The Curse of the Deadwood The Curse of the Deadwood is a mystical phenomenon that has plagued a small town for centuries. Legend has it that the curse was placed upon the town by an angered witch who was wronged by the villagers. According to the local folklore, the curse brings about a series of misfortunes and tragedies that befall the town and its inhabitants. It is said that the curse takes the form of deadwood, a type of enchanted wood that appears with no explanation and carries a dark energy. The arrival of deadwood in the town is marked by a sense of foreboding and an eerie silence that hangs in the air. As soon as the deadwood takes root, the town and its people are plagued by a string of unfortunate events.
Battle an ever-evolving horde of unique enemies, including the charging Knots, the explosive Thorns, the long-ranged Splinters, and many more! Each Deadwood type has its own strengths and weaknesses that will require you to discover which weapons and attacks are most effective. Take on heart-thumping boss fights that will challenge you to push your strategies to the next level.
Certain areas that were home to either specific important objectives or large story beats were fully designed and setdressed by me to ensure gameplay, narrative, and aesthetic cohesion. Curse of the Deadwood is a twin-stick shooter with an emphasis on melee combat; and my first foray into professional game development as a level designer.
As soon as the deadwood takes root, the town and its people are plagued by a string of unfortunate events. Crops wither, livestock falls ill, and diseases spread quickly. A sense of despair consumes the once prosperous town.
Curse of the Deadwood
Curse of the Deadwood is a twin-stick shooter with an emphasis on melee combat; and my first foray into professional game development as a level designer.
I joined the project at the tail end of pre-production, which meant that my main job at first was understanding and translating the overhead maps created by my lead at the time into Unity, as well as implementing maps I created myself. I directly imported the maps into the engine; and using scale references comparing assets to map markers established a size for all levels in the game while whiteboxing them. Once the levels were whiteboxed I would go through and implement dialogues, objectives, map collision, and enemy spawn points to create a first-pass of the level and its gameplay in compliance with the Game Design Document.
With gameplay and progression established, my tasks then moved onto first-pass setdressing across specific levels. Painting grass and defining paths and their materials, placing tree lines and structures, and general themes of areas were all part of my work. Certain areas that were home to either specific important objectives or large story beats were fully designed and setdressed by me to ensure gameplay, narrative, and aesthetic cohesion.
Following the broader strokes of level and world design was my more nuanced work with level and boss balance. With the general framework for the game established for setdressing and programming teams to tackle, my focus fell onto designing bosses with the rest of the team and refining their fight, as well as playtesting my levels and updating the balance. Updating enemy count and pickups, as well as updating the boss encounters through altering their damage, attack rate, and enemy spawns. Through numerous playtesting, both with team members and solo tests, I balanced the experience through levels and bosses to try and match the flow we'd established for our title.
Joining the team near the very beginning gave me valuable insights into the overall development process and the pitfalls that can show up; but also tackled, through proper planning and pre-production. As the level designer both art and tech would come through me to be implemented and meshed together, and as such I needed to be communicative and available for my team to be able to have all aspects of development come together to form the experience we have today. Through said communication I've come to love my team, as well as have a deeper understanding of all branches of game development and their intricacies. Game development is difficult, but through all I've learned and experienced I'm still raring to go for the next one.
PLAY STYLE
The curse also affects the people directly. Those who come into contact with the deadwood experience nightmares, strange illnesses, and a general feeling of unease. Some individuals have even claimed to see apparitions and hear voices whispering in the dead of night. Over the centuries, the townsfolk have tried various methods to break the curse, but all have proven unsuccessful. Some have sought the help of spiritual leaders and performed rituals in an attempt to appease the angered witch. Others have tried to burn or destroy the deadwood, only to have it reappear once again. The curse has taken a toll on the town. Its population has dwindled, and many of the remaining residents live in constant fear and suspicion. People have turned on each other, blaming their misfortunes on their neighbors. The town has become a shadow of its former self, trapped in a cycle of despair and hopelessness. As the curse continues to loom over the town, there are those who believe that the only way to break it is to uncover the truth about the witch and the reasons behind her anger. They believe that by understanding her motives, they can find a way to lift the curse and free the town from its torment. The Curse of the Deadwood serves as a reminder of the power of anger and the destructive nature of unresolved conflict. It is a cautionary tale for the residents of the town and a reminder that forgiveness and understanding are essential for breaking the bonds of a curse. Until then, the town remains trapped, living under the shadow of the curse and the deadwood that surrounds it..
Reviews for "Paranormal Investigations and the Curse of the Deadwood Forest"
1. Emily - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with "Curse of the deadwood". The plot was predictable and the acting was subpar. The scares felt forced and didn't evoke any genuine fear. Overall, it just felt like a generic horror film and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for a truly terrifying experience.
2. David - 1 star - "Curse of the deadwood" was a complete waste of time. The story was convoluted and poorly written, making it difficult to follow and understand what was going on. The characters were shallow and lacked development, making it impossible to feel any connection or investment in their fates. The special effects were also disappointing and failed to create any real sense of horror or suspense. Avoid this movie at all costs.
3. Sarah - 2 stars - I had high hopes for "Curse of the deadwood" but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The pacing was uneven, with slow and boring moments followed by rushed and confusing scenes. The supposed scares were laughable and relied heavily on cheap jump scares. The ending was also unsatisfying and left me feeling cheated. Overall, it lacked originality and failed to deliver the promised chills and thrills.
4. Mark - 1.5 stars - I regret watching "Curse of the deadwood". The acting was horrendous, with wooden performances that lacked any emotional depth. The dialogue was cringe-worthy and filled with clichés. The film relied on tired horror tropes and failed to bring anything new or innovative to the genre. It felt like a low-budget B-movie that was poorly executed. Save yourself the disappointment and skip this one.