Hellshot: A Deep Dive into My First Full Game Title

For the past 3 months, I've been sharpening my skills as a Tech Artist and Developer, working tirelessly on my first full game project: Hellshot! Today, I’m excited to finally showcase some of the progress and share the journey so far.

Inspirations and Vision

Hellshot draws heavy inspiration from iconic titles like Doom and Ultrakill, blended with a unique twist from Marvel comics. My main goal for this game is to create a fast-paced, thrilling experience where movement and combat feel incredibly fluid as you rip through waves of enemies. 🎮

Building the Movement System from Scratch

The heart of Hellshot lies in its movement. I built a completely custom movement system from the ground up, striving to capture the responsiveness and feel of Source Engine's movement (think Half-Life or Counter-Strike). But there’s more—I’ve added a skill ceiling to ensure the game is rewarding for movement enthusiasts who want to master its mechanics. 🕹️

Adding Procedural Animations for Game Juice

Beyond the core movement, I focused on making the game feel alive. I’ve implemented procedural animations like camera shakes, weapon sway, and landing dip to complement the static animations. These touches add that extra bit of "game juice" that makes everything feel more satisfying and responsive! 🥤

Achieving a Comic-Style Visual Aesthetic

Capturing that gritty, comic-book style was another major focus. I spent significant time developing a set of shaders to give Hellshot a unique look. Using techniques like Halftones/Hatch shading, Cheap Retro Fog, and Toon Outlines, I aimed to create a visual experience reminiscent of Spiderverse or classic Marvel comics. 🎨

What’s Next?

Right now, I’m diving into enemy designs and level creation, fine-tuning the gameplay loop. There’s still plenty to explore and refine, but I’m excited to share updates and more details as the project evolves.

Stay tuned for more!

— Hellshot is still in development, but feel free to follow along with its progress right here on my Itch.io page.

Thanks for reading, and I can’t wait to share more of Hellshot with you all!