Secrets - Beta stage!

[ManicMatt]

This game went into development hell - but it's back!

The game is virtually complete, it's in it's beta stage, of which I need a few testers if anyone's interested! Please PM me if you are. (I've already asked a couple of people and awaiting reply, but I need three or four testers all together.)

Jake is worried when he recieves a distressing call from his paranoid and obsessive brother Daniel, that people's life's might be in danger. Jakes hurrys over only to find his brother drowning in his own blood.

All I need to do is iron out any bugs in the game with the help of some eager play testers, and record the remaining dialogue.

Screenshots:





PROGRESS:

overall: 95%
backgrounds: 100%
story+puzzles: 100%
characters: 100%
animations: 100%
scripting: 99%

Actually, I'll need to change the credits in the game for any play testers!

[Mordalles]

this looks really interesting. i like the blood effects. 

[Nikolas]

I'm listening to your music right now.

Everyone: This is interesting music! Everyone who likes NIN or Marilyn Manson check it out! It's worth it. If your game is as good as your music then this is going to be a great game!

The game looks fun! I like the graphics (although small screenshots. Isn't there a way to make them bigger?)

[ManicMatt]

Mordalles: There's more blood in the game than that!

Nikolas: Wow, thanks man! That made my day!

Yeah Photobucket automatically made them smaller! I'll look into it.

[i k a r i]

The main character face is so cool 
Very original..great style.

[scourge]

looks amazingly cool. Keep it up

[ManicMatt]

thanks you two!

I was worried that posting my game here might put pressure on me, but if anything it's spurred me on to make it!

[Ozzie]

Looks pretty nice. Can`t say that I`m a big fan of the backgrounds (gradients are often boring and here they seem to be out of place, because it let`s look the wall like it gets more lightened towards the ground, also this doesn`t make any sense, or it is losing color),but besides this, the character designs look very nice. Overall, the pixelated part of your graphics is great, but it doesn`t live in harmony with the gradients. The only one that works is the one on the plant in the 2nd picture.
Couldn`t listen to your (probably) great music, because I have no sound on my system at the moment.

Title Screen looks also cool. Overall: promising.

[ManicMatt]

Before I added gradients i felt my backgrounds looked bland and too basic, so when I found this simple gradient tool I thought "Cool!"

I know what you mean, and I'm shit/impatient at sitting there for hours filling in shades of different colours.

Is there some other tool that would have done a better job of shading things?

Oh well, hopefully you'll be having too much fun to notice the backgrounds! ahem.

[Baron]

This project is looking good!  I like the fact that each room seems to have a lot going on (potentially useful inventory items laying around, potentially useful papers with clues to look at, etc.) -it will keep the user thinking.

One Question: Why are cyllindrical objects, and only cyllindrical objects, drawn....er.....roughly?

Look forward to seeing the completed game!

BaRoN

[ManicMatt]

Have you tried using the circle feature in mspaint?

I know, I should really be using my copy of photoshop, but it intimidates me!

[The Faction]

This is looking good ManicMatt. I can tell you've spent some time on your backgrounds.  I would highly recommend you start using your photoshop.
Even some simple noise filters would enhance your backgrounds if used correctly.
And photoshop isn't all that much more difficult once you get used to it,(this shouldn't take more than a couple of days) and is much less frustrating with all its layer and undo features.

[ManicMatt]

You're quite right, I really should! I'm doing away with those gradients now. (In 95% of all cases)

Someone on here showed me the noise gradient effect! I'll give that a try!

Although my strengths lie in dialogue and story telling, I do want to make a good impression with the graphics! (I was tempted to kidnap Increator or big brother and force them to do the backgrounds, but I want my work to be my own.)

Yes, I am joking. Don't panic.

[TheBoldSlasher]

I love the poster in the second screenshot.

Seems fairly...how you say...violent.

[ManicMatt]

  Ha ha violent! I hadn't thought about it that way!

I was just posting the two most exciting looking parts in the game so far!

Or maybe grand theft auto had a bigger impact on me than I realised...

[ManicMatt]

Bump.

New info at top!

[Ozzie]

You're getting better in the graphic department. I like the new screenshot.
Just hope that the flame will be animated, would look odd otherwise. 

[ManicMatt]

Oh yes, naturally the fire is animated!  8)

I just love the animations I've got for the homeless guy!

[vict0r]

Why dont you post some character graphics or something for us? I think your style is really cool, and i doubt i'm the only one. Give us some eyecandy

[Sinister]

Great work, indeed everything looks very original. But i have one suggestion regarding Backgrounds with  nearby light sources. If your going to animate the fire for example, you should also animate the BG, doing that isnt really to hard and it gives some much extra when the Background is also animated.