Author: Studio Ganzheit

There have been many modifications and additions to features. These include various background elements for Metroidvania-style progression, status effects like the player catching fire or being affected by electric fields, multiple enemy reactions to attacks, various processes related to the world map, a new suit program UI, a chat window similar to ChatGPT, and so on. Because of that, many bugs appeared in what I had previously made, so I had to fix a lot. As I was resolving the broken parts and working on the story and events, it feels like I’ve remade almost half of the game.
It was tough because the results were too meager compared to the effort. However, seeing myself quietly rejoice as the game’s new form slowly took shape made me realize I could never give up on this. I feel like I’ve spent about two-thirds of my life, and I’m living with the thought that if I just muddle through the remaining one-third, I’ll somehow keep going.
I had focused on the theme, visual presentation, and vibe when making the prologue, but about a month before its release, I realized that I hadn’t been able to present that theme to people as attractively as I thought. I still believe that the theme of Axiom of Maria’s story is interesting, new, and offers a lot to think about, but I think it was my mistake to just lay it all out there right away.
When making the prologue, I think I was so mesmerized by the act of creating the game itself since it had been so long since I last released one. This time, I’m focusing much more on the story itself and the gameplay rather than the theme, but since I’m making it alone until the first test, it’s really hard to check if I’m doing it right. The saying “One is the same as none” comes to mind.

Over the past two weeks, I’ve been working on the intro and am now focusing on the opening and tutorial. Making the opening is always challenging because it’s a battle between rules and exceptions.
All the voices are AI-generated for now; for the pitch build, it’ll stay this way, but I might record them for the official release. Since there doesn’t seem to be much voice content this time, I’m also thinking about keeping it as is.
I’ve captured more footage beyond the previous video, but the background lighting and music aren’t implemented yet. I’ve consolidated most dialogues into a chat window, so you don’t have to read everything if you don’t want to, and when you do, you can focus on the dialogue without distractions. I changed this because I received feedback that players found the radio-based storytelling during gameplay hard to keep up with, but I’m not sure how it’ll turn out.
I’m trying to set aside things I can’t control and focus on making a good game, but sometimes it’s tough. Kind words from users occasionally serve as a pillar of support.
After developing and receiving feedback from users, I realized a few things. The most important is that ‘the user’s feedback is always right.’ The second most important is that ‘the user’s solution is almost always wrong.’ I learned that if I blindly follow the second point, it will not only waste time but also ruin the game, so I need to carefully examine the feedback. Whether the feedback is helpful or extremely unpleasant, I need to analyze it carefully, and if it’s about something beyond my control, I have no choice but to ignore it. After all, I don’t have the ability to make a game that satisfies everyone, nor did I quit my job and expose my family to risk just to try to please every player.
One of the most regrettable things after making the prologue was that, I couldn’t fix a major issue even though I recognized it. For example, people said the camera was uncomfortable or that it caused motion sickness, but the biggest problem was the level design. I saw only one user who pointed this out as a level design issue. If the circumstances had allowed, I would have completely remade the level from scratch, but it was unfortunate that I couldn’t.
Apart from that, I’ve come to understand more clearly which areas show results when I put in the effort and which just end up wasting time. It feels like this is a slightly different issue from whether the final product is good or bad. I’ve started to distinguish between areas where it’s worth being ambitious, areas where ambition is pointless, and areas where ambition isn’t even necessary. Since this is my first time making something alone, my eagerness often got ahead of me, and I was just rushing to get the basics down, which ended up manifesting as shortcomings in many areas.
The outcome of the prologue is so poor and disappointing that I want to remake it someday. I tried to maintain the same code as Chapter 1, but it was impossible. Even though I already knew that, I made the mistake of daring to imagine it could work. As a result, it’s now difficult to touch the code for the prologue. Whether after Chapter 1 is finished or at some other point, I really want to remake the prologue.
And someday, after making up to Chapter 3 or Chapter 5 of Axiom of Maria, I’d like to combine all the chapters into one and release it as a remake. I wonder if that will be possible before I die.

There’s still a lot to polish, but I’ve spent too much time on the boss character. I roughly wrapped it up and started working on the intro. I’m assembling things step by step, starting from the beginning. It’s still close to a placeholder, but I’m matching the atmosphere by adding visuals, music, and dialogue. I’ve been thinking about the story and setting of Axiom of Maria since around 1998 or 1999, but never had the chance to bring it to life until now. I quit my job and started solo development because I felt like this world would consume me if I didn’t. Bringing the world and story in my head into reality is one of the most enjoyable moments of my life. I applied a mosaic effect to the logo since it’s not finalized yet.

I’m still focused on the boss character, adding patterns for the second and third phases. Once I finish the last pattern and assign them to each phase, I’ll finally have a functional version of the boss. I’ve been working on this boss character for so long that I’m getting sick of even looking at this lady. I plan to wrap it up by tomorrow and move on to assembling the scenario, gameplay, and environment. Solo development feels much closer to “Cast Away, but without Wilson” than I initially expected.

Continuing from last week, I’m working on the boss character, focusing on several movement patterns and posture controls. While developing this enemy, I encountered and fixed numerous bugs, making significant adjustments along the way. The amount of changes is so extensive that applying them to the prologue seems challenging, so I’m considering completely remaking the prologue and updating it once Chapter 1 is complete, if time allows. One of the things I wish I had done differently about the prologue is the level design, which might require almost remaking the game from scratch. In any case, I’m focusing on Chapter 1 for now. Combat development is the toughest part for me, while working on the story, events, and music is the most enjoyable. Working solo has made me more aware of which tasks suit me well and which don’t, something I didn’t realize when working in a team. Time flies, and nothing is easy.

I’m currently working on what will likely be the final opponent character in the current build. After finishing the modeling, I’m focusing on combat first before moving on to texturing, creating basic interactions with the boss. Whether the results are good or bad, I find that in solo development, making the game itself is the easiest part. Everything else is much harder.
Once the boss work is done, I’ll move on to the scenario, and then I’ll be working on background design while doing some testing with friends. I’m aiming to pitch the game by the end of this year or early next year.

I am adding or modifying features while placing enemies in the preliminary structured environments. You can now hack sentry guns to attack enemies. In environments where enemies cannot shoot, melee-attacking enemies will appear. Still, the core of the game remains focused on finding hidden paths in a Metroidvania style and following the story.

구성한 배경에 적을 배치하면서 기능을 추가하거나 수정하고 있습니다. 이제 센트리건을 해킹해서 적을 공격할 수 있습니다. 총을 쏠 수 없는 환경에서는 직접 공격하는 적이 나오기도 합니다. 그래도 여전히 게임의 중심은 메트로이드바니아식 숨겨진 길찾기와 스토리에 두고 만드는 중입니다.

Estou adicionando ou modificando recursos enquanto coloco inimigos nos ambientes estruturados preliminares. Agora você pode hackear armas sentinelas para atacar inimigos. Em ambientes onde os inimigos não podem atirar, aparecerão inimigos que atacam corpo a corpo. Ainda assim, o núcleo do jogo continua focado em encontrar caminhos escondidos no estilo Metroidvania e seguir a história.

Estoy añadiendo o modificando características mientras coloco enemigos en los entornos estructurados preliminares. Ahora puedes hackear armas sentinelas para atacar a los enemigos. En entornos donde los enemigos no pueden disparar, aparecerán enemigos que atacan cuerpo a cuerpo. Aún así, el núcleo del juego sigue centrado en encontrar caminos ocultos al estilo Metroidvania y seguir la historia.

Ön yapılandırılmış ortamlara düşman yerleştirirken özellikler ekliyor veya değiştiriyorum. Artık düşmanları saldırmak için taret silahlarını hackleyebilirsiniz. Düşmanların ateş edemediği ortamlarda, yakın dövüş saldırısı yapan düşmanlar ortaya çıkacak. Yine de, oyunun özü Metroidvania tarzında gizli yollar bulmaya ve hikayeyi takip etmeye odaklanmıştır.

Я добавляю или изменяю функции, размещая врагов в предварительно структурированных средах. Теперь вы можете взламывать охранные пушки, чтобы атаковать врагов. В средах, где враги не могут стрелять, появятся враги, атакующие в ближнем бою. Тем не менее, основное внимание в игре по-прежнему уделяется поиску скрытых путей в стиле Metroidvania и следованию сюжету.

我在初步结构的环境中添加或修改功能，同时放置敌人。现在你可以黑入自动炮塔来攻击敌人。在敌人无法射击的环境中，会出现进行近战攻击的敌人。不过，游戏的核心仍然是专注于Metroidvania风格的隐藏路径寻找和故事推进。

我在初步結構的環境中添加或修改功能，同時放置敵人。現在你可以駭入自動砲塔來攻擊敵人。在敵人無法射擊的環境中，會出現進行近戰攻擊的敵人。不過，遊戲的核心仍然是專注於Metroidvania風格的隱藏路徑尋找和故事推進。

構築した背景に敵を配置しながら、機能を追加または修正しています。今ではセントリーガンをハッキングして敵を攻撃することができます。敵が銃を撃てない環境では、近接攻撃を行う敵が登場します。それでも、ゲームの中心はMetroidvaniaスタイルの隠された道の探索とストーリーに焦点を当てています

I’m organizing the level design for two areas and placing enemies and NPCs. I’m also trying to add voices using Elevenlabs. Although it’s not as good as actual voice acting, it seems to convey the content, so I’m considering using it. While the division of areas isn’t clear-cut, I want to create a total of 6 areas with the last one featuring a battle on a highway (not on bikes this time). Time is flying by, and the to-do list is piling up enormously. Looking too far ahead feels overwhelming, so I’m just focusing on taking one step at a time for now.

Estoy organizando el diseño de niveles para dos áreas y colocando enemigos y NPCs. También estoy intentando agregar voces usando Elevenlabs. Aunque no es tan bueno como la actuación de voz real, parece que transmite el contenido, así que estoy considerando usarlo. Aunque la división de áreas no está claramente definida, quiero crear un total de 6 áreas con la última presentando una batalla en una autopista (esta vez no en motos). El tiempo vuela y la lista de tareas pendientes se está acumulando enormemente. Mirar demasiado lejos se siente abrumador, así que por ahora me estoy enfocando en dar un paso a la vez.

Estou organizando o design de níveis para duas áreas e posicionando inimigos e NPCs. Também estou tentando adicionar vozes usando o Elevenlabs. Embora não seja tão bom quanto a atuação de voz real, parece transmitir o conteúdo, então estou considerando usá-lo. Embora a divisão das áreas não seja clara, quero criar um total de 6 áreas com a última apresentando uma batalha em uma rodovia (desta vez não em motos). O tempo está voando e a lista de tarefas está se acumulando enormemente. Olhar muito à frente parece esmagador, então por enquanto estou apenas focando em dar um passo de cada vez.

2개 구역의 레벨 설계를 정리하고 적과 NPC등을 배치하고 있습니다. Elevenlabs로 음성도 넣어보는 중입니다. 실제 성우 연기보다는 부족하지만 내용 전달은 되는 것 같아서 써볼까 고민 중입니다. 구역의 구분이 명확한 것은 아니지만 총 6개의 구역을 만들고 마지막은 고속도로에서의 전투 (이번에는 바이크가 아닌)를 넣고 싶은데 시간은 엄청 빨리 가고 할 일은 엄청나게 쌓이네요. 멀리보면 숨이 막혀서 일단은 발 끝만 보면서 걸어가는 중입니다.

Я организую дизайн уровней для двух областей и размещаю врагов и NPC. Также я пытаюсь добавить голоса с помощью Elevenlabs. Хотя это не так хорошо, как настоящая озвучка, кажется, что содержание передается, поэтому я рассматриваю возможность его использования. Хотя разделение областей не четкое, я хочу создать в общей сложности 6 областей, последняя из которых будет представлять собой сражение на шоссе (на этот раз не на мотоциклах). Время летит быстро, а список дел огромен. Смотреть слишком далеко вперед кажется подавляющим, поэтому пока я сосредоточен на том, чтобы делать один шаг за раз.

İki bölgenin seviye tasarımını düzenliyor ve düşmanları ve NPC’leri yerleştiriyorum. Ayrıca Elevenlabs kullanarak ses eklemeye çalışıyorum. Gerçek ses oyunculuğu kadar iyi olmasa da, içeriği ilettiği görünüyor, bu yüzden kullanmayı düşünüyorum. Bölgelerin ayrımı net olmasa da, toplam 6 bölge oluşturmak istiyorum ve sonuncusu otoyolda bir savaş olacak (bu sefer motosikletler üzerinde değil). Zaman çok hızlı geçiyor ve yapılacak işler listesi devasa bir şekilde birikiyor. Çok ileriye bakmak boğucu geliyor, bu yüzden şimdilik sadece önümdeki adımlara odaklanarak ilerliyorum.

我正在整理两个区域的关卡设计，并放置敌人和NPC。我也在尝试使用Elevenlabs添加语音。虽然不如真实的配音演员，但似乎能传达内容，所以我在考虑使用它。虽然区域的划分并不明确，但我想创建总共6个区域，最后一个是在高速公路上的战斗（这次不是摩托车）。时间过得飞快，要做的事情堆积如山。远远看去令人喘不过气来，所以我暂时只专注于眼前的每一步。

我正在整理兩個區域的關卡設計，並放置敵人和NPC。我也在嘗試使用Elevenlabs添加語音。雖然不如真實的配音演員，但似乎能傳達內容，所以我在考慮使用它。雖然區域的劃分並不明確，但我想創建總共6個區域，最後一個是在高速公路上的戰鬥（這次不是摩托車）。時間過得飛快，要做的事情堆積如山。遠遠看去令人喘不過氣來，所以我暫時只專注於眼前的每一步。

2つのエリアのレベルデザインを整理し、敵とNPCを配置しています。Elevenlabsを使って音声も入れてみています。実際の声優の演技ほどではありませんが、内容は伝わっているようなので、使ってみようか検討中です。エリアの区分は明確ではありませんが、合計6つのエリアを作成し、最後は高速道路での戦闘（今回はバイクではない）を入れたいと思っています。時間は非常に早く過ぎ去り、やるべきことは山積みになっています。遠くを見ると息が詰まりそうなので、とりあえず足元だけを見ながら歩いている状態です。

I will stop posting DevLogs on Homepage and will only post updates or news as they come.

The script review, voice actor auditions, and director’s participation have all been completed, and it seems recording will begin next week. By the end of next week, we might be able to release a trailer with English voiceovers. I’m also excited to hear how the English voiceovers will turn out.

홈페이지에 DevLog는 그만 올리고, 업데이트나 뉴스가 있으면 그 때 그 때 올리겠습니다.

대본 리뷰, 성우 오디션, 디렉터 합류까지 끝나도 다음 주에 녹음이 시작되는 것 같습니다. 다음 주 말에는 영어 음성이 들어간 트레일러를 공개할 수 있을지도 모르겠네요. 영어 음성이 어떻게 나올지 저도 두근두근 합니다.

我将停止在网站上发布DevLog，只会在有更新或新闻时发布。

稿件审查、配音演员试镜和导演的参与都已完成，看起来下周将开始录音。到下周末，我们可能会发布一个带有英文配音的预告片。我也很期待听到英文配音的效果。

我將停止在網站上發布DevLog，只會在有更新或新聞時發布。

稿件審查、配音演員試鏡和導演的參與都已完成，看起來下週將開始錄音。到下週末，我們可能會發布一個帶有英文配音的預告片。我也很期待聽到英文配音的效果。

ホームページにDevLogの投稿を止め、アップデートやニュースがあればその都度投稿します。

脚本のレビュー、声優のオーディション、監督の参加がすべて完了し、来週に録音が始まるようです。来週末には、英語の音声が含まれたトレーラーを公開できるかもしれません。英語の音声がどのようになるのか、私もワクワクしています。