Posted April 19, 2023 by John Vanderhoef
I should probably be better about writing devlogs. It's just never been part of my practice, surprisingly.
Oratorio is now playable from beginning to end. It has a total of 5 Areas (or levels) and takes about 50-60 minutes to complete the campaign.
The game also features a "No Fail Mode" for players who want to just jam out to the music shooter experience without fear of dying.
In addition to the campaign, Oratorio includes an "Endless" mode that cycles through enemy types and bosses across an endless loop of game screens. This is perfect for players who just want to jump in and enjoy the game's unique music shooting mechanics for a little while and appreciate the special screens/backgrounds that are mostly unique to the Endless Mode.
I am in the "polishing" phase of development now. Small graphical elements might change and a few additional aspects might be added, but the game is more or less approaching the finishing line. I am also currently in talks with publishers for a physical release and, perhaps, inclusion in a modern retro collection on a contemporary console.
The demo on the page remains the initial one from the game jam (Byte-Off III) that spawned the game late last summer.
In the meantime, enjoy an original oil painting from my friend Matthew Warren Lee that will be the cover of the NES physical release: