We’ve finally reintroduced Untold Story by way of a short, playable teaser! To check it out, click here!

Hopefully by now you’ve played the playable teaser for Untold Story (if not, click here!) and also read the Nintendolife interview and know that Untold Story is back!

It’s amazing to think that just a couple of weeks ago, we announced that we were removing Untold Story’s mini-site from the Candlelight Studios website temporarily… however now Untold Story is back into the limelight as Untold Story returns to full-time development with a playable teaser and a new (albeit slightly smaller) mini-site!

So what’s the difference between this Untold Story and the other Untold Story which was shown off a few months ago? A lot has changed, but at the same time a lot has stayed the same. Let’s go through it all:

• The current build of Untold Story is already further along than it was before I changed development to The Empty Inn… even though I restarted Untold Story’s development from scratch after finishing The Empty Inn. Suffice to say, I learnt SO MUCH from The Empty Inn (in the Nintendolife.com interview I said the amount I had learnt was incalculable) and this is shown in just how far along Untold Story is after only a few weeks of development. I can work significantly quicker in my game engine and I know what I need to do to create the elements I have to and how to achieve it in a quick and, more importantly, well-programmed manor.

• Having said that, there’s still a long way to go. I want to make Untold Story roughly 20-30 hours long, if not more… so there’s a lot to do. A lot of the core systems that make up the game, such as inventory and levelling systems, are currently still in development. This stuff, unfortunately, takes a lot of time. My current work environment isn’t the best and I’m not allowed the time and space I need to work on such complex systems. I’m hoping that if I can get the money I need, then that can change.

• If you were following the characters and story of the original Untold Story, then you’ll be pleased to know that much of the story and characters have remained the same. The amount of main characters in the story is bigger than before, and this has lead to some additions as well as a few characters relationships changing a bit, however a lot has grown, rather than completely changed. If you don’t know much about the characters, then don’t worry too much as I’ll be posting a blog soon, going into more detail about the characters as well as what has changed about them since my earlier blogs.

• Speaking of characters, have you seen Lycus the fox? Lycus is one of the new characters to join the group. Lycus is Bakchos’ closest companion, and participates in battle with the rest of the party, using potions to heal his team mates and do damage to his enemies. To sum it up: Lycus is an orange and white fox, with a red scarf who makes potions in middle of battle to help his allies and defeat his enemies… What. A. Badass.

• There is still a focus on NES graphics, less of a focus on the console’s limitations. Untold Story is still using NES, 8-bit, style graphics however instead of focusing on keeping the game true to NES RPGs, I’m working on creating a more unique experience. For example, instead of the battle system taking players to a separate screen, like Final Fantasy I, battles take place in the current environment, making players feel more connected to the battles and the environment they’re in. We’ve still got that battle transition though (as seen in the Untold Story Teaser)!

• Music! The Empty Inn didn’t have any music; Untold Story however will have plenty of it! I’ve teamed up with Ben Burnes, a chiptune composer who I have long admired, to bring some excellent music to Untold Story. Ben’s music is already in the Untold Story Teaser so be sure to stop moving around and soak in his fantastic beats. I’m positive that with Ben’s music Untold Story will be a game you’ll remember long after it’s complete.

• More open development. Unlike my other games, I want Untold Story’s development to be a bit more open. Not too open mind you, for example I don’t wanna spoil loads of stuff for players before they even get their hands on the game, however I do want to share the game’s progress with you, go into detail about the various systems which define it and just generally keep players in the loop. It’s not good enough to make a game in secret anymore and then release it to the wild … instead you’ve got to connect to your audience on a more personal level, keeping them in the loop, and that’s my intention. Doing this doesn’t just bring Untold Story closer to its fan, it also gives fans the chance to provide feedback, offer their opinions about the game and for me to make more educated changes to the game during its development, based on player feedback.The Untold Story Teaser is the beginning of this process.

• Bringing updates about Untold Story’s progress in more unique ways. Building on the last point, I’ll be bringing updates about Untold Story’s progress in more exciting ways, like the Untold Story Teaser. Yeah, there will still be blog posts about the game, trailers and screenshots… but in the current indie developer climate you have to get the attention of gamers in more unique and interesting ways and I intend to do that with Untold Story.Expect more cool things, like the Untold Story Teaser, to catch your attention.

There are a few other things which have changed/are different with Untold Story… and I honestly can’t wait to show those to you.

As I said in the Nintendolife interview, I am currently looking at funding options with regards to Untold Story. If you like what you see/hear/read then please share Untold Story, and make a noise about the game. Doing so would really help me out!

As part of keeping everyone up-to-date about Untold Story, I’ll be posting frequent blog updates! Not every post will be as long as this one but at least they’ll keep everyone in the loop, so be sure to return frequently! If we post anything then we’ll tweet it out so be sure to follow us @Candlelight_S for all of the latest news!

Thanks for reading,

Joshua