The Road Out of Early Access: Feedback Wanted

Hello everyone!

The last update came out a while ago, and the next one likely won’t be dropping anytime soon either. So I wanted to take a moment to share some thoughts, gather your feedback, and shape the future version of the game together.

Since Steam isn’t the best platform for collecting feedback—and the in-game survey isn’t well-suited for early development ideas—I’ve decided to make a separate post to show you what I’m working on for version 1.9, hear your thoughts, and get your input!

Early Access Extension

As many of you probably know, Requiem For a Lost World was originally scheduled to release in Q2 2025. Clearly, that’s not going to happen. I’ll be extending the Early Access period by another six months.

That said, I’d like to hear your thoughts:

• What would make Requiem feel ready for a full release in your eyes?

• Are there unresolved issues that need fixing first?

• Is the content lacking, or are there specific features you want to see in the final version?

Ideally, I’d like to release version 1.9 in the coming months (with a few follow-up patches), and then aim for 2.0 as the final major release around November.

Since 1.9 may include some pretty big changes I’m still unsure about, I’d love to get your input before locking things in.

Shard Asset Changes

Let’s talk about art. I know AI-generated assets are a dealbreaker for some of you, especially when they carry that telltale “AI look.” That’s why I’ve decided to redo all the shard assets from scratch with a different style—honestly, they needed some love anyway.

Here’s a quick before-and-after comparison (left = old, right = new):

I chose examples that aren’t too far off from the originals. Don’t mind the artifacts on the new ones—they haven’t been touched up yet.

Do you think these are an improvement? Some are now more reflective of the character’s story, instead of just being random visuals.

I also experimented with updating the character cards, but the results didn’t turn out as well. The new cards don’t quite fit into the current UI. Still, here’s a preview:

Changing the cards might eventually require updating the pixel graphics too, so let me know if you think it's worth it!

Story Changes

In the same artistic spirit, I’ll also be rewriting the story text on each shard. I’m pretty happy with the writing direction for the latest characters, so I’ll be following that style going forward.

Each shard should tell a piece of a character’s story—and hopefully, once you’ve collected all of them, you’ll be able to piece together a fuller narrative. Some characters might even need more than five shards to do their story justice.

The Story tab is temporarily removed from the main menu, but it will return once I settle on how it should be presented. If you have suggestions, I’d love to hear them!

I’m also thinking about introducing chapter-based story segments that focus less on the overall plot (since that will be told through shards) and more on key events that don’t fit well into the shard format.

Character Reworks

There’s a pretty noticeable gap in kit complexity between old and new characters. Older ones often don’t use newer systems and sometimes lack a strong identity.

For version 1.9, I’m planning to adjust—or completely rework—most characters up to Amelisana.

If there’s anyone in particular you’d like to see reworked, let me know!

Perk Tree and Meta Systems

The character reworks will improve the meta by themselves, but I’ve also been exploring ways to expand progression—and that’s led me to the idea of skill trees.

Unfortunately, implementing something interesting will mean rewriting a core part of the game again: the stat and damage system.

Here’s an early peek at what the skill tree might look like (subject to change):

What would you like to see in this system? What would you not want?

Relic Sub-Stats

Another potential addition is relic sub-stats —not as extreme as in typical gacha games, but still something that adds depth.

Here’s a preview:

It’s a change I could make—but should I? I know some of you already find relics a bit overwhelming.

If implemented, there would be ways to reroll and upgrade sub-stats through gameplay and minigames.

Roadmap Summary

Here’s what version 1.9 is shaping up to include, depending on your feedback:

• New/improved shard art → Do you like them? Prefer the old ones?

• Shard story rewrites → What do you think of piecing the story together this way?

• Character reworks → Adam and Chitose are first in line. Any others you want to see reworked?

• Relic sub-stats → Are you in favor or against this system?

Looking Ahead

You’re always welcome to share your ideas—whether it’s for version 1.9, 2.0, or even beyond. If something is small enough, I might be able to squeeze it into 1.9. Bigger ideas can help shape the future of the game.

Even if you’ve never commented before, please don’t hesitate to speak up! I read every message, and your feedback—no matter how small—can help guide the game in the right direction. Whether it's a concern, a wish, or just something you like, it really helps more than you might think.

Between 1.9 and 2.0, the focus will mostly be on polishing, bug fixes, and co-op improvements.

Version 2.0 will also bring a new map: the Forbidden Zone, complete with new enemies, weapons, and a new character.

As for The Abyss, I haven’t had time to work on it yet, so it may not make it into the full release—but it’s still something I want to return to in the future.

And just so there’s no confusion: 2.0 is just the end of Early Access, not the end of support! More content updates will continue even after the full release.

Thanks again for playing—and if you’ve got thoughts, now’s a great time to share them!