HELLESCAPE NEWSLETTER #1

V2 Progress

Hello! It’s been a while since I’ve given a general update on the progress of HELLESCAPE, so I figured I’d finally put one together in the form of a little newsletter.

Progress on the V2 update has admittedly been pretty slow, especially during the early stages after I first announced it. A lot of that time has actually gone into figuring out what I want V2 to be in the first place.

I’ve spent a ton of time reworking the story, figuring out what needs to change, and trying to make the game feel less like a Deltarune derivative. There’s been a lot of looking at the game’s first demo and going, “Okay, this is cool, but how do I make this feel more like HELLESCAPE?”

(I also spent a very normal and reasonable amount of time working on LOST DELTARUNE, which made me neglect HELLESCAPE a bit. Oops, lol.)

These days, though, progress has been moving at a really good pace. I recently brought on a bunch of really talented artists and programmers to help out with the game, and I’m hoping that having more people working on HELLESCAPE will help speed things up quite a bit.

I’ve also been spending a lot of time programming. I’ve changed a ton of things from the original demo, especially stuff that I remember people having complaints about. Some of those changes are because of the Deltarune similarities, while others are simply because... well, some parts of the game kinda sucked. Let’s be real.

The Specter Forest, for example, isn’t getting scrapped or anything, but it is getting completely retiled. That’s about all I’m gonna say about that for now.

Also, Seal Events are getting a total overhaul. One of the biggest complaints people had about them before was that they went on for way too long. And, honestly, yeah... fair. LOL.

Another issue was that not every enemy had a unique Seal Event. That’s changing in V2. Every enemy will have their own unique Seal Event now, with their own mechanics and little quirks.

Lastly, the game will now have different routes depending on how you choose to handle each battle. Instead of Akuma’s dialogue simply changing based on your choices, your decisions can actually affect where the game takes you. You might find yourself in a completely different area if you’re unlucky enough.

Music

Only about three tracks are getting remade. I still don’t really agree with the idea that the entire soundtrack is a Deltarune ripoff, but there are definitely a few tracks that I think could be improved or pushed in a more original direction.

I’ve also composed a couple of brand-new tracks for some small new areas in the Specter Forest! They’re for areas that weren’t in the original demo, so I’m pretty excited for you guys to hear them when the time comes.

Combat

Get used to parrying, brah.

Generally speaking, the battles themselves WILL still contain bullet hell. However, I’ve come up with some ways to make sure you’re constantly engaging with the battle system’s other gimmicks alongside it.

I won’t say much more about it just yet, but I think the battles are way more fun.

Release Date

Please don’t expect V2 to release this year. I’m sorry! I really want to take as much time as I need to make sure the game is properly made, playtested, polished, and, like, actually worth the wait, lol.

Also, trying to make a game while being in college at the same time is... not exactly ideal. LOL.

If I had to give an actual prediction, I’d say March 2027 is probably the most realistic target right now. May 2027 at the absolute latest is what I’m aiming for, assuming everything goes according to plan.

Of course, things can always change, but I’d rather give you guys a realistic window than promise a date and end up rushing the game. Oh... and yeah, it'll be releasing on Steam.

Conclusion

Thanks for reading! I really do appreciate all the support for the game I’ve seen. Thank you very much.

I love all of you. hugs hugs hugs hugs