Hey everyone,

I'm back with another NIRAVASI Devlog to discuss with you all today. But first I want to apologise for the delay with this Devlog's release. I was all ready and prepped to get it out on Tuesday, but unfortunately fell into a rather sour mood later that day. Because of that, I couldn't really find the energy/enthusiasm to sit down and properly convey my thoughts in written form. That's why I decided to take a few days off to relax a little bit and regain my thoughts (as well as play some Destiny 2 in lieu of the new expansion's release). But you're not here for that, are you? You're here for NIRAVASI news.

In the previous update, I announced that the Perfection Complex Demo was going to arrive soon, as well as discuss a little bit about the Palace of Nira Ishan, the final level of NIRAVASI. For this update, I'm going to go over a few more things, before getting deep into narrative details in regards to the Palace of Nira Ishan level. Let's get into it, shall we?

Perfected Demonstration

On February 16th, I announced that work on the Perfection Complex level was finally complete and that I would be sending out Demo builds within the hour. As of this point, the 6th Level of NIRAVASI is finally free for all players and available to get your hands on. I'm particularly proud of the work that's gone into this level, so I'm eager to see what all of you think of AEON's maladaptive lair of doom.

But it's also come to my attention that over the recent months, a number of you are all holding off from indulging in Demo spoilers and instead patiently waiting for the final release to make its debut. That's definitely an understandable position, considering NIRAVASI at this point is almost complete (recent playtests of the game have logged the journey between Levels 1-6 at the 2-4+ hour mark).

That's why I'm making the announcement that from this point forward, there will be NO Demo Builds for the Palace of Nira Ishan Level of the game openly (Demo and Full). While it's important to gain player feedback in regards to the design/feel of these levels, it just wouldn't sit right with me if the latest Demo build of the game was in fact the very ending of the adventure I set out to create over a year ago. NIRAVASI is my first real attempt at releasing a commercial product, and I don't want Full Builds of the project just being sent from person-to-person for free. I'm incredibly thankful for the support you've all given me so far, but it's coming to the point where I'm ready to release the game in full to make its mark within the industry. I apologise to anyone hoping for a Full Build of the game when the Palace of Nira Ishan is complete, but this is a decision I believe will snuff out any complications in the future.

Forgotten Legacies

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I think it's time we spoke about what it is you'll find within the Palace of Nira Ishan. Right off the bat, it's the highest point within the city of Niravasi, and where you'll find the core of AEON, its caretaker. Once serving as the home of Emperor Nirav Ishani, the Palace of Nira Ishan was built as a testament to all that was great with humanity. But as the twilight of the Great War descended upon its people, the raw and ugly side of the city's denizens came to light. In combination with the planet of Aetherius breaking apart, the Palace found itself quickly falling into ruin.

But when Mura arrives at this place, it's anything but abandoned. You see, in an attempt to revitalise the spirit of the city, AEON did everything in his power to recreate the experience of what life was like back in humanity's prime. As you might expect from an Adventure/Horror game like this, it doesn't really go so well. Sure, it looks the part from a quick glance, but it's all wrong upon closer inspection. Whereas the Palace was once a place of wonder and enrichment, it's now become a desolate mockery of its former glory. Empty rooms filled with the memories of those long-passed, Proxies mimicking servants, etc. But most importantly, the Imagos that patrol the empty hallways, stuck in an eternal limbo.

Some of you may remember from my previous Devlogs that I introduced a mysterious new robot in the form of the Imagos. Where once their purpose was unknown, the truth behind their creation is revealed in this final level of the game. I won't get into too much detail about this, but just know that they'll certainly freak you out when you spot them for the first time.

Calm After The Storm

Right off the bat, the Palace of Nira Ishan won't be like any of the other levels you've played through before in NIRAVASI. Within the Palace, you'll find a slew of AEON-controlled robots, but none of them will pose a fret to you. After escaping him for so long, the overseer network of Niravasi has developed a sort of admirable respect for the player, and officially invites you to showcase the wonders that humanity as a species had to offer (as well as tell you why you're a horrible person). As such, you'll not actively be chased by CALI or any of the other machines in the game here.

There'll still be some moments of danger (particularly towards the conclusion of the Normal Ending), but for the most part, you'll be safe to explore the halls of the Palace in peace. This will be a very narrative-focused level by design, so there will be lots of areas for the player to explore and interact with. All that will be required of you is to visit one of the four places that AEON wants to show you. If, however, you decide to visit all four of these places, there'll be a little surprise waiting for you.

That's it for this Devlog update for NIRAVASI. I'm sorry if it wasn't as meaty as some of the others, but it's really due to a combination of both starting work on a new level, and getting things prepared for the game's release. There's still a lot of pre-production work that needs to be done, so I can't really show you anything concrete at the moment. Other than, I hope you all have a good weekend ahead and I'll post another Devlog later on.

Kind regards,
Angus (Sangos)