v0.2.5: Graphics overhaul & the road to Chapter 2

Hey friends! As always I'd like to start by thanking everyone who's checked out this little prototype. Your feedback has been extremely valuable. I used Games Made qVIIck to continue work on the game, and I have something pretty cool to share with you all.

This game has received a graphical overhaul. Most importantly, all AI-generated content has been removed. It's no longer the novelty it was in summer last year, and to be honest I've rather fallen out of love with the style. This means a lot of new portraits, new backgrounds, and new item graphics. Some are even good! No really, I think a lot of them actually worked out pretty well.

I've also implemented a lot of quality-of-life features and engine improvements, including a new in-game diary and inventory system. It's rather rudimentary for now, but will serve as a teaser for what's to come.

Finally, there's now a short interactive demo for what Chapter 2 will end up being like. There are some hints for the mechanics that should then appear in the game, as well as some of the characters that will become important. Can you feel the excitement? I sure can. Barring force majeure, I estimate that v0.3 (with chapter 2) should be out by next summer.

More details in the readme. The changes are extensive, so if you had an old savegame, I'm sorry to say that it's not compatible anymore. But hey, you can start grinding out runs and practice your speed strats. There are some cool damage boosts and sequence breaks you can do.

Full details in the changelog.