What is Ricoshot?
Ricoshot is a sci-fi adventure game set in outer space. It features an extremely dynamic core shooting mechanic that provides the player with complete control in how they approach the game. Players are able to dynamically bounce projectiles with complete freedom in order to find the best shot. This allows for a uniquely slower-paced experience that favours strategy and experimentation.
In between exploring and completing worlds, players will return to the USS Ricoshot and can interact with the NPC crew mates. A classic Sci-fi story will unfold between levels as players experience a dynamic dialogue system through NPC interactions. They'll also have the opportunity to practise and master the mechanics of the game through a tutorial found in the basement of the ship!
The Narrative
The earth is dying. Its magma core has become unstable and the earths magnetic fields have started to collapse. The planet is on the brink of destruction. Scientists estimate a disintegration event occurring in 28 weeks. The worlds governments and scientists have banned together and created a device that is capable of saving the earth. The only problem is, its powered by cosmic energy found deep in outer space...
...You are the field officer aboard the USS Ricoshot! A 4-person crew sent deep into space in a last ditch effort to save earth. Your job is to travel to worlds unknown in order to collect cosmic energy to bring back to earth. You do this by destroying cosmic energy filled asteroids using the Molecular Atom Cannon (M.A.C). This cannon has a special feature...it allows you to ricochet your blasts and maximise your shot count! The less shots you use, the more energy remains to save humanity!
Inspiration
We really wanted to create an experience that had a more relaxed pace and one that not only allowed but rewarded players for taking their time to explore and strategize. Being able to analyse a projectile pathway from different perspectives before actually launching a shot allows the player to figure things out at their own pace. This leads to a real feeling of triumphant when you figure out a powerful shot that takes out multiple targets. Monument Valley was a real inspiration in terms of tone and pace.
We also aimed to create a gameplay loop that lends itself both to single player and 2 player co-operative play. We're huge fans of co-op games, in particular those centred around a story/linear adventure. The recent release of Split Fiction has had us extremely hyped up at the prospect of creating a meaningful co-op gameplay loop. We feel as though the core mechanic here is perfect for this type of intimate experience. Players can help co-ordinate each others shots through communication and will need to work together to figure out the best angles to maximise their total shot count. If players get lost in the world and need to find each other, they can aim their cannon into the sky and it acts as a distress beacon. It can also be used to point at a specific target a player is struggling with. This is a great form of communication for those players who don't wish to use their mics during gameplay.
How we built it
We built Ricoshot using the Meta Horizon Desktop Editor. We carried out lots of testing and iterated on shooting and level design to make sure the desired experience was achieved. This involved both of us working simultaneously in engine, one focusing on programming and the other on design.
Challenges we ran into
Scope was definitely a challenge. Both in terms of the levels themselves and choosing the actual number of levels to make. One of the games core pillars is 'less is more' so keeping to this and ensuring readability of play spaces was a constant battle. We also settled on 4 unique levels to ship with which really helped us focus our efforts and try to maximise each level to include as many magic moments as possible!
Creating the core shooting mechanic was a pretty long, iterative process. Things like choosing the right amount of bounces, how moving objects would respond to a projectile path and the extent the user can interact with the game world once a pathway is set, all took lots of late night discussions and 100s of type script tweaks!
Accomplishments that we're proud of
The core mechanic of dynamically targeting is something we're incredibly proud of. Its unique and allows for a great deal of player agency and replayability. We also feel like that classic, slightly cheesy Sci-fi energy we're all familiar with from movies and games has been captured here and there is a real sense of adventure as you explore each level!
Another thing we're really proud of is the onboarding experience. A fully fledged tutorial features on the ship and is the perfect way for players to get to grips with the controls and mechanics of the game.
What's next for Ricoshot?
Developing an experience targeting mobile bought challenges in terms of level design and difficulty balancing. Are levels too difficult? Will players be able to find the best shot angles to take out multiple targets? Hopefully once people are playing the game and we can collect enough metrics, we'll make any needed adjustments to ensure the experience is as fun as possible whilst preserving the right level of strategy and difficulty.
The groundwork has been set and we've established a strong gameplay foundation to build upon. We've already got features like moving platforms, explosions and portals that feature across the 4 levels within the game. We've mapped out an additional 11 levels on paper that bring in more fun gameplay mechanics like zero G zones, alien enemies and the ability to slow down time! We plan to release these in increments in the coming months.
We're also planning on setting up additional social features such as leaderboards. The plan is to create 2 unique leaderboards, one that focuses on number of shots and one on time taken to complete a level. This means 2 different types of players can compete how they want to. Those looking for precision and strategy can take their time and focus on the shot count leaderboard. Those players more interested in level design and learning the best, most optimum routes can focus on the time based leaderboard.
Another planned feature is to build an in-game shop where players can purchase a range of cosmetic items such as spaced theme wearables and different projectile pathway effects. Alongside cosmetics, the shop would also feature hint systems that would help the player make progress in levels. These unlocks will range from additional UI elements hinting at best locations to start a shot from and information about where collectables are hidden in levels.
The goal is to create a robust, feature rich game that players of all skill levels will continue to visit and one that will be a must-play experience for all in the Meta Horizon ecosystem.
(Build note: 2 player co-op)
Whilst working perfectly in editor, 2 player co-operative play unfortunately seems to be experiencing a number of issues after being published live to the store. These are mainly around screen overlay UI and level loading. Fixes are in progress! For now however, to experience Ricoshot at its best and most refined - we recommend playing single player! Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Built With
- blender
- meta-horizon-desktop-editor
- typescript
- unity
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