Forgive Me Father 2 News — Devlog 6 – Designing the Flashlight System
Go to Source
It’s the Byte Barrel team again, and we’re here today to shed some light on the Forgive Me Father 2’s flashlight system. If you’re interested in how it was designed and want to learn more about the way it enriches the dreadful atmosphere of the game, then dive in.
Design and purpose explained
When designing the flashlight system, our goal was to fit it into both of the two main cores of Forgive Me Father 2: dynamic, action-packed gameplay and a horror atmosphere straight from the myths of H.P. Lovecraft. So, creating a tool that allows players to see in the dark is one thing, but delivering a system that connects these two worlds is an entirely different story. So how did we approach it?
The flashlight system is all about building tension and the feeling of dread, but also creating as immersive experience as possible. That said, we wanted to make the flashlight an integral part of the gameplay and not something that the player would use once or twice just to read runes scratched on a wall.
Another goal we set for ourselves was to make it satisfying and fun to use. From smooth animation with additional camera shake to sound effects that are not repetitive, but actually change depending on how long you charge the flashlight for.
Okay, but how does it actually work?
Much like the lantern in the previous installment, the flashlight is the primary source of light for the Priest in Forgive Me Father 2. It’s activated by pulling the cord, which spins a dynamo inside that powers the tool.
Each pull charges the flashlight for a short amount of time, allowing you to prepare for longer fights in a darker area or another round of exploration. The effect stacks up to a total of two minutes, but that’s not always enough during the longer battles – so don’t forget to refresh it if you don’t want to be left in the dark.
How does the flashlight enrich the atmosphere of dread?
We said before that the system is designed to connect the dynamic gameplay and horror aspects of the game, but let’s focus on the second one since that’s where the flashlight truly shines. Imagine it unexpectedly going off in the middle of the fight because you were too absorbed in fighting hordes of enemies and simply forgot to charge it. And did I mention that the arena was completely dark?
Another mechanic affecting the dark atmosphere of the game is the flashlight’s fading light, which begins to flicker when it’s close to running out of power. With the diminishing light, the players’ field of vision is getting smaller and smaller, playing with their minds and making everything around them a potential threat. Oh, and don’t forget about jumpscares when a zombie or a cultist suddenly appears before you just after you activate the flashlight.
That’s all for now! Thank you for reading and make sure to get yourself a copy of Forgive Me Father 2 if you haven’t done it already; and if you did, leaving a review of it here on Steam would be really nice! And remember to drop by our Discord whenever you want to chat with us and other players!
Until next time,
Byte Barrel Team
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2272250/Forgive_Me_Father_2/