Curse Eater
A 3D RPG made using Unreal Engine 4
NOTE: images have been temporarily taken down while shaders are undergoing work. Any images shown could give an incorrect depiction of the project. Thank you for understanding!
Curse Eater is an RPG set in a distant fictional land. The player is a curse eater, a manifestation created by a witch in her dying moments with the sole purpose of realizing her revenge by relieving the land of the curses placed by her ambitious nemesis. The player has total control of how they can traverse the world with a selection of abilities given by the school of combat the player selects upon playing. The curses of the land are empowered by the weather patterns that compliment the biome, allowing the player to determine the best time and course of actions to apprehend the enemies. The game follows a unique artistic style and themes that give it a rich feel. For the moment, the game is undergoing a lot of development so it has no release date (YET), but as my most ambitious project yet, I fully intend to deliver the best version it can be!
Inspiration
The game uses a combination of the Kuwahara paint filter as well as a LUT band based Cel Shader to complement the distinct color palettes used for each biome. I use a very particular set of rules for the amount of detail and stylistic themes of each asset to make sure the art direction is strictly followed to achieve a unique feel. As a solo project, this approach gives me an easier workflow while allowing me to steadily progress through the development. The works that drive the inspiration used for the art style are a combination of Studio Ghibli, the Lanfeust comic book series by Soleil, the anime Demon Slayer, the lovely game series Dark Souls, and finally, some doodles I made back in high school.
The Main Components of Gameplay
I wanted the game's difficulty to be fluid and dynamic. This is so the players can determine the best time to begin an attack on their enemies depending on the biome they intend of ridding of curses, but also pose the threat of needing to change their playstyle at any moment. In order to do this, the game uses a deep weather system that dynamically changes by giving buffs or debuffs to the enemies in the biome based on the current weather pattern. What that means, in the game, is that heavy rain would strenghten the enemies of the temperate biome, but weaken the enemies of the savannah. Some biomes also distinctly do not allow certain weather patterns, like snow in the arid desert. This aspect of gameplay enriches the player's approach because it is also visibly predictable. A player can expect rain, snow, thunder, wind, and more based on the color and movement of the skies. Preparation can also be done as the weather shifts from sunny to thick clouds. These weather patterns are mostly random so the player must also expect the unexpected! The weather system is highly modular and once perfected may likely become available on the UE marketplace for free (!!!).
The weather system is not the only driver of difficulty, though. The enemies in the game will, as one can expect, become tougher throughout the game. As the player progresses, enemies will strike harder, have more health, and use different methods of attacking. Each enemy will have more optimal approaches though. To add to the driver of difficulty, the weather system also includes cosmic influences, such as a day & night cycle that behaves the same way in regards to adding or decreasing difficulty, and an Eclipse system. During eclipses, all enemies will be filled with rage and prove to be mighty foes, which can also be strenghtened depending on the current weather. The intense occurence will not be a total surprise, as the moons orbit will seemingly come to an eclipse as the in-game days pass.
The combat of Curse Eater revolves around schools of combat. I got this idea from the anime Demon Slayer. The show gives some of its characters "schools" that allow these characters to use abilities based on certain elements. The idea seemed pleasant because it gives the player the choice of preference. Some enemies may be more resistant or weaker to certain elements, while some may not make any difference on the way an enemy gives damage. This also allows the player to have wildcard ways to attack an enemy. The player may also find items that enhance their resistances against certain schools as well as their damage against certain biomes. This makes the landscape more appealing to fully explore as secret areas may hold treasures that enhance the playstyle of the players.