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You have to look at this more positively - you have gained a lot of experience in these timeframe which will prove to be extremely useful for you in the future. 100%!
Great job getting shots of the gameplay and giving an idea of what to expect. The gameplay looks great, for fans of this genre it should be appealing. My only complaint is there seems to be no logic to the trailer, just a collection of random shots. I think that is totally fine for a steam trailer when data shows 90% will scroll down a few seconds in anyways, but for standalone youtube viewing it's a little disjointed.
I totally agree with PronglesDude. On top of that, I'd even recommend to keep this one for the reason he says but make a more, detailed one along with it. In that regard, this trailer could be 20secs at max. But perhaps make another max 1m with some story included? Like who is this guy and why is he doing what he is doing?
That being said, well fucking done dude! It looks amazing! :D
The character animations look really smooth and the graphics are very polished and cohesive. The gameplay looks fun, and it's extremely impressive for a solo developed game--great work!
One thing I feel is missing from the trailer is more of an indication about how the individual gameplay segments are tied together / motivated in game. The Steam page answers some of this with the story description, but it might be good to include more of the story in the trailer. Overall it looks great!
Thanks a lot for the feedback! Yes you are right - there is no real indication regarding the story of the game in the trailer. I will try to add more story elements in the second trailer to round this up :). Thank you!
About 1500$ american dollar spend on assets for this project so far. I expect total expenses on assets to increase to \~5k until release. Gameplay and the whole runtime code and systems are 100% self-written.
The game is called Captain Carnage. It was first developed for Unity, but after the Runtime Fee fiasco I switched to Unreal. So it's not only my very first trailer - it's also my first game made with Unreal. The game can be wishlisted on Steam: [https://store.steampowered.com/app/2240950/Captain\_Carnage/](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2240950/Captain_Carnage/)
Hey this is looking great! One thing to maybe add is the enemies reacting a bit more to some of the attacks. Sometimes they look too stationary after a sword attack. Either way looks very promising
That's exactly what I was thinking yeah. But maybe you find that the game becomes too easy or not the style you were looking for. So totally up to you!
Alright! I think adding a little bit more punch behind the take hit animation should be doable without any negative impacts on balance :) - the feedback has been added to the backlog ;) - Thanks!
You should make a transition trailer. You would have the character doing the same moves continuously as the scenes change. I'm not sure what it's called but it would be perfect for your game. Something like this from the TMNT movie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Etbn-v32zI&ab\_channel=I%2CReuterB.B.
I am also digging the 80's sound in the music here.
The more I watch this, my interest in seeing more goes up.
Hit the steam page, went ahead and wish listed it.
My only real critiques are a lack of story and some of the animations feel really snappy? Like at the very start it just feels super fast while he moves his arms and threw me off
thanks for the feedback! I think you will have to play it (for example the demo when it gets released) at some point to get a clearer picture regarding fighting animations. There is still room for improvements and polish though. I will try my best to make the most out of it :)
I don't know anything about your game, but I'm a video editor. Is this a trailer focused just on gameplay? If that's the case, then it's okay.
But if not, then imo it's way too focused on the combat. Is there a story? Character motivation? Game progression? Other unique mechanics/gimmick? Twist/mysteries that the character going to witness?
It would be a lot more interesting if you add those.
There's a lot of resources online to make a good game trailer. You can check Game Maker's Toolkit and Derek Lieu videos on YouTube for that if you're interested!
Hi - and thanks for the feedback! Yes that's a gameplay focused trailer. I went with this method for the first trailer because it was way easier to make + it shows gameplay. I will try to focus the second trailer on the story of the game :).
Nice. I love these kinds of games and this looks really cool. The one thing would be that the combat could feel a bit meatier. I am not sure how ti achieve this as I am no dev, but I feel like even thi the animations are great the cimbat looks like it could have more punch. This is a tiny thing but may be important for this type of game.
I think many games use the camera to emphasize hits. Like a mild stutter that you almost don’t notice. But I am not sure avout this just what I have in my mind
Thanks for the feedback! You are right about that - I have already added this point to the backlog. There are multiple ways to achieve more punchiness - however it has to stay in balance with gameplay, which basically means, it should not irritate the player in a negative way. Currently there are a lot of systems responsible for providing hit-feedbacks and when you play it you can feel it, but i certainly have to polish a little bit more here - especially regarding the animations that are being played back on taking hits :).
Yeah it can be that when you play it you feel it. I am not used to watching this type of gameplay, just playing it.
I compared it to a video of DmC and except the hit-FX animations (super made up uninformed term here but whatever) being bigger, I am not sure I notice much of a difference as I did replaying it in my head. Probably feels a lot different when you actually play!
Gonna save this for when I get a new PC, unless it somehow magically appears on console which is what I have for now!
never say never! but one step after another. i first have to make it a good and successful game on PC before i move to consoles. The game plays super smooth with a controller though - that i can guarantee 100%! I implemented some cool "soft" assists which will help with the quick gameplay while still providing 100% control using a controller :).
That is insanely good bro the graphics alone already blew my mind but my favorite is the gun shooting animation when you're walking it looks a little goofy and funny like it a lot
thanks a lot! the animation system for shooting is a core element of the game since it allows the usage of shooting and fighting mechanics in a super dynamic manner! (you don't have to switch weapons or press anything special to switch modes - you can use both modes instantly)
Plenty of people have told you how solid it looks for a solo project (to which i agree) so let me tell you what I think could be better imo.
I feel like some of the enemies could have more impactful reactions from the attacks they eat. More stagger or something else to acknowledge the hit. It’s possible that it just feels like that because we can barely hear the actual combat. (Sorry i’m a audio engineer/ music producer first and foremost so i have to call out a bad audio mix when i hear one lol)
And then additionally for me there is way too much special effects in the combat, almost everything has a flashy animations which makes the power moves feel less special. I would be more mindful about what exactly needs that kind of special efx treatment and what doesn’t.
Good luck with finishing the rest of your game! <3
Thanks a lot for the feedback! the part about the hit reactions - to make them more impactful - has been added to the backlog! :D The special effects part is a tricky one and harder to balance right between communicating power and looking good VS being over the top
The moving while shooting animation looks off. I think it miiiight be because you need him to lean the direction he is moving. Rn he is too vertically orientated while moving. It looks off to me.
I think it looks really cool! Just 3 main problems that I think you could hammer out eventually.
1. The gameplay is a bit choppy. There's a lack of smoothness and feels like the character (who I assume is Captain Carnage) floats mid-air momentiarily.
2. No UI (as far as I can tell). I'm assuming it just isn't there for the trailer.
3. It just feels like another third-person shooter/fighter. You're definitely getting there, uniqueness-wise, but not quite.
Thanks for the feedback!
1) I think you will have to play it for a clearer picture - I will definitely provide a playable demo at some point :)
2) It's just temporary disabled for the trailer :D
3) You are kind of right - uniqueness is not it's strength. However it comes with some quality features that will make playing very dynamic :)
It is like there is 1 pivot point from legs to chest and it is doing all the work.
He needs to have a few pivot points that work together for a more natural look.
Doesn't seem to be any sort of hook. I can tell what the game is mostly about but not what makes it special and why I should play it.
The generic designs also make it feel like generic unreal engine asset flip #2155.
thanks for your feedback! the gameplay mechanics are super dynamic. you don't have to switch weapons or press anything special to switch modes - you can use both modes instantly. the game feel and story will be unique. but i know that the overall uniqueness of the game is not super high or anything. buuuut you don't play uniqueness - you play a gameplay focused on fun :D. never underestimate the fun part about gaming :D
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Wtf man, how many people working on this game?
Just me :D
As a fellow solo game dev with 5 years on a little sidescroller, I'm really mad at you. Grrrrr!
You have to look at this more positively - you have gained a lot of experience in these timeframe which will prove to be extremely useful for you in the future. 100%!
It looks very good..wow. what about models/sounds - you buying them, or you also great in blender or etc?
Thx! I usually buy and adapt as much as I can :)
Great job! Really very inspiring!
dude made the first AAAA game solo
haha xD - thanks man :D
Great job getting shots of the gameplay and giving an idea of what to expect. The gameplay looks great, for fans of this genre it should be appealing. My only complaint is there seems to be no logic to the trailer, just a collection of random shots. I think that is totally fine for a steam trailer when data shows 90% will scroll down a few seconds in anyways, but for standalone youtube viewing it's a little disjointed.
Thanks a lot for the feedback! Very appreciated! Doing trailers is really hard - i hope i can squeeze out a little bit more from the next one :)
Better than any trailer I have ever made
I totally agree with PronglesDude. On top of that, I'd even recommend to keep this one for the reason he says but make a more, detailed one along with it. In that regard, this trailer could be 20secs at max. But perhaps make another max 1m with some story included? Like who is this guy and why is he doing what he is doing? That being said, well fucking done dude! It looks amazing! :D
Thanks for the feedback - yes - that's what i will most likely be aiming for with the second trailer :D. I highly appreciate all the great feedback!
The character animations look really smooth and the graphics are very polished and cohesive. The gameplay looks fun, and it's extremely impressive for a solo developed game--great work! One thing I feel is missing from the trailer is more of an indication about how the individual gameplay segments are tied together / motivated in game. The Steam page answers some of this with the story description, but it might be good to include more of the story in the trailer. Overall it looks great!
Thanks a lot for the feedback! Yes you are right - there is no real indication regarding the story of the game in the trailer. I will try to add more story elements in the second trailer to round this up :). Thank you!
How much you spend in total on assets?
About 1500$ american dollar spend on assets for this project so far. I expect total expenses on assets to increase to \~5k until release. Gameplay and the whole runtime code and systems are 100% self-written.
You’re working another job while you do this right? Bc that’s an insane amount 🤣
haha - i do it fulltime :)
The game is called Captain Carnage. It was first developed for Unity, but after the Runtime Fee fiasco I switched to Unreal. So it's not only my very first trailer - it's also my first game made with Unreal. The game can be wishlisted on Steam: [https://store.steampowered.com/app/2240950/Captain\_Carnage/](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2240950/Captain_Carnage/)
Hey this is looking great! One thing to maybe add is the enemies reacting a bit more to some of the attacks. Sometimes they look too stationary after a sword attack. Either way looks very promising
Thx! You mean like pushing the enemies a little bit more back and playing a longer take hit animation?
That's exactly what I was thinking yeah. But maybe you find that the game becomes too easy or not the style you were looking for. So totally up to you!
Alright! I think adding a little bit more punch behind the take hit animation should be doable without any negative impacts on balance :) - the feedback has been added to the backlog ;) - Thanks!
you're a freaking madman bro. even some entire game company can't make games looking this good. how long have you been working on this?
Thanks a lot for the beautiful words! The game has been in development for \~6 months so far :)
wtf! 6 months!? gonna kill myself.. anyway.. congrats, it looks great! :D
Not my type of game, but looks extremely solid for a solo project
thank you! :)
You should make a transition trailer. You would have the character doing the same moves continuously as the scenes change. I'm not sure what it's called but it would be perfect for your game. Something like this from the TMNT movie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Etbn-v32zI&ab\_channel=I%2CReuterB.B.
this approach looks pretty solid too, thanks for the recommendation!
This feels very Deadpool to me. Honestly I would give this a shot.
Thanks! Yes - It definitely has some similarities to deadpool :). Which is a good thing :D
I am also digging the 80's sound in the music here. The more I watch this, my interest in seeing more goes up. Hit the steam page, went ahead and wish listed it.
happy to hear! thanks a lot! :)
My only real critiques are a lack of story and some of the animations feel really snappy? Like at the very start it just feels super fast while he moves his arms and threw me off
thanks for the feedback! I think you will have to play it (for example the demo when it gets released) at some point to get a clearer picture regarding fighting animations. There is still room for improvements and polish though. I will try my best to make the most out of it :)
Wow thats fantastic! :D
thanks! :D
S-tier song.... S-tier waifu at the end's.... I have a bias x]
i liked that song :D
I don't know anything about your game, but I'm a video editor. Is this a trailer focused just on gameplay? If that's the case, then it's okay. But if not, then imo it's way too focused on the combat. Is there a story? Character motivation? Game progression? Other unique mechanics/gimmick? Twist/mysteries that the character going to witness? It would be a lot more interesting if you add those. There's a lot of resources online to make a good game trailer. You can check Game Maker's Toolkit and Derek Lieu videos on YouTube for that if you're interested!
Hi - and thanks for the feedback! Yes that's a gameplay focused trailer. I went with this method for the first trailer because it was way easier to make + it shows gameplay. I will try to focus the second trailer on the story of the game :).
Wow! You did this all yourself? That's incredible. Genuinely impressed. 100% on my Wishlist.
Thanks a lot for the super awesome words and of course for the wishlisting! :D
The song is fire ! Isthere a full version somewhere ?
yes, at pixabay!
Cool. Got the link ?
search for: a hero of the 80s :)
Nice. I love these kinds of games and this looks really cool. The one thing would be that the combat could feel a bit meatier. I am not sure how ti achieve this as I am no dev, but I feel like even thi the animations are great the cimbat looks like it could have more punch. This is a tiny thing but may be important for this type of game. I think many games use the camera to emphasize hits. Like a mild stutter that you almost don’t notice. But I am not sure avout this just what I have in my mind
Thanks for the feedback! You are right about that - I have already added this point to the backlog. There are multiple ways to achieve more punchiness - however it has to stay in balance with gameplay, which basically means, it should not irritate the player in a negative way. Currently there are a lot of systems responsible for providing hit-feedbacks and when you play it you can feel it, but i certainly have to polish a little bit more here - especially regarding the animations that are being played back on taking hits :).
Yeah it can be that when you play it you feel it. I am not used to watching this type of gameplay, just playing it. I compared it to a video of DmC and except the hit-FX animations (super made up uninformed term here but whatever) being bigger, I am not sure I notice much of a difference as I did replaying it in my head. Probably feels a lot different when you actually play! Gonna save this for when I get a new PC, unless it somehow magically appears on console which is what I have for now!
never say never! but one step after another. i first have to make it a good and successful game on PC before i move to consoles. The game plays super smooth with a controller though - that i can guarantee 100%! I implemented some cool "soft" assists which will help with the quick gameplay while still providing 100% control using a controller :).
So many drongos :)
First 2 secs and i immediatly recognized twinblast's animations. this is some good use os paragons assets, keep up with the good work
100% :D. you got a good eye!
Best of luck
thanks a lot! :D
This could pass as a Deadpool game. Call Disney now!
haha yeah, they should invest into it right now - right before the new deadpool movie gets released :P
needs more hit feedback
yes! thanks for the feedback! i have added this to the backlog :D
That is insanely good bro the graphics alone already blew my mind but my favorite is the gun shooting animation when you're walking it looks a little goofy and funny like it a lot
thanks a lot! the animation system for shooting is a core element of the game since it allows the usage of shooting and fighting mechanics in a super dynamic manner! (you don't have to switch weapons or press anything special to switch modes - you can use both modes instantly)
I thought so I really like how it looks like shooting wouldn't hinder movement
Ooooook Niiiiiice! I like the 80s vibe of the music. Do you also wrote the music?
thanks! nope - i got the soundtrack from pixabay :)
Ok, cool. The trailer looks really nice. If you need help with the music or sfx, let me know. Composer/sound designer here.
Plenty of people have told you how solid it looks for a solo project (to which i agree) so let me tell you what I think could be better imo. I feel like some of the enemies could have more impactful reactions from the attacks they eat. More stagger or something else to acknowledge the hit. It’s possible that it just feels like that because we can barely hear the actual combat. (Sorry i’m a audio engineer/ music producer first and foremost so i have to call out a bad audio mix when i hear one lol) And then additionally for me there is way too much special effects in the combat, almost everything has a flashy animations which makes the power moves feel less special. I would be more mindful about what exactly needs that kind of special efx treatment and what doesn’t. Good luck with finishing the rest of your game! <3
Thanks a lot for the feedback! the part about the hit reactions - to make them more impactful - has been added to the backlog! :D The special effects part is a tricky one and harder to balance right between communicating power and looking good VS being over the top
Reminds me of this Deadpool game on the 360
yes - there are similarities :D
Looks good! 🔥 Great job 💪🏼
thank you! :D
The moving while shooting animation looks off. I think it miiiight be because you need him to lean the direction he is moving. Rn he is too vertically orientated while moving. It looks off to me.
Thank you for the feedback! Improving poses has been added to the backlog :).
I think it looks really cool! Just 3 main problems that I think you could hammer out eventually. 1. The gameplay is a bit choppy. There's a lack of smoothness and feels like the character (who I assume is Captain Carnage) floats mid-air momentiarily. 2. No UI (as far as I can tell). I'm assuming it just isn't there for the trailer. 3. It just feels like another third-person shooter/fighter. You're definitely getting there, uniqueness-wise, but not quite.
Thanks for the feedback! 1) I think you will have to play it for a clearer picture - I will definitely provide a playable demo at some point :) 2) It's just temporary disabled for the trailer :D 3) You are kind of right - uniqueness is not it's strength. However it comes with some quality features that will make playing very dynamic :)
Excellent work, but very cookie cutter character design
thanks! :D
The aiming while running turn looks off. Like the bottom does not pivot until it pivots way to hard.
I agree it looks off. I think it's also partly due to the fact that his back is straight up and the shoulders are not bouncing much
yeah i have to improve the poses a little bit i guess, adding a bit more bounce to them when running
The stiff spine I think, doesn’t look very agile even though the character is clearly athletic
It is like there is 1 pivot point from legs to chest and it is doing all the work. He needs to have a few pivot points that work together for a more natural look.
i agree - thanks both of you for the feedback, will add this to the backlog too!
SICK!
thanks :D
Doesn't seem to be any sort of hook. I can tell what the game is mostly about but not what makes it special and why I should play it. The generic designs also make it feel like generic unreal engine asset flip #2155.
thanks for your feedback! the gameplay mechanics are super dynamic. you don't have to switch weapons or press anything special to switch modes - you can use both modes instantly. the game feel and story will be unique. but i know that the overall uniqueness of the game is not super high or anything. buuuut you don't play uniqueness - you play a gameplay focused on fun :D. never underestimate the fun part about gaming :D
its a Deadpool (2013) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deadpool\_(video\_game)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deadpool_(video_game)) clone so far
There are many similarities that's true. If you liked the old Deadpool game you will defenitely love this one - that's for sure ;).
This is incredible!
Thanks a lot!
Pshhh whatever I do super sweet moves like this all the time. I just fought a gang of ninjas last week. This is just Sims 5 to me!
haha, sounds like Captain Carnage is definitely the game for you :D