Until I Have You, story-driven platformer from the programmer of Primordia

[Aruil]

I noticed an interesting entry in my discovery queue and since I didn't find a thread for it, I decided to share.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/439310/

Until I Have You, is a story-driven, fast-paced, retro-aesthetic platformer, engulfed in a Cyberpunk setting.

Driving you to the edge of your seat as you run n' gun through enemies, the game recounts a thrilling story of regret, love and corruption, in a city that’s gone haywire and just doesn't give a damn.

This is the story of the ARTIST, a talented assassin, who has worked many dirty jobs in a long and successful career. Finally heeding the pleadings of his wife, he has decided it's time to quit this ugly business and live a simple and peaceful life. However the ARTIST’s clients know he is irreplaceable, and are unwilling to allow the craftsman to hangup his tool belt. They send him this message by kidnapping his wife, Emily, and make it clear, retirement is not an option! The ARTIST is determined to get his wife back, and prepares himself for one last assignment. He understands to be successful he needs to go all out, and he procures a rare exoskeleton suit. Although this provides him with additional powers, it also can cause hallucinations and affect his judgment.

If you could save someone, how much of yourself would you be willing to sacrifice?


Features:

• 12 Chapters of immersive story telling
  
• Beautifully pixelated environments
  
• Fast paced action
  
• Over 60 unique Enemies and 12 Boss Fights.
  
• Rich and Diverse Settings (both in gameplay mechanisms and visuals)
  
• Fully Voiced Dialogues
  
• Gritty Cyberpunk Atmosphere
  
• Keyboard & Controller Support

MRY

 

[MRY]

It's by Primordia's coder (James Spanos). I reviewed and revised some of the texts in the game, but only for style (i.e., I left the basic plot structure untouched). I found the controls impossible -- despite being pretty good with traditional platformers -- because it's more about momentum and acceleration than about movement. Vic did a couple small graphics for it, but the art is mostly by another pixel artist, who seems quite talented.

There's no reason why you should assume you'll like this based on Primordia, but I think it's a pretty impressive piece of work if you can get a hang of the controls.

 

[Nekot-The-Brave]

I thought of this song whenever I saw the title of this post.



It's only a few words off =P

 

[Havoc]

Beautifully pixelated environments

They beautifully downgraded their environments?

 

[MRY]

The game is now released. You can read my shilling here, spend your shilling here, or try a demo here.

 

[lightbane]

I tried it. The demo offers to little IMO, and there's a bug in the 3rd level I think (the one with the robot next to the exit) that randomly stops you from completing the level if you try to do it non-lethal. Naturally, stubbornness, precise and fast reactions are a must to play it. At least it can be played without a pad (although I guess it plays better with the latter). Sound effects are a bit weird: Voice-acting is okay (one highlight is a Japanese character who speaks in proper Japanese complete with untranslated kanji for some reason), but the music gets annoying fast and your pistol sounds like a popgun (and it is equally ineffective to boot).

 

[MRY]

I passed these comments along to James (who doesn't have a Codex account, I don't believe). I'm sure they'll be helpful to him. How far does the demo take you, out of curiosity?

 

[lightbane]

The demo only covers the tutorial and the first chapter, which includes a bunch of levels and a boss fight. Yes, perhaps that's enough for a demo, but I wanted to play it a little more, especially because you receive the essential "bullet time" upgrade only when you're about to fight the first boss.

Also, the shield is basically worthless: practically ANY enemy can pierce it unless it's a glancing shot. Speaking of which, the protagonist has the unique ability to drop dead and remain still, even if he's falling (in other words, the "you're shot and you die" animation overrides anything, even gravity, causing the character to stop falling somehow).
Amusingly enough, the shield works better if you use it as a brake of sorts, since it instantly stops the protagonist whenever he's moving, even in mid-air (which can cause you to drop to your own death if you're not careful).

 

[MRY]

Passing these along, too.

I'm surprised the demo's so short. The game has so much content, and it's so varied, I would've thought he'd include three chapters or so.

 

[MRY]

A new demo has apparently been uploaded. The old one was out of date.

 

[lightbane]

Sounds cool. Where's that demo located? It's not in Steam (or it wasn't last time I checked). The demo I tried is the one you posted here.

 

[MRY]

I assume it replaces the demo link I had above, but I don't know.

 

[lightbane]

I found the demo you might be referring to, but I believe it is the same I already tried. It still has one playable episode and little else.

 

[Infinitron]

Now 75% off.

 

[toro]

Open Steam page. Click on 2 screens. Meh. Waste of time.