Bloom is a beautiful fantasy action adventure game with a dose of RPG elements.
The concept art and sketches look great and the early gameplay concept is also very good.
They ask for $150k (which isn’t a lot for that kind of game) and we have 40 days to achieve it.
Bloom is an isometric action adventure game with a dose of RPG elements. Set in a rich fantasy world caught in the midst of an epic battle between nature and the re-emerging technology of the past, Bloom strives to bring forward an entirely new experience to the players.
Over time, the idea of Bloom slowly developed from the modest beginnings of an unreleased graphic novel into a living breathing world of deep history and exciting creatures.
Beyond it’s history and unique story, Bloom will give players a fresh new world to explore and challenge them in ways they have never been before.
In Bloom, you take on the role of a young survivor just beginning to explore her people’s innate connection with nature as you try to stay alive against impossible odds. A deep history and unexpected story propels you forward as you continue to cling to a quickly diminishing glimmer of hope.
While the story and setting is rich and engaging, Bloom also takes a fresh approach to the entire player experience with a new level of game design.
Synergetic Design –
Our entire ability system is designed with as much cross interaction as possible. An ability, such as being able to shoot an arrow, is not limited to simply a damage roll against a creature. Instead, it serves as a single tool which can be used in a wide range of ways throughout the game. From adding weight to an object, to pressing switches, to delivering an object in your inventory to a distant location and much more.
In this way players are not overwhelmed with long menu lists and other disruptions to the flow of game-play. While at the same time, players will find they have a great number of options in how they strategize and approach situations depending on how they choose to use their tools.
Strategic Real-Time Combat –
Combat in Bloom is made to challenge players to think and plan ahead as they manage their energy and dodge or counter attacks. Winning does not come down to who can mash the X button the fastest. Instead, the game challenges players to invent creative ways to overcome their enemies. Congratulations, you can shoot an arrow… but lets see you use your bow to defeat an enemy that can’t be hurt by arrows.
Not only that, but enemies will begin to adjust their tactics to match you. Even when knowing an enemies weakness, the battle isn’t over by far.
Living Environments –
In Bloom, the world around you is far more than simply a backdrop. It is key to your success in moving forward. You will be able to spot and utilize boons and other environmental advantages as you fight and use the environment to set traps or other strategies you invent. Rushing into a fight blindly will only get you so far. ..sometimes you have to sit back and look around you for a minute (of course, at the same time you might have an angry creature vying for your attention).
These are just some of the great features we have planned to create an experience unlike any other. You will find Bloom isn’t trying to copy some other game, we are rewriting the rules and bringing new life to the party.
I just had an “interesting” correspondence with the representative with questions about their game. When I asked about a drm-free option they had a few interesting remarks including
“If a project answers simply yes (to being drm-free)…then they are kind of foolish (and probably not really that serious about their game).”
They have no offerings or indicate of giving anyone a drm-free option for obtaining the game and imply anyone who doesn’t use drm is lacking mental capacity.
Having seen indie game developers of amazing work, I’d think they find this sort of remark offensive. Basically they say anyone not doing what we do are big, dumb, or dishonest. Wow. Given that we Linux people often like our games the way we like our coffee, DRM-free, I found this interesting.
The fact they appear to have no intention (and have done no homework) to offer drm-free versions this may be a project better to pass up on at least until they rethink their marketing/distribution. They have an interesting attitude to potential supporters considering they are unknowns. There are elements of the game that look potential promising but their attitude towards what they think are required marketing approaches as well as a rather complicated “credit” system to buying a simple copy of the game, may indicate they need to go back and review approach to getting funding. Confusing and limiting are the keywords I’d use to describe what I’ve seen in their literature and response to e-mails.