IMPALED! - Development Diary 02
- Ncubate Studios
- Aug 7
- 2 min read
Chaos Reign
The name itself is a promise. It's the core of the world we’re building, a world where reality has fractured and cosmic energies have twisted everything in their path. It’s a theme that has been with us from the very beginning of Impaled’s development, and it was perfectly encapsulated in an early concept for one of our key bosses: The Chaos Knight.
This week, we have successfully set up all the animation and state machines for Kaelen, our main character. We're now deep into fine-tuning the animations and really getting into the spirit of the moves.
Next up, we're diving into the implementation of enemy dismemberment. This is a visceral feature reminiscent of my past work on games like Dante's Inferno and a spiritual successor to the dismemberment gameplay of Dead Space. It's a core component of our combat that we're really excited about. I also built more boss characters and creatures, some of which resemble the work I did on Dante's Inferno the game—a topic I'll elaborate on more in future posts.
We've also been doing some deep thinking on our environment design. Originally, I was dead set on a Romanesque meets sci-fi aesthetic. Romanesque structures are imposing and simplistic, which lends itself well to a hard-edged graphic novel style and helps portray a world with a brutal, unwavering personality. BUT, as we began to block out the environments, we realized the elongated proportions of our characters felt more at home in a Gothic setting.
While Gothic has been a staple in games like Bloodborne, Hard West, and DmC, our new direction—a fusion of Gothic meets Sci-Fi—will feel both fitting and fresh for our time. Think a pinch of Tron, a dash of Dune—a style that is at once ornate yet brutal. And while we're embracing the jagged lines and spires of Gothic architecture, we're not abandoning the old. The imposing round arches and barrel vaults of the Romanesque era will still be present, serving as crumbling foundations that hint at the world's ancient and shattered past.
Malagore
Malagore is the final form of the Cultist Boss Monster. He is a massive, corrupted figure—a grotesque blend of a monstrous body with a gilded, sun-like idol mask and a twisted, multi-limbed frame. He is a terrifying false god, a once-divine being that has fallen to chaos and become a herald of the Abyss Current. His name signifies a "turning to evil," which perfectly captures his role as the tyrannical leader of the heretical cult.
For more Implaled, check out its own webpage and come back to the ncubate Blog for more updates!