S.O.B X is the latest installment of an ongoing series of crab fighting games that I develop periodically based on my changing skill level. Completed this past December, and taking about three months, S.O.B X represents my best in all aspects of game design, featuring rigged characters, post-processing, custom shaders, settings and saving, multiple game modes, and more. See below how I developed this game and my process for each of the elements.
S.O.B X also features two distinct game modes, entitled "DEATH IS INEVITABLE" and "DEATH TO CRUSTACEANS" As you may glean from playing, or watching the clip below, each carries a very different vibe and lends to completely different play styles. In mode one, health, visibility, and the number of crabs are significantly reduced, which leads to an anxiety-inducing horror-survival type game where you must constantly face off against long and tense waves of hunters.
In mode 2, the game takes on a more DOOM-like gameplay experience. with increased health, full visibility, and a massive amount of enemies, it's ride-or-die against fast-paced waves until the crabs take you with them. Both modes are equally fun but play totally differently.
S.O.B. X is and has always been about smashing crustaceans, but for this installment, I decided to take the concept to the next level. When killing a crab, the enemy will explode into each of its constituent parts for a fun and exhilarating effect. this was done by making a separate version of the crab model that is separated into each part, and instantiating it with rigid bodies on death and exploding, giving the effect that the player blew the crab up. The parts then roll around for a bit, before falling through the ground and being deleted, to smoothly optimize gameplay as the waves carry on.
S.O.B X also features my most complex custom player-controller yet, with two attacks, crouching, jumping, sprinting, and different material-based walk-sounds. There is also sound-dampening when submerged.
One other feature I'm particularly proud of is the enemy AI. starting from the ground up using Unity's NavMesh system, crabs utilize multiple modes in-order to feel more evolved and smart.
Crabs don't immediately know that the player is close, but instead of waiting for them to come in range, they act in patrol mode, seeking out random points on the map in succession, until they lock in on the player, in which they switch to hunt mode. In hunt mode, crabs chase the player until they are in attack range - if the player gets far enough away, they will revert to patrolling, but if they can catch up to the player, the enable attack mode.
Attack mode utilized two different attacks, heavy and light to create a seamless battle between the player and the enemy. Both attacks have custom animations and blend with each other, and the other animations smoothly.
I encourage you to download and play S.O.B X, in order to see all of the easter eggs and hidden features I did not mention above, but see below for a full gameplay breakdown of both game modes. S.O.B. X is only the latest step in the series, and a new VR version is already in the works.
