As this is an action-adventure game, the way the enemies behave has a huge impact on the player’s experience. Outlining certain behaviours ensures the game’s feel and vision stays consistent throughout.
Patrol Behaviour
When exploring, the player may come across groups of enemies. These enemies ‘patrol’ an area, not necessarily defending a POI but also not outright hunting the player – enemies such as this can easily be ignored, or chosen to be fought if the player chooses to do so for whatever reason. Often found in larger ‘explorative’ areas of the game.
Gaurding Behaviour
These enemies are defending a specific POI and must be fought in order to progress the game in a certain way. Enemies such as this act as a sort of ‘strength-check’ as well – ensuring the player doesn’t wander into an area far above their level/ equipment; gaurds are often much more difficult to kill than patrolling enemies for this reason. Often found in smaller, more compact areas of the game.
Bosses
Each boss fight should be memorable and reflect that the element that they embody, these fights should feel like they have their own personality.
Demon King
Stays within his melee range, uses fire abilities in order to keep the player out of their range, has a large health pool.
- Phase 1 – Above 50% HP
- Slow, triple combo melee attacks
- Slams the ground with fists to release a pulse wave of fire in a small cone
- Long animation – most vulnerable state
- (If the player is far enough) Releases a burst of fire from the ground – after a small circular indicator
- Phase 2 – Below 50% HP
- Deals 25% more damage with each attack
- Faster, quadruple combo melee attacks
- Slams the ground with feet to release a pulse wave of fire in a small cone
- Faster animation
- Creates a dome of fire to prevent player from running too far
Ice Queen
Uses ranged attacks in order to keep the player at a safe distance, has a small health pool.
- Phase 1 – Above 60% HP
- Small, slow moving series of 5 projectiles, each moving towarsd the players current location
- Places frost on the ground covering 30% of the boss arena
- Frost makes the player move 25% slower and freezes them for 1 second if they are stuck in the frost for over 3 seconds
- Creates a glacial prison around the player which can be dodged, indicated by small ice crystals on the floor
- Phase 2 – Below 60% HP
- Large, fast moving series of 3projectiles, each tracking the players movement constantly
- Must be dodged with a roll or blocked
- Frost covers 50% of the arena and now slows for 35%
- Glacial prison rises much quicker
- Large, fast moving series of 3projectiles, each tracking the players movement constantly
Jester
Uses tricks to decieve the player into giving himself the advantage, has a mediocre health pool.
- Phase 1 – Above 20% HP, Constantly marking snarky remakes to the player character
- Dissapears into a whispy mirage, dealing 50% more damage if they attack the player from behing (Can be attacked in this state)
- Throws a ball of smoke on the ground, creating two identical clones
- One of which is real, the other two have black eyes
- If the real one isn’t attacked, all three begin to attack the player until the two clones dissapear after 15 seconds
- Places Jack-in-the-boxes on the ground, if the player walks near them they are feared. Taking increased damage for a small duration
- Phase 2 – Below 20% HP, The most feared Demon of the Demon King’s Army comes out
- Deals 60% more damage from attacks
- Creates four identical clones instead of two
Prisoner/ Ace
Uses the darkness of the prison to ambush the player, has a small health pool.
- Phase 1 – Above 50% HP
- Leeps from different sides of the boss arena a total of three times, hiding in the darkness
- Causing the player to fall onto their back as the prisoner claws at their face for 60% of their current HP
- Runs into the darkness to crawl on the ceiling above the player, leeps down when they are above the player
- Deals significant damage if the attack lands (unblockable), if the player dodges it the Prisoner is stunned for 1 second
- Simple two-combo melee attack, followed up by a small leap
- Leeps from different sides of the boss arena a total of three times, hiding in the darkness
- Phase 2 – Below 50% HP
- Increases total leeps from three to 5, does 80% of players current HP
- Three combo-melee attack, followed by a small leap and then a delayed larger leap