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Fear the big bad wolf!
TheRpgmakerAddict- 02/05/2021 11:48 AM
- 2137 views
Amarok's Howl is a short horror game set in Johan Winter's Academy in Alaska, during Christmas. This game was made in two weeks (from 16th of October to the 31th of October) for the Kill the Cutie event and Spooktober Spooktacular Game Jam.
The introduction is pretty long, but nice: we play as Alistair Morgan, the Resident Advisor to the other students during the winter break on the university campus.
We get to know some students and professors (if you talk with them, but it is not mandatory) and we learn about some legends about some mythic cretures like the Keelut, whose sighting brings only trouble, and the great wolf Amarok.
Since Amarok's Howl is the title of the game, it's no surprise that these legends will turn out to be real, and suddenly the campus will be invaded by some dangerous monsters. Alistair decides to take charge and gather the survivors, and that's where the game begins.
Oh... REALLY???
The game is a sort of survival horror / stealth game where we have to explore the campus to collect the students, whose position is randomized, even if one character can give some hints about the places where they can be found. The problem is that outside is very cold so it's suggested to avoid staying outdoors for too long. But indoors the situation isn't better due to the roaming monsters, and Alistair isn't a combatant at all, he can just run away from these creatures. And if the monsters hit him a certain number of times (depending on the difficulty of the game chosen by the player, this is a good feature I think!) it's game over!
Alistair can walk, run and also jump (but there is a cooldown for this) in order to avoid the evil creatures, but for the rest he's totally harmless. There is also the much hated Keelut, but it's harmless, and its role is just warning monsters of Alistair's presence. Oh yes the mosnters: these creatures patrol the halls of the campus and are rather gust but luckily they sometimes get tired and they always stop after hitting Alistair. The problem is that there are some narrow spaces where you can can be stuck inside with a monster (and unfortunately not always jumping will let you escape, so try to avoid narrow corridors as much as you can).
Ok. Now my experience: the game is rather entertaining, what I found really difficult was avoiding the monsters, since they seems to always notice me no matter if I walk or run. Ok, standing still sometimes makes Alistair unnoticeable if they are far, but as soon as they are nearby... it's time to flee! (in version 1.4 this has toned down, luckily, making the game a bit easier and more forgiving) Unfortunately these furry killers are quite fast and one they was Alistair they seems to be able to find him without much difficulty (maybe due to their sense of smell? Who knows!). If the idea was to make the protagonist a weakling pursued by invincible deadly beings (the opposite of Luke Daimont!), the mission was accomplished! And yes, this make a small but immersive horror scenario.
Graphics and sounds are rtp but they are used in a pretty nice way. I like this, and even if mapping is just ok (there are some odd things like the mirrors that look like more old medieval mirrors despite the modern setting, also the final outdoor areas are quick sketched, but uhm ok) but without errors or problems of any kind. Sounds and music are nothing new or out of place (lots of howling and wind), thy are ok and fit the situations.
Oh yeah? Guess who will have to work hard to save people?
Verdict
Amarok's Howl is a nice short game: despite some issues like the implacable monsters, some features like the effects of cold and the the randomization of the survivors' locations make this a game different from the usual. Oh and you can also save anywhere so the game may be not too difficult, even if the greatest challenge is still finding all the survivors (hunting for them without being hunted by the wolves!). The final part is also quite easy if you are prudent, but I liked that anyway, and I liked the ending even if it was a bit odd.
Last version improved a lot the game in my opinion (besides apparently solving a bug I never encountered, but hey that's even better!), when I first played the game I was probably going to award a 3/5, now this version if quite better, and gets... well you can see by yourself. A pretty good entry to a contest, also considered the short time in which this was made.
Good hunt, guys!
The introduction is pretty long, but nice: we play as Alistair Morgan, the Resident Advisor to the other students during the winter break on the university campus.
We get to know some students and professors (if you talk with them, but it is not mandatory) and we learn about some legends about some mythic cretures like the Keelut, whose sighting brings only trouble, and the great wolf Amarok.
Since Amarok's Howl is the title of the game, it's no surprise that these legends will turn out to be real, and suddenly the campus will be invaded by some dangerous monsters. Alistair decides to take charge and gather the survivors, and that's where the game begins.
Oh... REALLY???
The game is a sort of survival horror / stealth game where we have to explore the campus to collect the students, whose position is randomized, even if one character can give some hints about the places where they can be found. The problem is that outside is very cold so it's suggested to avoid staying outdoors for too long. But indoors the situation isn't better due to the roaming monsters, and Alistair isn't a combatant at all, he can just run away from these creatures. And if the monsters hit him a certain number of times (depending on the difficulty of the game chosen by the player, this is a good feature I think!) it's game over!
Alistair can walk, run and also jump (but there is a cooldown for this) in order to avoid the evil creatures, but for the rest he's totally harmless. There is also the much hated Keelut, but it's harmless, and its role is just warning monsters of Alistair's presence. Oh yes the mosnters: these creatures patrol the halls of the campus and are rather gust but luckily they sometimes get tired and they always stop after hitting Alistair. The problem is that there are some narrow spaces where you can can be stuck inside with a monster (and unfortunately not always jumping will let you escape, so try to avoid narrow corridors as much as you can).
Ok. Now my experience: the game is rather entertaining, what I found really difficult was avoiding the monsters, since they seems to always notice me no matter if I walk or run. Ok, standing still sometimes makes Alistair unnoticeable if they are far, but as soon as they are nearby... it's time to flee! (in version 1.4 this has toned down, luckily, making the game a bit easier and more forgiving) Unfortunately these furry killers are quite fast and one they was Alistair they seems to be able to find him without much difficulty (maybe due to their sense of smell? Who knows!). If the idea was to make the protagonist a weakling pursued by invincible deadly beings (the opposite of Luke Daimont!), the mission was accomplished! And yes, this make a small but immersive horror scenario.
Graphics and sounds are rtp but they are used in a pretty nice way. I like this, and even if mapping is just ok (there are some odd things like the mirrors that look like more old medieval mirrors despite the modern setting, also the final outdoor areas are quick sketched, but uhm ok) but without errors or problems of any kind. Sounds and music are nothing new or out of place (lots of howling and wind), thy are ok and fit the situations.
Oh yeah? Guess who will have to work hard to save people?
Verdict
Amarok's Howl is a nice short game: despite some issues like the implacable monsters, some features like the effects of cold and the the randomization of the survivors' locations make this a game different from the usual. Oh and you can also save anywhere so the game may be not too difficult, even if the greatest challenge is still finding all the survivors (hunting for them without being hunted by the wolves!). The final part is also quite easy if you are prudent, but I liked that anyway, and I liked the ending even if it was a bit odd.
Last version improved a lot the game in my opinion (besides apparently solving a bug I never encountered, but hey that's even better!), when I first played the game I was probably going to award a 3/5, now this version if quite better, and gets... well you can see by yourself. A pretty good entry to a contest, also considered the short time in which this was made.
Good hunt, guys!
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Beregon
3527
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CloseThanks for the review! That first screenshot :D This was the second game I ever made and I hated how a lot of things ended up in the final version.
For example the overlong opening, originally, it was supposed to be much better paced and you were supposed to be able to walk around in the day to get familiar with the layout of the campus, but implementing those roaming monsters and related mechanics took much longer than I thought. So I had like a day left and thus chose to make two long cutscenes, since it was the easiest and quickest path to implement the theme of the event (which was a game that's cute and/or wholesome at first that eventually turns out to be horrifying, hence the pretty cheesy Christmas party scene.
There was also the difficulty, it's pretty hard to playtest your games on your own when you know everything there's in the game and all the tricks around the AI. The first version was tailored around me, meaning there was little tolerance for mistakes. I knew it wasn't going to be perfectly balanced, that's why I added the autosaves and allowed you to save anywhere, to reduce the player's frustration. I toned down the difficulty a few times and also implemented 3 separate difficulties, so that the Hard difficulty can be somewhat close to the original one for those that want a challange.
I think another issue with this was that there wasn't a good tutorial. You were supposed to learn the basic mechanics organically during the daytime portion of the game, but I ran out of time and as such just made an ingame book with instructions as a shortcut.
I made a lot of mistakes with this game, but it was still a great learning experience and I don't regret making it. Plus, the reaction Liberty and the rest of the stream had to that bizzare Sedna myth was priceless :D
I think version 1.4 is alright atleast. It still has some significant flaws, but there's some enjoyment to be had.
Regarding some of your comments... the mirrors are from the SF part of the RTP, but yeah, they don't really fit with the style of the university building. The maps ended up being more functional than pretty, but I tried to give the building a somewhat realistic layout, so that the player doesn't get lost easily and things make some sort of sense. Hopefully I was successful in that regard.
As for Alistair not being a combatant, well, the way I implemented it was that combat was automatic and based on random chance. When you get caught by an adlet, there's either a claw animation or a hit animation followed by running sounds. The second one was supposed to symbolize that Alistair managed to stun the monster before it could attack him and get away safely. Also, no matter the outcome, there's a hit animation being played on the monster when you return to the map, meaning that he managed to stun it (that's why you are able to continue running and why they stop for 3 seconds after catching you). It would be better if they had the downed sprite when that happened, but oh well.
Also, when playing, did you ever run out of Endurance for being too long on the outside Campus map?
For example the overlong opening, originally, it was supposed to be much better paced and you were supposed to be able to walk around in the day to get familiar with the layout of the campus, but implementing those roaming monsters and related mechanics took much longer than I thought. So I had like a day left and thus chose to make two long cutscenes, since it was the easiest and quickest path to implement the theme of the event (which was a game that's cute and/or wholesome at first that eventually turns out to be horrifying, hence the pretty cheesy Christmas party scene.
There was also the difficulty, it's pretty hard to playtest your games on your own when you know everything there's in the game and all the tricks around the AI. The first version was tailored around me, meaning there was little tolerance for mistakes. I knew it wasn't going to be perfectly balanced, that's why I added the autosaves and allowed you to save anywhere, to reduce the player's frustration. I toned down the difficulty a few times and also implemented 3 separate difficulties, so that the Hard difficulty can be somewhat close to the original one for those that want a challange.
I think another issue with this was that there wasn't a good tutorial. You were supposed to learn the basic mechanics organically during the daytime portion of the game, but I ran out of time and as such just made an ingame book with instructions as a shortcut.
I made a lot of mistakes with this game, but it was still a great learning experience and I don't regret making it. Plus, the reaction Liberty and the rest of the stream had to that bizzare Sedna myth was priceless :D
I think version 1.4 is alright atleast. It still has some significant flaws, but there's some enjoyment to be had.
Regarding some of your comments... the mirrors are from the SF part of the RTP, but yeah, they don't really fit with the style of the university building. The maps ended up being more functional than pretty, but I tried to give the building a somewhat realistic layout, so that the player doesn't get lost easily and things make some sort of sense. Hopefully I was successful in that regard.
As for Alistair not being a combatant, well, the way I implemented it was that combat was automatic and based on random chance. When you get caught by an adlet, there's either a claw animation or a hit animation followed by running sounds. The second one was supposed to symbolize that Alistair managed to stun the monster before it could attack him and get away safely. Also, no matter the outcome, there's a hit animation being played on the monster when you return to the map, meaning that he managed to stun it (that's why you are able to continue running and why they stop for 3 seconds after catching you). It would be better if they had the downed sprite when that happened, but oh well.
Also, when playing, did you ever run out of Endurance for being too long on the outside Campus map?
TheRpgmakerAddict
60227
Well on my part I admit I am totally inept when I play stealth games (uhm a game with the initials K.F. comes to mind... but it's also true I played medium difficulty, not easy!) so this may be my problem, anyway despite the lenght of the introduction, I liked a lot the Sedna myth!
I guess the game was also perfectioned so it was not that bad, the ending part was also a bit easy (maybe because at the time I already knew the layout of the campus), but it's pretty good for a short event game. Even if the very ending is a it odd, but hey, it's a nice story!
No I never ran out of endurance since I feared a game over! :D I play safe in horror games.
I guess the game was also perfectioned so it was not that bad, the ending part was also a bit easy (maybe because at the time I already knew the layout of the campus), but it's pretty good for a short event game. Even if the very ending is a it odd, but hey, it's a nice story!
No I never ran out of endurance since I feared a game over! :D I play safe in horror games.
Beregon
3527
author=TheRpgmakerAddict
Well on my part I admit I am totally inept when I play stealth games (uhm a game with the initials K.F. comes to mind... but it's also true I played medium difficulty, not easy!) so this may be my problem, anyway despite the lenght of the introduction, I liked a lot the Sedna myth!
I guess the game was also perfectioned so it was not that bad, the ending part was also a bit easy (maybe because at the time I already knew the layout of the campus), but it's pretty good for a short event game. Even if the very ending is a it odd, but hey, it's a nice story!
No I never ran out of endurance since I feared a game over! :D I play safe in horror games.
You don't get a game over right after running out of Endurance, first, you get a Frostbite status and your Endurance is reset to full. If you run out of Endurance with Frostbite on, you get a game over. Frostbite can be removed by healing at the doctor's office or after walking like 1000 steps. Thought this was a better way to handle it than a straight up game over.
Tbh, you shouldn't ever run out of Endurance unless you try to, since the vast majority of the buildings have multiple entrances from multiple sides and you can always go through buildings to recharge Endurance.
Regarding the ending:
The scenes after the credits were the last thing I made and they were entirely unplanned. I added them in a spur-of-the-moment decision, since I thought it would give the game more closure.
Which part do you find odd btw, what Amarok did at that lake?
Which part do you find odd btw, what Amarok did at that lake?
TheRpgmakerAddict
60227
author=Beregon
You don't get a game over right after running out of Endurance, first, you get a Frostbite status and your Endurance is reset to full. If you run out of Endurance with Frostbite on, you get a game over. Frostbite can be removed by healing at the doctor's office or after walking like 1000 steps. Thought this was a better way to handle it than a straight up game over.
Tbh, you shouldn't ever run out of Endurance unless you try to, since the vast majority of the buildings have multiple entrances from multiple sides and you can always go through buildings to recharge Endurance.
Uh ok, anyway I always play safe, going to heal after each expedition (visiting each building I mean). So ok not too terrible anyway nice addition and feature!
author=Beregon
Regarding the ending:The scenes after the credits were the last thing I made and they were entirely unplanned. I added them in a spur-of-the-moment decision, since I thought it would give the game more closure.
Which part do you find odd btw, what Amarok did at that lake?
exactly
since it turns out that despite the apparent outcome... he is dead anyway!
Beregon
3527
author=TheRpgmakerAddictauthor=BeregonUh ok, anyway I always play safe, going to heal after each expedition (visiting each building I mean). So ok not too terrible anyway nice addition and feature!
You don't get a game over right after running out of Endurance, first, you get a Frostbite status and your Endurance is reset to full. If you run out of Endurance with Frostbite on, you get a game over. Frostbite can be removed by healing at the doctor's office or after walking like 1000 steps. Thought this was a better way to handle it than a straight up game over.
Tbh, you shouldn't ever run out of Endurance unless you try to, since the vast majority of the buildings have multiple entrances from multiple sides and you can always go through buildings to recharge Endurance.author=Beregon
Regarding the ending:The scenes after the credits were the last thing I made and they were entirely unplanned. I added them in a spur-of-the-moment decision, since I thought it would give the game more closure.
Which part do you find odd btw, what Amarok did at that lake?
exactlysince it turns out that despite the apparent outcome... he is dead anyway!
Well:
The ending is a loose adaptation of one legend about Amarok. In it, a grieving widower hunts the Amarok and in the end, he tries to hide from the Amarok in a cave, but Amarok drags his soul out of a nearby puddle of water (maybe because the underworld in this mythology is supposed to be located underwater?), resulting in his death. Because no one can hide from the Amarok. In another version, he simply attacks him as a normal wolf would, but instead of causing any visible injuries, he rips his soul out of his body. That's what Amarok does. That's why there were no claw marks on the Groundskeeper in the Tunnels area.
TheRpgmakerAddict
60227
author=Beregonauthor=TheRpgmakerAddictWell:author=BeregonUh ok, anyway I always play safe, going to heal after each expedition (visiting each building I mean). So ok not too terrible anyway nice addition and feature!
You don't get a game over right after running out of Endurance, first, you get a Frostbite status and your Endurance is reset to full. If you run out of Endurance with Frostbite on, you get a game over. Frostbite can be removed by healing at the doctor's office or after walking like 1000 steps. Thought this was a better way to handle it than a straight up game over.
Tbh, you shouldn't ever run out of Endurance unless you try to, since the vast majority of the buildings have multiple entrances from multiple sides and you can always go through buildings to recharge Endurance.
author=Beregon
Regarding the ending:The scenes after the credits were the last thing I made and they were entirely unplanned. I added them in a spur-of-the-moment decision, since I thought it would give the game more closure.
Which part do you find odd btw, what Amarok did at that lake?
exactlysince it turns out that despite the apparent outcome... he is dead anyway!The ending is a loose adaptation of one legend about Amarok. In it, a grieving widower hunts the Amarok and in the end, he tries to hide from the Amarok in a cave, but Amarok drags his soul out of a nearby puddle of water (maybe because the underworld in this mythology is supposed to be located underwater?), resulting in his death. Because no one can hide from the Amarok. In another version, he simply attacks him as a normal wolf would, but instead of causing any visible injuries, he rips his soul out of his body. That's what Amarok does. That's why there were no claw marks on the Groundskeeper in the Tunnels area.
Oh, ok, I got it, but since there is no visible attack or other active action this was not clear... now I understand the parallel with the groundskeeper
Beregon
3527
author=TheRpgmakerAddictauthor=Beregonauthor=TheRpgmakerAddictWell:author=BeregonUh ok, anyway I always play safe, going to heal after each expedition (visiting each building I mean). So ok not too terrible anyway nice addition and feature!
You don't get a game over right after running out of Endurance, first, you get a Frostbite status and your Endurance is reset to full. If you run out of Endurance with Frostbite on, you get a game over. Frostbite can be removed by healing at the doctor's office or after walking like 1000 steps. Thought this was a better way to handle it than a straight up game over.
Tbh, you shouldn't ever run out of Endurance unless you try to, since the vast majority of the buildings have multiple entrances from multiple sides and you can always go through buildings to recharge Endurance.
author=Beregon
Regarding the ending:The scenes after the credits were the last thing I made and they were entirely unplanned. I added them in a spur-of-the-moment decision, since I thought it would give the game more closure.
Which part do you find odd btw, what Amarok did at that lake?
exactlysince it turns out that despite the apparent outcome... he is dead anyway!The ending is a loose adaptation of one legend about Amarok. In it, a grieving widower hunts the Amarok and in the end, he tries to hide from the Amarok in a cave, but Amarok drags his soul out of a nearby puddle of water (maybe because the underworld in this mythology is supposed to be located underwater?), resulting in his death. Because no one can hide from the Amarok. In another version, he simply attacks him as a normal wolf would, but instead of causing any visible injuries, he rips his soul out of his body. That's what Amarok does. That's why there were no claw marks on the Groundskeeper in the Tunnels area.Oh, ok, I got it, but since there is no visible attack or other active action this was not clear... now I understand the parallel with the groundskeeper
Yeah, I knew there was probably gonna be some confusion, that's what I get for using pictures for Amarok :D When he starts dragging his soul from the lake, I added a Bite sound to indicate it and at the end, I added that animation that plays out when he either hunts you and you run out of time or when you run into a keelut during the last part. This was my attempt to make the story even more fitting with the event theme, since I wasn't sure if my previous attempts were enough. Did you find the ending fitting or would you think another one would be better?
TheRpgmakerAddict
60227
author=Beregonauthor=TheRpgmakerAddictauthor=Beregonauthor=TheRpgmakerAddictWell:author=BeregonUh ok, anyway I always play safe, going to heal after each expedition (visiting each building I mean). So ok not too terrible anyway nice addition and feature!
You don't get a game over right after running out of Endurance, first, you get a Frostbite status and your Endurance is reset to full. If you run out of Endurance with Frostbite on, you get a game over. Frostbite can be removed by healing at the doctor's office or after walking like 1000 steps. Thought this was a better way to handle it than a straight up game over.
Tbh, you shouldn't ever run out of Endurance unless you try to, since the vast majority of the buildings have multiple entrances from multiple sides and you can always go through buildings to recharge Endurance.author=Beregon
Regarding the ending:The scenes after the credits were the last thing I made and they were entirely unplanned. I added them in a spur-of-the-moment decision, since I thought it would give the game more closure.
Which part do you find odd btw, what Amarok did at that lake?
exactlysince it turns out that despite the apparent outcome... he is dead anyway!The ending is a loose adaptation of one legend about Amarok. In it, a grieving widower hunts the Amarok and in the end, he tries to hide from the Amarok in a cave, but Amarok drags his soul out of a nearby puddle of water (maybe because the underworld in this mythology is supposed to be located underwater?), resulting in his death. Because no one can hide from the Amarok. In another version, he simply attacks him as a normal wolf would, but instead of causing any visible injuries, he rips his soul out of his body. That's what Amarok does. That's why there were no claw marks on the Groundskeeper in the Tunnels area.Oh, ok, I got it, but since there is no visible attack or other active action this was not clear... now I understand the parallel with the groundskeeperYeah, I knew there was probably gonna be some confusion, that's what I get for using pictures for Amarok :D When he starts dragging his soul from the lake, I added a Bite sound to indicate it and at the end, I added that animation that plays out when he either hunts you and you run out of time or when you run into a keelut during the last part. This was my attempt to make the story even more fitting with the event theme, since I wasn't sure if my previous attempts were enough. Did you find the ending fitting or would you think another one would be better?
Nah it's ok and fitting, hey maybe it's me! On the other hand if you see my review of Reliquia - the prototype(another short game for a jam with three endings) I had a hard time figuring that endings there too! Lol! Maybe I prefer longer (
not that this is short just I think it needed more emphasis on that action
Beregon
3527
author=TheRpgmakerAddictauthor=BeregonNah it's ok and fitting, hey maybe it's me! On the other hand if you see my review of Reliquia - the prototype(another short game for a jam with three endings) I had a hard time figuring that endings there too! Lol! Maybe I prefer longer (author=TheRpgmakerAddictauthor=Beregonauthor=TheRpgmakerAddictWell:author=BeregonUh ok, anyway I always play safe, going to heal after each expedition (visiting each building I mean). So ok not too terrible anyway nice addition and feature!
You don't get a game over right after running out of Endurance, first, you get a Frostbite status and your Endurance is reset to full. If you run out of Endurance with Frostbite on, you get a game over. Frostbite can be removed by healing at the doctor's office or after walking like 1000 steps. Thought this was a better way to handle it than a straight up game over.
Tbh, you shouldn't ever run out of Endurance unless you try to, since the vast majority of the buildings have multiple entrances from multiple sides and you can always go through buildings to recharge Endurance.
author=Beregon
Regarding the ending:The scenes after the credits were the last thing I made and they were entirely unplanned. I added them in a spur-of-the-moment decision, since I thought it would give the game more closure.
Which part do you find odd btw, what Amarok did at that lake?
exactlysince it turns out that despite the apparent outcome... he is dead anyway!The ending is a loose adaptation of one legend about Amarok. In it, a grieving widower hunts the Amarok and in the end, he tries to hide from the Amarok in a cave, but Amarok drags his soul out of a nearby puddle of water (maybe because the underworld in this mythology is supposed to be located underwater?), resulting in his death. Because no one can hide from the Amarok. In another version, he simply attacks him as a normal wolf would, but instead of causing any visible injuries, he rips his soul out of his body. That's what Amarok does. That's why there were no claw marks on the Groundskeeper in the Tunnels area.Oh, ok, I got it, but since there is no visible attack or other active action this was not clear... now I understand the parallel with the groundskeeperYeah, I knew there was probably gonna be some confusion, that's what I get for using pictures for Amarok :D When he starts dragging his soul from the lake, I added a Bite sound to indicate it and at the end, I added that animation that plays out when he either hunts you and you run out of time or when you run into a keelut during the last part. This was my attempt to make the story even more fitting with the event theme, since I wasn't sure if my previous attempts were enough. Did you find the ending fitting or would you think another one would be better?) and more clear endings since it's not the first time I did not get it! =Dnot that this is short just I think it needed more emphasis on that action
That's fine, it's admittedly a pretty silly game and ending, especially since I was limited to base assets :D
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