Beware and Behold, Unfortunate Souls! We summon you once more because INTO EVIL just took part in the [b]OTK Winter Expo 2024[/b]! To celebrate the showcase, we are inviting you to watch the brand-new trailer: [previewyoutube=veOlMcpauyU;full][/previewyoutube] If you thought we would stop here, [i]you are wrong[/i]. We have prepared the second [b]major Demo update[/b]. The main feature that we are adding is a chance for you to backstab your best friend in the [b]PvP arena[/b]. The Versus Mode was forged in the abyssal depth of T̴̨̈́h̴̛͉e̷̦͌ ̷̡́I̷̫̐ń̵̦v̸̢̈́e̷͇͐r̷̩͋ẗ̷͈́ḛ̸̽d̵̬̆ ̵̀ͅT̶̖̈́o̵͎͋w̶̹̾e̸͎͊r̷͝ and will unlock [b]after defeating the Prologue[/b]. [b]Read further[/b] to study all the changes in more detail, OR, just [b]dive right into the game[/b] and experience them firsthand! [b]Key changes:[/b] [list] [*] [b]Steam Remote Play-based co-op[/b] is now more seamless and part of the in-game experience. [*] Added The [b]Arena[/b], accessible after defeating the Prologue. [*] You can now enable [b]Full Split-Screen[/b] if you do not wish to have the camera zoom out to keep all the players in view. [/list] [b]The Arena[/b] [list] [*] An additional passage further below can now be found in the top-right of the Great Hall. It is initially locked — to unlock it, [b]beat the Prologue[/b]! [*] Once unlocked, exit through the side passage to enter [b]The Arena[/b], where you can battle your friends to the death! [*] Once a map is selected, combat will begin. You will be placed on [b]teams[/b] according to your player color, and be assigned a few lives each. [b]Defeat all opposing players to win![/b] [*] While each map has a core layout and emphasizes certain mechanics, they are also partially randomized for each battle. [b]A unique set of hazards and discoverable loot[/b] will be present — hurry and find the best items before your opponents do! [*] Maps also contain [b]locked chests[/b] — these contain particularly powerful gear, but require keys to open! Those keys are guarded by [b]powerful champions[/b] — foes who periodically spawn onto the map and try to slay any players they encounter. Lead them towards your enemies to ruin their day, or risk a direct battle with them in order to claim their key for yourself! [*] In addition to loot, there are more [b]permanent[/b] ways of gaining power: for example, by [b]slaying other players[/b]! Whenever a player dies, they will drop either a pickup that will fully heal the claimant, and increase their [b]vigor or vitality[/b]. This buff will [b]last across lives[/b]! [*] Finally, each map has a central area where occasionally [b]power will gather[/b]. Once gathered, it can be [b]claimed[/b] — but only by a single player. Stand in the zone alone for long enough, and you will have [b]otherworldly might be bestowed on you[/b]… [/list] [b]Multiplayer Changes[/b] [list] [*] You can now view your Steam Friends in-game, and send them an invitation to join your session via Remote Play. [*] Triggering the Steam Overlay will now pause the game. [*] In multiplayer, the Character menu for each player is condensed and shrunk to a corner of the screen. [*] Correspondingly, multiple players can now have their character menus open simultaneously. [*] HUD elements progressively reduce in size with more players. [*] The way difficulty scales with more players has been revised. [*] When in multiplayer, you can now toggle the split-screen mode in both the Descent and the Arena. [/list] [b]Balance Changes[/b] [list] [*] The Veteran’s starting armor is now weaker. [*] The Friar now begins with a wooden shield in addition to their mace and lantern. [*] The “bounce off” effect of heavy armor now only applies against blows of sufficiently low “force.” [*] Shields consume slightly more vigor when blocking attacks (based on their “force”). [*] Correspondingly, the attack “force” of all items has been rebalanced. Some weapons are now better at breaking through shields (ex: maces), and some weapons are now slightly worse (ex: swords). [*] Torches now ignite foes when landing a critical blow. [/list] [b]Input Changes:[/b] [list] [*] The game now waits for player input at startup before advancing to the main menu. The purpose of this change is to determine more gracefully if a player wants to use a gamepad or keyboard/mouse. [*] Correspondingly, all methods of input - plugged-in gamepads and keyboard/mouse - require input before they are “claimed” as player inputs by the game. [*] The “auto-replace keyboard” option has changed: plugging in additional gamepads no longer “replaces” the mouse and keyboard until the fourth one is added. It has been moved to the Options > Input > Controllers menu. [*] There is now an additional “keyboard disable” setting that more specifically disables the keyboard if gamepads are being used. (This new setting defaults to “off.”) [*] Added the ability to explicitly disable controllers and the keyboard/mouse in the Options > Input > Controllers menu. [*] The gamepad input library (InControl) has been updated to the latest version. [/list] [b]New Player Changes:[/b] [list] [*] Pings indicating the player has a tutorial message waiting for them now gradually intensify. [*] Only 2 tutorial messages are allowed to accumulate, with higher-priority tutorials replacing lower-priority ones in the queue. [*] There is now a popup tutorial on how to juggle items between hands. [/list] [b]Misc Changes:[/b] [list] [*] Updated to the latest version of Unity (2022.3.52f1). [*] Some of the Essence traits the player can acquire have been rebalanced. [*] The quality and quantity of items you can discover in the dungeon has been rebalanced. [*] You can now perform basic actions (swapping items, opening doors, etc) without breaking stealth. [*] Some icons for rarer items that were not completed in time for the prior update have now been updated. [*] The subtle shadow underneath entities (to help them stand out visually against similar-colored backgrounds) has been intensified. [*] Footstep sounds when the player comes to a stop are less jarring. [*] Fixed a bug that occasionally prevented Vitae Sparks from appearing properly upon enemy death. [*] The camera can now zoom further out. [*] The pathfinding library has been updated to the latest version. [*] Astral Projection now untethers the player’s view from their corporeal body. [*] Spells with increased levels of mastery now properly reflect it in their name. [*] The Bloom filter has been removed from the vision system. This should improve the framerate on Steam Deck. [/list] Lastly, join the [b]Critical Reflex Publisher Page and Discord[/b] to stay updated and connected with your allies. 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