Added a particle effect when a Skullcap is equipped

UI
Completely re-skinned in-game HUD, for better representation of changed mechanics and better feedback

Audio
Sound effects added for MaryAnne

Enemies
Aggro ranges adjusted
Axe Zombie tuned better and behaviour more readable
Ranged particles more easily read in terms of distance/height
Added short slow-down money shot effect when last enemy in a radius is killed

Other
Upgraded to Unity 5 - you should notice big performance gains
Lots and lots of bug fixes
Our focus now changes to the Furnace of Anger, a shiny clockwork and cog driven world of blistering lava and jabbering mechanical denizens that provide power to Dr.Harmin's mansion.

As always, we want to hear your feedback so we can keep improving the game.

Hope you enjoy the update,
Paul and team