Originally Posted on Kickstarter on March 8th, 2024 by Carola at Deck13 Spotlight.
The Frigid Fjord Update is here, and it has gotten a little… big. So big, in fact, that it is BY FAR our most extensive update yet! Not only have we worked on the brand new Frigid Fjord region and dungeon. We have also added and improved on lots of other areas, mechanics, features and overhauled a number of systems.
All of this will be explained in detail below, but first let me set the tone with the new trailer for this update!
As mentioned above, this new updated introduces a ton of new content and features, including new and redesigned areas, numerous improvements to enemies, gameplay, dialogue and much more. Despite extensive testing, these changes may still cause some bugs or issues. So please feel free to use our Community Discord to let us know what you think of the changes and report any issues you’re having! It is with your help that Holomento has been able to grow and improve over the years. We really appreciate your feedback! 💕
Now it’s time to have a look at what’s new!
New Frigid Fjord Region
You may remember the old Frigid Fjord area that greeted you shortly after you began your journey in Eventide Pass. With this update, however, it has been completely reimagined as a brand new region in its own right for you to explore.
On the far southwestern shore of the Hollow lies the idyllic Fjordhome, a quaint fishing village. Inhabited by penguins (look at their little scarves!) and tree-ent like folk, upgrading it will reward Travelers with supplies of stone and wood, as well as a bustling market for potions and items! Frigid Fort, on the other hand, is a large fortress perched on the hills south-east of Frigid Fjord. Conquering this fortress will allow Travelers to take a more direct route through the Frigid Fjord, bypassing the Eventide Pass. And if you’re brave enough, you can venture into the Frigid Ruins. At the far northwest end of the Fjord, on the edge of the sea, is a mini-boss arena. Defeating the mini-boss here will give you access to the central coastal region of the Hollow.
Ice Palace Dungeon
The Ice Palace Dungeon is the latest dungeon to emerge from Eventide Hollow. With a focus on platforming and puzzle elements, the Ice Palace Dungeon is unlike anything we’ve released before. With two distinct paths forward and a focus on verticality, the Ice Palace presents itself as a monumental climb for any Traveler brave enough to make the journey. Its entrance can be found in the southern region of Frigid Fjord – but it can only be accessed by working with a mysterious new NPC called Cossar Pol.
Once inside, you will also come face to face with numerous enemies, one of them the infamous Jotu. This Unseely Ice King lurks deep within the frozen spires of the Ice Palace. Wielding a menacing whip-sword combo, this large frosty foe showcases the new enemy AI attack system with several powerful whip and sword slashes.
Alchemist Class
This brand new class is inspired by plague doctors – and their preferred fighting style is to throw potion bombs! These explosive jars are filled with a Traveler’s favourite elemental chemical stew and explode upon impact, dealing AOE damage to all nearby enemies. Like every other Traveler class, the Alchemist brings a new set of armor with 5 levels of upgrades for each piece. You can unlock the Alchemist class by delving deeper into one of the new regions of Eventide Hollow.
Jumping!
Exciting news: We’ve finally added jumping, something many of you have been asking for since Holomento’s Alpha! This new mechanic shakes up gameplay, and after thorough testing, we’ve retouched a big chunk of the Hollow to make it work seamlessly. Now, there are hidden secrets and discoveries waiting to be found all over the place, adding an extra layer of fun to exploring the world. Plus, in the new Frigid Fjord and Ice Palace Dungeon, you’ll encounter a bunch of puzzles and platforming challenges. Look forward for more in both new and existing regions in upcoming updates!
Overhauled Dialogue System
Our dialogue system has been completely reworked, both visually and functionally. You can expect dialogue to be much more colourful, dynamic and animated, adding a lot of charm to your conversations with NPCs. Some tweaks to the camera system now allow for cinematic camera angles that highlight important locations, focus on NPCs, fade to black and more!
The various unique NPCs found throughout the world now also have more distinct dialogue sound effects! Different sounds are played during conversations to enhance immersion and better describe situations with audio cues. And speaking of NPCs: There are many new ones waiting to be interacted with, including Donna Teilla, Ako, Voxifer, Sir Orion Starr, Xin’ Coul, Cossar Pol and many more!
Changes to Combat and Enemies
Now, working on combat has brought with it a TON of changes. We put a lot of work into new enemy attack patterns and animations to make combat feel even more dynamic. Look out for more accurate tracking, dynamic attack movements that see enemies move towards, away from, through and around you, better attack indicators, and adjusted attack animation speeds depending on the enemy you’re fighting. There are also new gap closers, ranged attacks, blocking and dodging to make combat even more exciting!
In addition to four new armored skeleton variants that expand the enemy pool, many existing enemies have also received updates, including reworked versions of the Cha Demon and Royal Knights, which now serve as mini-bosses.
But that’s not all of it!
You’ll find that not only have Frigid Fjord and Eventide Pass changed, but other interesting locations throughout the world have been added. Take your time to revisit familiar locations and encounter new enemies, quests and more!
Along the way, you will also notice that we have introduced several quality of life features and improved some of the game’s systems! Classes are now unlocked by discovering a Traveler class “memory” somewhere in the Hollow. You can recognise a class unlock by a pink mist surrounding it and a skeleton wearing a fallen Traveler’s armour and items. Keys will no longer be dropped when a Traveler dies, but will be tied to the Holomento and follow the next Traveller until they find the door they unlock. We have added more signs throughout the Hollow to improve a Traveler’s sense of direction and relative location in the world. And finally, elevators have new visuals – we have added dust clouds when they arrive at their destinations and fixed issues with pulling levers while the elevators are already moving.
Apart from that, there is so much more to discover, but all the other improvements and fixes would make this update post way too long. That’s why I’m again linking to the full (Steam) patch notes HERE, so you can take a closer look if you want to read even more!
Once again, this update has turned out to be much bigger than we anticipated. We’ve been working hard over the last few months to bring you an update that feels fresh and exciting, and we’re really proud of what we’ve achieved. Lots of love to our incredible Holomento team who continue to put their passion into this game and have made this incredibly huge update possible!
If you’d like to stay informed about future updates, please check out the Holomento Roadmap and join our Community Discord! In between these major updates, we enjoy sharing previews and hanging out with our fantastic community over there!
Thank you so much for your time and patience! We hope you enjoy this new update and can’t wait to hear what you think of all the changes and additions!💕