The Esc4pe
A downloadable game for Windows, macOS, and Linux
+50.000 visits & +25.000 downloads! Thanks all of you, guys! :D
Featured on GameJolt marketplace with +45.000 downloads!
This project is made as practical exercise for the "Master Degree in Video Game Development with Unity3D & 3DS Max Official Autodesk (MPV)" of CICE Madrid (http://cice.es/curso/master-en-desarrollo-de-videojuegos-con-unity-y-3dsmax/).
A "primitive shooter" developed in one month with technical restrictions based on the topics seen in class until the project start date. The game is not optimized (its performance is not stable).
Support XBox360 Controller in all PC platforms (implementing the input map for Linux and OSX following the information found on this wiki).
The game is initially designed to be played in 5~10 minutes (It can take 20~30 minutes to complete).
Developed and full tested under:
- Intel Core i5-2500 @ 3.30GHz
- 8GB RAM
- AMD Radeon HD 6800 Series (with Crimson drivers)
- Windows 10 Pro x64
Links
- Game web site: http://portfolio.visualstudioex3.com/2017/02/20/the-esc4pe-a-primitive-shooter/
- Post on my blog, Visual Studio EX3, with more details (ES): http://visualstudioex3.com/blog/gamedev/the-esc4pe-un-primitive-shooter-hecho-en-unity3d/
- Twitter (ES): @ex3_tlsa
After start a new game, first learn the input controls
You can find the input controls layout, for Keyboard & Mouse and XBox360 Game Controller, in the main menu by clicking on Controls button.
Change log
UPDATED 14 mar 2017: Fixed mouse issue
Some user reporting a problem with the mouse control. The problem seems to be a great acceleration or zero response, which makes the game unplayable. This was a bug in my code, and as promised, I publish an new update with the bug fixed. I also take this opportunity to include some improvements and changes:
- Fixed problem with mouse input (thanks for you feedback, guys!). Reprogrammed the mouse input. Now, you can configure both horizontal and vertical sensitivity in a major range of values.
- Added trigger event when the first sniper soldier not spawn their weapon when he died. In this case, if the player advances in the scenary, automatically get the rifle weapon.
- Fixed some colliders in some columns on tower base in outdoor zone (remove transparent zones).
- Added some fences in outdoor zone for forcing the player to pass near of the tower ladder.
- Minor changes on first area (a little surprise when you pick up the second handgun).
Ensure that you downloaded the last update. You must see in the bottom of the main menu the following text: UPDATE #2 (14 MAR 2017)
UPDATED 02 MAR 2017: Fixed download issue
In the past days, several users have experienced some kind of problem with the download links. Initially, the download links pointed to the files in my portfolio web site (an external server). Now, I uploaded on itch.io the download files. This will be fixed the download issue on some users.
Take this opportunity, and thanks for the feedback received from the video reviews, I fixed some little bugs and implement some improvements:
- Fixed final message text.
- Fixed a couple of sound effects that not working.
- Now, the grenades explodes inmediately on enemy contact (This will make grenades more useful!)
- Increased the Final Boss enemy life (remember the grenades!)
- The items in Final Boss arena (placed on columns) now are respawnables: respawn mid armor, mid medpacks, mid shotgun ammo and small grenades pack after 10 seconds of picking up the last item. This prevents the player from running out of ammo or life & armor in the Final Boss battle.
Have fun! :)
P.D.: This game will not receive new updates, bug fixes or new version with more levels. Remember, It's only a practical exercise made for my game development master degree i'm currently taken :)
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Comments
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this game doesnt work it keeps making me look up and left. I unplugged my controller and turned down the xbox sensitivity and it still didnt work! you need to fix it!
Hi, Dominu Vilicus.
The xbox controller support in this game is not a fine implementation. Was the first time that I implementing gamepad controls in Unity and for a FPS game. Before that, I only had experience implementing gamepad controls for simple 2D platform games in Xbox360 and PC in other technologies and engines. Achieve a fine view gamepad controls for a FPS or TPS game is a very hard feature to do (more without experience), and this wasn't the focus of this practical exercise of the master degree (the focus mainly was develop an "old-style shooter" in only 4 weeks).
I assume that it only occur using the gamepad, not with the keyboard + mouse control, is it?
That will be impossible by two points (three if I count that you must be more polite on your requests):
Is a free game, I'm not living of working on it and I'm not have any obligation to do anything on it unless I want to do.
no, you don’t get it, I unplugged my controller, and it was still doing that.
Ok, let me see if I underdstand you. With the controller unpluggled the view continue going to up and left (the player is rotating to the left while look up)? This occur with the default settings?
I just downloaded the game from itch.io and tried to reproduce your issue, in my case, using a Xbox One Contorller (for the game, the map is the same as the XBox 360 Controller). I'm tried to turn off the controller during the game, while moving the view, and not seems to affect it, I keep the control with the mouse.
Also I'm tried to randomly change mouse and controller sensitivity parameters in settings but the view seems to working as expected (my first hypothesis was a problem with any sensitivity combination).
Without source code of this version, I'm not sure why is the possible reason of the bug, if only occur with the controllers, maybe was a wrong callibration (not ussual with the Xbox controllers), but with the mouse, the only reason possible is the sensitivity settings (internally, the game simply uses the mouse position multiplied by the sensitivity factor per axis).
The last possibility was if you are modified the input settings from the Unity launcher (I'm forget the launcher allow to modify the internal input settings) and any change affected to horizontal and vertical axes.
Anyway, I'm can't do more than this to try to help you. Sorry.
P.D.: This game technically is a pile of garbage, result of been developed in a few weeks, with limitations and other restrictions from the teachers and the topics seen in the first days of the master degree. To fix it, visual and technically, the only solution is remade it from scratch and taking time to do well with the newer versions of Unity and current expertise, but I don't have plans to do it.
it froze my f****** laptop for a while and i could not play it, i had to restart my laptop, is it beacuse it does not work on linux? (yes, i use linux, f*** off)
Hi, RaduDev.
Sorry to see that you have problems running the game.
This game was compiled on march 2017 with Unity 5.6. I don't know if the build has lost compatibility on current Linux versions, but I bet that the problem is the poor optimization of the game in general (don't expect better results on Windows). Remember that was a practical excercise made it in only 4 weeks, with several restrictions, for a game development master degree, not a pulished game.
P.D.: I have curiosity to know if the Windows build run "properly" on Linux via Wine or Proton.
ok, thanks for the reply
Dude I love this game but it was really sad that it was not clearly playable. I wish there was a graphics settings.
The problems are not only related with the graphics, the code is not precisely my best work and have a several bottle necks. Even the game design itself sucks (the enemy "AI" for example).
Remember that this game is just only a small practical excercise (the first of 5) for a Unity Game Development Master Degree that I taken in 2017, made it in just only 4 weeks, with several technical restrictions imposed by the teachers (precisely to learn how not to do some things in Unity). A full menu with settings to setup graphics or input bindings was not a requeriment for the practical excercise (or the optimization in general terms).
This has so much potential, dev! I love how you’ve taken the direction of artsy cartoonsy art instead of the super-realism that other FPS’s try to do… it’s almost cute like you’re on the planet of the Ewoks in Star Wars. Too bad I couldn’t proceed beyond the 1st kill due to lag that made me force-quit. One solution to lag on Macs if you want to improve it easily: Adding more options for players to tweak graphics settings in the Unity loader control on start (esp lower quality with No Antialiasing, no shadows/lighting and different resolutions) might do the trick.
Hi, tonewarper!
Thanks for the feedback! :D
About the suggestions, like I said in the game description, this was only a practical excercise for a Game Development Master Degree that I taken 4 years ago (how fast pass the time!) and was developed in only 4 weeks with the requeriments and restrictions imposed by the teachers. In fact, this excercise was an intended way to show us how not make the things in Unity (a compound of habitual bad practices in programming with common .NET/C#, and Unity and any game engine/technology). After working 3 years porting several Unity games to the past generation consoles (XBox One, PS4, PSVita and Switch), now I could remade The Esc4pe and optimize it enough to run smoothly at 30fps in a PSVita xD
About the game itself, maybe in a future I decide to made from scratch a new version of The Esc4pe, but at now, I want to make some little games in my spare time, just for fun, after work. In fact, since the last year, I working in a retro space shooter game for MS-DOS using DIV Games Studio (a "proto-Unity" from 1997): https://github.com/VisualStudioEX3/StarFighter.
The game is Pretty good, but so much lagging. can you try to optimise if possibe. I only get under 9 FPS
MY SPECS :
i3 9100F@3.6Ghz
8GB DDR4 RAM
GT 710 DDR3 2GB (I know i'ts really bad)
Hi! Yeah, the game, as I said in the description, isn't optimized (is a little practical exercise made in 4 weeks for a master degree years ago) and I'm not conserved the latest version of the sources, then I can't fix or update the game. Sorry :-/
No problem, lag can't stop me because I played and finished some games in lag :)
I was looking for a game like this (cel shaded) becaue 'XIII' didnt work in PC as it is Win 10 snd my brother wanted it. Now I can give him 'ESC4PE'
I'm very glad for you like the game and for you have enjoy it. Thanks! :)
Welcome :)
Enter my FPS game jam if you want to compete against other games (if anyone else joins).
Hi.
Without more information I can't help you very much. The black screen maybe means a problem with your graphics card or whatever that avoid the game start correctly (have you move any file from their original localtion?).
The game not shows any message with error details?
Can you find the game log file? https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/LogFiles.html
i really liked this game. i was initially attracted to it by its "borderlands" art style. it was pretty difficult, and i was unable to beat it but still enjoyed it. congrats on the attention and praise the game has received over the years. kudos!
Hey, thanks you for the video review! :)
TOO LAGY
Good game, just add checkpoints. (Skip to 3:04)
Hey, thanks you for the video review! :)
Very fun FPS! couldn't find out how to heal though so it was very difficult!
This game is... fine. nothing more nothing less... just fine and mediocre.
This is an amazing game! Really reminds me of doom. I love the aesthetic, and all the controls are really well mapped and the xbox control isn't bad at all. Would love to see more.
A fun little game to play!
I must say, it's rather difficult at moments, but I do like myself a challenge!
Eventually, I managed to beat the game! ... and then again, I didn't. Whoops!
Another thing I loved, was the style. Really made me think of some Borderlands-like game!
The only two things I didn't like as much, was that I couldn't zoom with my weapon for a better shot, and secondly was that there were no checkpoints. Dying and starting from the start were frustrating.. but the shortcut to the boss battle did help!
Finally, as others I made a video on the game. Feel free to have a look! Hope you enjoy it!
Hi! Thanks for your video rewiew! :)
"The only two things I didn't like as much, was that I couldn't zoom with my weapon for a better shot, and secondly was that there were no checkpoints. Dying and starting from the start were frustrating.. but the shortcut to the boss battle did help!"
Yes, the rifle zoom and the checkpoint system was an ideas that I can't implemented because I'm not have enough time (remember that this game is developed in 4 weeks as part of a practical exercise for a master degree). In fact, the shortcut to the boss battle is was implemented for ease the evaluting task for my teacher ;P
Some things are little buggy, like the grenades. The bullets can pushing it and in the first version, the grenades not explode when contact with an enemy, the throw trayectory not works fine in some angles (you see it when tried to throw the grenades to the shotgun enemies over the ladder), the rifle droped by the outdoor enemy sometimes disapear under the floor, sound glitches, the mouse aiming... and in general the performance (is very bad for this kind of game :P).
Anyway, I'm glad so much to you enjoyed the game, and thanks again for the video review :D
P.D.: I see you don't found the 2 hidden supply areas (one on the tower and other just after the final boss area), with full med-pack and full armor ;P These make a little more easy to defeat the game :)
An interesting little game (short but fun).
We enjoyed it very much.
Here is a short playthrough video:
Keep up the good work!Hey, thanks you for the video playthrough! :)
Hey, thanks you for the video playthrough! :)
I'm unable to click any buttons in the menu.. and to quit it I have to use task manager.. any help on this?
Hi. This is a unusual bug. In one year I cannot remember anybody report a bug with the menu/ui buttons interaction :-/
"and to quit it I have to use task manager.. any help on this?"
Yeah. This is because the game always shown a confirmation dialog to close the game. The dialog cancel the Alt-F4 shortcut or window close button. Sorry.
After several attempts, the error remains?
Hi. Very sorry for the late reply, I was busy with some new Steam games I bought haha.
I tried it today, and finallyit worked! I don't know how it worked, but I get to play it now :)
Kinda hard, but meh, I best git gud hahaha.
Interesting game!
Hey, don't worry :) I'm glad that finally you were able to play it.
Thanks for playing it ;)
really hard, damn
I loved this! Such a great game! Couldn't get past the boss fight cause I got nervous and fell into the lava haha but this is super fun :D
Hey, thanks you for the video review! :)
You're welcome and thank you for making an awesome game!
Love it. It should be made into a bigger game in my opinion. I did a video for you guys though.
thanks
wobblyfootgamer
Hey, thanks you for the video review! :)
Yeah! Is too early to say it, but several months ago I was thinking about it, and after some developer colleagues recommendations, I would like, in near future I hope, trying to develop a full game follow the basis of this practical exercise from my master degree, developing it from scratch using all of I learned in the master degree and in my short experience in a game studio this last three months. Stay tunned! ;)
Regards!
well, fingers crossed. I'll keep an eye any future updates and good luck with the masters :)
wobblyfootgamer
I like the kind of Borderlands/telltale grapics :)
i want editable keybindings and comprehensive health, armor, and ammo bars.
hihihihi
holy shit, how do you made the borderlands look :)
Very cool. As you said, you can really feel the non-optimization ;)
I was a bit critical...
Hi! Thanks for your video review :)
I see that you play with an old version of the game (the mouse issue at the start, and the main menu not show the "UPDATE #2 (14 MAR 2017)" message in the lower right corner of the screen). The current version fixes some bugs (detailed in the page description) and improves certain parts of the game.
From your comment in Youtube:
"This game should win a prize for best combination of interesting graphics and awful gameplay"
Yeah, totally agree xD Thinks that the game is a practical exercise made in only 4 weeks for a master degree in game development. Not is a demo, beta or preview version for a future final game.
Anyway, I hope, at least, that you ever enjoyed (a little bit) the game :)
Regards.
Edit: I see now in your video in Youtube that the video review has been recorded on 11 march, before the last update. That explain why you played an old version :)
A bit late of a reply, but I did enjoy the game! I usually exaggerate a little bit in my videos, people love to see me rage. I'll try it out again in my free time sometime!
A very nice stylized game, I know you've said this was a project for a degree program and as a fellow student doing the same I thought i might leave some feedback for improvement nothing crazy but just ideas to sit and think over
1. For the menu options everything doesn't need a confirmation box deleting some of theses from the code like the one for when you die and click restart level we don't need to confirm at that moment because of the only two options we have on that screen.
2. maybe get rid of the health bars over enemies, it can be process intensive on the computer having to check the enemies on screen and do the math in the split seconds while your firing down range
3. The bullet animations, I like the idea of them being tracer like rounds but i think this also maybe adding to the lag the game gives. again going back in line with twos point of lag to produce the visual feedback
Like i said before its a great game, I like the concept and the art style you went with going into the project but I think the stylization came before the games ability to run somewhere in production. It might be simply the stuff I listed above all the code for some of that extra stuff might be bogging down the computer.
Love to see how your work progresses from here mate
Good luck
~VFBmax
Hi! Thanks for the feedback :) In response for some points:
1. Yeah. The UI is one of the less worked parts of this project. I'm only work on this after the deadline to made minimal usable for the final users (the initial UI and menus were very very simple and basic).
2. The lifebars are a obligatory requisite for the practical exercise by part of the teachers :) (and the code to manage this have a very little performance cost).
3. Yeah, another obligatory requisite. The requisite limited us to implement the all shoots as fisical bullets throw from the weapons by forces using the physics system. The ideal way wiould be implement this as a ray, for the instant impact or for ensure the target if the bullet has retard, and use a trace renderer for show the shoots.
The unoptimization is come for how is implemented much of the elements and mechanics by the forced limitation requisites. For example, all objects, like bullets or particles, are created and destroyed continuously instead of using an object pool (the teachers want to see if we learned to use the Unity3D basic functions and concepts to instantiate and destroy objects in scene), and other perfomance problems are related for how is comunicate between game entities in scene (masive use of FindObjectByType and similar Unity3D functions for example).
Thinks that is the first practical excercise of the master degree and the pourpose of this little projects is evaluate our level of what we have learned in class (thinks that is like an practical exam). The goal no is reach to made a final quality game (and less in one month of development). This is the pourpose of the final project (with a duration of 3 months to develop and no requisite limits).
Anyway, thanks again for all your feedback. I appreciate much all feedback received. Is an important way to improve my work on future projects, and I'm glad you liked the game :)
Regards!
would be a really fun game if it wasnt laggy as hell
Loved it!! Such a fun game, even though I suck at FPS!
Hi! Thanks for the video review! I'm glad you liked the game :)
I really like the atmosferic envirorment
Love it but can you raise performance I have 8GB RAM and i5 CPU But It Was Laggy As Hell.
A E S T H E T I C
Mouse seems to have no affect for looking around. I see angles other than straight ahead view in the pictures otherwise I'd as "Is this a strafe only game?". I tried the 64bit version on Windows 7 64 Pro.
Is a bug in my code that I will try to fix in the future, if I find some time for it (now I'm working on the next practical exercises of the master degree).
Try this. Change the mouse sensitivity in the settings from main menu or in game pause menu, and try again. A friend reported me the same problem and is how he said that he solved it. Hope this can help you.
a e s t h e t i c
I'm on a mac running Sierra, and ingame the mouse doesn't work at all (I can select menus and stuff but not move the crosshair at all).
Hi! Change the mouse sensitivity in the settings from main menu or in game pause menu, and try again. A friend reported me the same problem and is how he said that he solved it. Hope this can help you.
Just a quick tip for the game: it's really fun, but it would be nice if you could update the damage sound, because -no offence- it's kinda annoying to hear 'ugh' over and over again. Otherwise, awesome game!
Lol, don't worry, does not offend me xD I made the final sounds (the voices) in a couple of hours. I'm afraid, the sound is the less worked part in this project. Thanks for the feedback! :)
really enjoyed this game, full of action and fast paced, a little bit short but all in all really good.
Thanks for the video review :)