Hello holotrainers!
It's been a while since we talked about Holozing, its updates, and its gameplay. I've read some posts that mostly focus on the game's market system and some technical aspects I'm not very familiar with. Anyway, today I wanted to talk about something else.
Of course, its gameplay. Without decent gameplay, no game can have a community behind it, so I consider it the most important thing in a video game in development, especially with Holozing's genre—an RPG similar to Pokémon. I think there's a lot that could be done to make it stand out from the rest. Other
For example, the fact that they are still deciding whether to make the game in 2D or 3D because both models exist.
On the one hand, 2D has something magical about it. That flat style, yet full of detail, allows the atmosphere and art direction to have more weight than the technology. There would also be the possibility of spending less Hive on the development of three-dimensional models, which are usually more expensive.
Of course, the most obvious examples of all this have to be Pokémon and how ingenious they are in 2D. In the case of Holozing and its creature world, I think it should be in two dimensions to also take advantage of the nostalgia factor.
First, the 2D style would allow the game to have a clearer visual identity. You don't have to compete with hyper-realistic graphics or GPU-intensive shaders. Instead, you can opt for colorful sprites, charming animations, and environments that feel hand-drawn.
That gives it personality, and in indie games, personality is worth more than "look at these 4K polygons." Besides, 2D ages better... look at any 2D game from ten years ago, and it still looks decent, which isn't the case with 3D games that look like melted clay figures.
Second: time and resources. If Holozing is an indie project (which it is) and, on top of that, depends on community support, the Hive ecosystem, and all that, then the most logical thing is to go for a production that doesn't devour the budget. Creating polished 3D costs an arm and a leg, and indie developers don't have eyesight to spare.
With 2D, you can progress faster, test faster, launch prototypes faster… yes, I've said it before, but it's true: development speed is key to preventing it from dying along the way like so many other blockchain projects that promised the moon and delivered nothing.
Third, and this is the most important thing for me: the gameplay feels better in 2D for this type of game. Holozing could have that platforming vibe, light exploration, and direct combat without the dizziness of cameras bumping into walls (damn cameras in cheap 3D games).
In 2D, everything is more instantaneous: you see the enemy, jump, dodge, pick up items, and interact with NPCs without the camera doing parkour. Everything gets straight to the point, and that's part of the charm.
And lastly, something many don't mention: 2D is more accessible. More players on regular computers, smoother gameplay on mobile if it ever comes to that, easier for streaming (have mercy on me!), in short, I think it's a much simpler path.
I'd like to hear your opinions. I know this post might be pointless and all of this should already be decided, but I still enjoy writing about these topics on Hive. Thanks for stopping by, and see you in the next post.
Fact: Game is being built in 3D now.