Windjammers 2 is coming to PS4 on January 20 – iGamesNews

Thanks to feedback from the game community, including during our PlayStation Beta in August, we’re now ready to deliver the sequel we’ve been dreaming of since working on the port of the original game in 2016. It’s the sequel. first game that we’ve developed entirely in-house, so it’s very special for us. To celebrate the release date announcement, we’re going to talk a bit about how we’ve approached this sequel.

A sequel from scratch

When we worked on the port of the first Windjammers game for PlayStation several years ago, we used our own emulation technology to provide an authentic experience for new players. It was not without challenges, as it was our very first online game.

Porting the game gave us some insight into how the gameplay was constructed. We always intended to work on a sequel after porting, so we took our investigation even further. At first, we tried to analyze the game frame by frame in order to recreate the movements of the characters and the disc, and especially the atmosphere of the game. But our development team felt that it lacked impossible subtleties. to recreate that way. The solution then was to disassemble the original code and try to figure out how it worked, in order to come up with answers – or as my colleagues called it, “an archaeologist’s job.” Cracking the 1994 code was the key to capturing the essence of Windjammers! We also got help from the French Windjammer community, who tested our different versions to confirm that we were going in the right direction to capture the fun and authenticity of the original game.

Creation of new content

Initially, we envisioned working with our engine on a “carbon copy” of the first game, and then adding additional content and mechanics. But we ended up working on both things simultaneously so that everything was implemented in the right way and with the right balance. For example, it was quite tempting to add a lot of visual effects to player shots, but we knew that visibility at all times was an absolute necessity.

Zoom in on Sophie De Lys, one of the new characters in Windjammers 2.

The first thing our production team did was develop new characters. We started with a French player (obviously!) Called Sophie, then tweaked the stats on the existing roster to create some interesting new characters with their own abilities. Subsequently, new moves were added for each character: for example, in Windjammers 2, you can now jump to catch a disc while it’s in the air, or do slapshots and dropshots to surprise your opponent . With gameplay deeper than ever, no two matches are the same.

We have taken a similar approach with the courts. Going from 4: 3 to the big screen allowed us to create even bigger courts. It was then up to us to mix all the different features of the court to create the best levels possible. One of my favorites is one of the new levels, the casino. Before each kick-off, the casino randomly selects the value of the disc: one point up to… eight! This changes the course of the game quite dramatically, and the timing of your special attack here is of critical importance.

In summary, here’s everything you’ll find in Windjammers 2:

• 10 playable characters, including returning champions and new faces
• New game mechanics for even more depth
• 10 courts with different shapes and characteristics
• Epic arcade mode with bonus games and challenging matches
• Online Modes: Casually play with friends or climb the Ranked League leaderboard

Over the years, we’ve postponed the release of Windjammers 2 several times to make sure it’s the ultimate sequel the original game deserves. We are very grateful to our community for their continued support and look forward to seeing you all on the ground in a few weeks.

In the meantime, enjoy the holidays and let’s start 2022 on a high note when Windjammers 2 hits PlayStation 4 on January 20.