Pentabeat
Pentabeat is a high-paced and rythm-based twist on the classic bullet hell genre. This Furi meets Guitar Hero mashup uses its banging soundtrack to generate barrages of deadly bullets.
Master the game’s mechanics and learn to read the musical patterns to overcome each level’s individual challenges, but beware - it’s highly addictive! Face and slay the over the top, haunted speakers in this offbeat test of agility and patience! Can you do it?
Key features:
- One-of-a-kind, uncompromising bullet hell experience
High energy and high-paced gameplay which utilizes music as its underlying foundation.
- Replay value
Skill-based gameplay built around player growth and the sensation of triumph and accomplishment.
- Easy to learn, difficult to master
A minimalist, focused design without distraction from an overabundance of features.
- A slamming, memorable soundtrack
Pick one of three playable tracks, each with a unique cover art, distinctive aesthetic and a different difficulty level ranging from easy to hard.
- Unique graphics
Stylized visuals with a wacky atmosphere
Engine: Unreal Engine
Development time: 4 weeks
Team size: 6
Platform: PC
Game Design
Player Mechanics Design
Art Direction
I have co-created the design of the core gameplay loop. I was also responsible for refining collisions and implementing sounds effects.
Working closely with the product owner I designed player movement and camera behavior.
I was in charge of art direction. This included creating a visual style, assembling 3d assets and creating particle effects.
GAME PILLARS
High Energy
-
High-paced gameplay
-
Risk vs reward situations
-
Precision is key
Banging Tunes
-
High tempo
-
Catchy and dynamic
-
Music generates bullet patterns
Just one more game
-
Gameplay entices replayability
-
Challenging but fair
-
Instantly engaging
CORE LOOP
Dodge projectiles
Attack the boss
Pick up pellets
PLAYER MOVEMENT & CAMERA BEHAVIOR
To design the player movement I have simulated mechanics often used in platforming games. This ensured quality results as it required little iteration of the design, giving us more time for tweaking and playtesting. Movement utilized acceleration (not applicable when played with a controller), however it was not used during turning. This was done to keep the fast-paced flow of the game and allow for more precise motion when navigating between enemy projectiles.
To improve jumping precision we added a leeway for it's input, which would register milliseconds before a full landing and que it. This made jumping more responsive and gave players a larger margin for error.
The camera was designed to always face the same direction and follow the player's position. Soft tracking was used to increase the line of sight and make the camera feel more natural and dynamic.
ART DIRECTION
As there were no 3D artists on the team, I was appointed to be in charge of the visuals. The game's left-field aesthetic allowed us to experiment with a plethora of different colors, shapes and styles. We intended to create something absurd and memorable, while retaining simplicity.
I have designed two out of three bosses present in the game. The objective was to create designs that had unique personality and recognizable characteristics.
Explosion
Speaker
Landing
I was also responsible for particle effects, which were used to emphasize mechanics and generate feedback. Simplicity was the key to complement the game's minimalist aesthetics.