The journey to this point has been long, but the final demo of Light From Within is now complete! This marks a huge milestone in development, and I’m excited to share what’s changed, what’s been refined, and what comes next.

This demo represents the most polished version of the game yet. Light From Within is now fully complete and has undergone several rounds of beta testing. Many improvements and adjustments have been made since the last demo, refining every aspect of the game-play experience.

Game-play & Combat Improvements

•     Smoother movement and combat fluidity

•     Bullet time on death – When the player takes a fatal hit, time slows down, allowing a chance for a saving throw, healing, or using a potion.  Any enemy defeated during bullet time will drop a heart.

•     Saving throws and critical hits – Can be unlocked through progression.

•     Much faster text box loading – Significantly improves the pace of dialogue and interactions.

•     Z-axis for flying enemies and objects – Adds depth to enemy behaviors and player interactions.

•     Diving mechanic for swimming

Quality of Life & UI Enhancements

•     New file select screen with two separate save files

•     Added player interaction icon – Clearly indicates when an object or NPC can be interacted with.

•     Added player completion percentage tracker – See how much of the game you’ve completed.

•     Added player death tracker – Keeps count of how many times you've fallen in battle.

World & Exploration Upgrades

•     New quests via scrolls – Available for purchase, adding puzzle-solving elements to the game.

•     Small environmental details added – Enhances atmosphere and world-building.

•     Finalized secrets and how they’re communicated to the player – More intuitive hints for hidden content.

•     More underground shrines placed throughout the world – Expanding hidden areas to discover.

Audio & Visual Enhancements

•     Integrated Sabre sound engine – Allowed for more room in memory, leading to a richer soundtrack.

•     Visual cues for enemy damage and missed attacks – Makes combat feedback clearer.

•     Visual cues for player healing

These are just some of the major changes you’ll notice in the final demo.

Game Scope & What’s Next

With the final demo complete, the focus now shifts to final balancing adjustments, finding lingering bugs, and preparing for the full release. To give an idea of the scope of Light From Within:

•     7 main dungeons

•     2 side quest dungeons

•     6 scroll quests with puzzles to solve, as well as other side quests in the world

•     16 passive relics to discover – Boost player stats and abilities.

•     12 player weapons/items

•     Overworld with 255 screens – Including towns, shops, mini-games, and numerous secrets.

This project started as a way to learn how to code for the NES, but over time, it grew into a full-scale game—One that I hope captures the spirit of the best games from that era.

I’m incredibly proud of how far Light From Within has come, and I can’t wait to share the final version with you all.

As always, thank you for following along on this journey!