Force Reboot is a really interesting retro FPS title implemented with Unity. The project is managed by a young solo developer (https://twitter.com/ln404t) . Here is the interview where you can read more about this cool project!
Tell us about your journey up to Force Reboot development
I always wanted to publish my games on Steam. I decided that I would pick a small concept and would work with it for a year or two. I really liked Post Void. It was really short and cheap. I decided that this is a type of game that I wanted to create first. Short and cheap. This is actually my first commercial game and I’m working on it on my own in my free time without a big budget (there is no budget actually).
Can you describe Force Reboot and tell us what makes it unique?
Force Reboot is a fast-paced nonstop FPS with rogue-lite elements. You need to clear each room before you can move on, but you need to be quick – your health is constantly dropping. You can top up your health by blasting robots, but you still don’t really have much time to hang around. At the end of each floor you must choose a stackable perk that can aid your progress. These perks can include new weapons and handy buffs, but they always come with a debuff.
First of all I’m trying to make everything in my game work with one particular idea: “As fast as possible”. You must kill and run around as fast as you can to get the best result. And you actually improve your skill over time.
Another twist is a “debuff” mechanic. At the end of each room you gotta choose not only buff but also a debuff that comes randomly with each buff. You can get powerful buffs but you also should pay attention to debuffs. Some of them can also be buff in some way.
Which games inspired you in creating Force Reboot?
ULTRAKILL. This is easily one of my favorite FPS. It’s so fast and fluid. And also it has so much style.
New Demo Trailer#Indiedev #RetroFPS #gamedev #fps #indiegame #madewithunity #unity3d pic.twitter.com/l353Te4R5s
— ln404 | Force Reboot – Wishlist on Steam! (@ln404t) March 24, 2022
Second one is Post Void. I like this small roguelite mechanic at the end of every level. I thought I could create something like this but with a little twist (debuffs).
Third one is a COMPOUND VR. I like visuals from this game a lot. I’m not that good with 3D models but with this style I can create a simple box with some pixel texture and it will look great. Simple and so effective.
One of the aspects that we loved of Force Reboot is its style! Do you mind telling us about your design pipeline?
Nothing special tbh. I’m using Blender with some pixel-art oriented addons and Aseprite. First of all I’m creating a simple 3D model (Box, Table, Chair etc.) and after that I’m drawing some pixel art on it.
This is a must have add-on if you want to create something in 3D pixel-art style:
https://lampysprites.itch.io/pribambase
https://jeiel.itch.io/sprytile
I’m animating with the integrated Unity animations tool (Actually some of the anims are from Mixamo. Very helpful site for devs.)
The main idea in my animations is to highlight specific moments of movement. It can be a little pause on reload or something else. You can experiment here as much as you want.
Overwatch and TF2 are actually great examples of cool animations.
