High Concept
Step into a dungeon rumored to hold unimaginable treasures! Here, you’ll uncover the ultimate weapon… a Sawblade? Experience a thrilling top-down shooter with a unique twist as you ricochet your sawblade using your trusty six-shooter and grappling hook. Battle fierce enemies and claim the riches hidden within the depths of the dungeon!
Developement Time
2 months
Genre
Top Down Shooter Dungeon Crawler
Platform
PC
Team size
3
Engine
Alpha Engine (School Provided)
Role
Main Gameplay / Systems Programmer and Technical Designer
Contributions
Created all of the player mechanics such as the Buzzsaw, First Person controller, the grappling hook, and Six Shooter
Extensively tested effectiveness of Buzzsaw throughout multiple iterations
Collaborated with the team to design and implement the concept as well as workshop the mechanics in order to have a cohesive player experience
At the end of the procedurally generated room structure, players encounter an engaging boss fight designed to highlight the buzzsaw’s functionality. The boss, Warboar, features various bullet patterns managed by a bullet pooling system, which recycles a finite number of pre-instantiated bullets. This approach optimizes performance by minimizing resource usage, ensuring the fight remains smooth and enjoyable without straining the game’s resources.
In RicoBlade, both the mechanics and enemies are designed to keep players at a distance, punishing close contact and encouraging interaction with the core buzzsaw mechanic. The six-shooter and grappling hook serve primarily as tools to control the buzzsaw, rather than traditional weapons, as they deal minimal damage to enemies. The buzzsaw also features a combo system, where the more frequently it's hit, the faster it spins, increasing its speed and effectiveness as players progress.
RicoBlade was developed as an exploration of new and innovative mechanics within a familiar format. Programming the game, particularly the buzzsaw mechanic, was an exciting challenge. The mechanic underwent several iterations before we refined it into its current implementation, allowing for a more polished and engaging gameplay experience.