The Melee and mobility update is here!

Our fearless test pilots have gathered lots of valuable data. This data has been used to revamp the GB control system. The first update contains major changes to the controls and gameplay that were made based on feedback from the players.

Hover mode

The hover mode allows you to zoom along the ground without wasting heat on vertical movement.

This is something I've been considering adding from the beginning. The ”boost mode” seems so important for this kind of game. I was worried that it would make the controls too complex, but I'm happy with how I implemented it. A button is used to toggle between the flight mode and the hover mode. Meaning that the basic controls don't change that much. I also experimented with double tapping the boost button to activate the flight mode, but that felt a bit akward to me. This is a big change, and it almost completey changes the way the game is played, so I really hope that the new control system works.

Press the Shift key to switch modes. Or the south button, if you are using a gamepad.

Melee combat

I've added the ability to perform a melee strike into the game.

This was a higly requested feature. I originally had no plans to implement any kind of melee into the game, but I decided to give it a try, because so many people asked for it. And I think it came out okay. A quick melee strike fits in well with the gameplay flow and landing a hit feels satisfying. It's great that the testers knew to ask for it. Because I wouldn't have known to implement it otherwise.

Use the melee strike with the Q key or right mouse button. Or if you are using a controller, east button or clicking in the right stick.

New enemy type!

The hornet bug carries a hornets nest on its back. It will launch hornets at the player.

The problem with the bug enemies is that all you really have to do, is back away from them and brainlessly fire into the swarm. That's why the hornet bug was created. It's purpose is to launch hornets at the player and force them to evade, which will hopefully make the gameplay more exciting. I can easily create new variants of the enemy tanks and robots by swapping the weapons, but the bugs require a bit more thought. That's why I'm planning on adding more bug types in the future.

Other changes

The UI has been revamped to accomodate the changed contols. The face button can now be used to change weapons while using a gamepad. This was done so that the player can change weapons without removing their finger from the boost button.

The heat meter has been moved and it now has a warning that plays before overheating.  This was done because I kept overheating while testing the new hover mode. The warning will make it easier to avoid overheating.

Taking damage will now cause a visual effect to appear. This will give better feedback to the player, and let them know to take evasive action.

The radar has a new mode. Now it can be set to show the entire map at once. This is so that you can use it to locate enemies, and maybe mission critical targets in future updates.

Download the new version and let me know what you think.

If the new version resets your progress, here's a little cheat code. Go to the options and reset the game five times. This will get you a million credits.

Also I have another game out! It's called Anitube Guardian. It was made because I wanted to do a smaller project. It also served as a test for the dialogue boxes. Which I will be using when I'll add story content to Gearbits.