itch.io

This is one of the most creative concepts I've ever seen. REALLY cool!

I'd be willing to help with that :) ! Describing music isn't too hard, I just need to know the general vibe/mood, the inspired genre, what the track is for (providing context), how long it should be, and other details along those lines. 

I am an experienced music composer. I LOVE making videogame-y themes and would totally enjoy getting involved in new projects. If you are interested and want a track (entire OST payment can be discussed later on), please check out my Fiverr Gig. There are a few examples there, and I can provide more in private. 

https://www.fiverr.com/s2/f13c34fecd

Blood Knuckle: Rooftop Of The Impossible Skyscraper is a video game developed by Formula Fanboy. It’s a top-down action puzzle game based around a simple yet engaging premise: Climb a skyscraper owned by an Evil Sorcerer in order to find and save Titanette’s short-tempered brother, Ketracpio. You must go through 20 floors in order to complete the game, each with its own visual and mechanical identity, as well as a unique background song to make it stand out even more. 

Right off the bat, I think that Blood Knuckle is at its peak when it goes out of its way to look great. The visuals are arguably the best in any Formula Fanboy game to date. Every floor is colorful and diverse, which makes the admittedly repetitive gameplay loop much more tolerable. The arcade, the circus, and the penultimate floor, just to name a few, are incredibly creative ideas that pop out mostly for their absurd and overly saturated visuals. While that may not be your thing-and trust me, it isn’t mine either in most cases-it really works in this game. At certain points, it feels like one big exhibition of cute, little charming dioramas. 

The next aspect I want to address is the soundtrack. Once again, debatably the best of Formula’s work to date. Every track is incredibly catchy and fitting for its floor: some are more light-hearted and upbeat, while others have a serious tone to indicate the stakes or to make the player reflect after confronting Ketracpio [I will delve into this more later]. Amongst many great pieces, I would like to mention the office, Ketracpio, and Sorcerer themes. The office motif is used in four levels that, you guessed it, are offices. I like that this game has a recurring floor idea and that each one uses the same great theme. It’s very catchy, and I would definitely call it the ‘Blood Knuckle motif’. The Ketracpio boss battles have different themes, each being more intense and layered than the last. My favorite has to be the third and final one. It’s an incredibly emotional theme, fitting for what can be called the pre-climax of the game. And of course, the Sorcerer battle theme is an all-out banger. It’s a very memorable song, accompanying the most memorable part of the game. Formula really went above and beyond to make an incredibly intense and climatic theme, and his efforts paid off.

While I’m not going to talk about it as much in detail, I think it’s also worth mentioning that the ending theme is appropriately bittersweet and emotional. Formula Fanboy included the Super Mario Bros. 3 ending motif in it as an homage, and I think that was really the icing on the cake. 

Moving on, the next aspect I want to discuss is the gameplay itself. I find Blood Knuckle’s core mechanic-the punching itself-to be pretty solid. It’s definitely used in great, fun-to-use ways, such as punching evil employees to death and smashing computers. Most floors don’t really involve punching that much, though, aside from getting rid of enemies. Most levels will require you to find specific objects, sometimes in a specific pattern, in order to progress. While the concept is pretty simple and it does get repetitive, it is still fun and executed in a different way every time. The Ketracpio battles are fairly simple and those really do get repetitive, but they sort of make up for it with the dialogue and story progression. Where the game really shines is, as you might have guessed, with its final epic battle against the Sorcerer. It is long, difficult, and maybe frustrating at times, but no less grandiose. And the reward for beating up the evil old man is truly priceless. You unlock Ketracpio as a playable character! You are able to use his cool, intimidating abilities! That is an incredible addition to an already amazing video game. 

Now, I’d like to talk about a few aspects more in detail. The dialogue in this game is great. It’s funny and incredibly charming! The siblings are very likable, and the quest to find Ketracpio is what really drives you to keep playing. The Sorcerer is a mysterious character, hopefully we get to find out more about him in the sequel. Some of the floors in this game are seriously incredibly creative concepts. The circus floor is full of great visuals and it definitely uses the clown theme to its advantage. The second-to-last floor is genuinely scary and visually perhaps the most bizarre, in a good way. 

Blood Knuckle is a great video game that is definitely not for everyone, but for those who appreciate it, it is going to be an unforgettable treat. It’s charming, intriguing, and full of love. I cannot thank Formula Fanboy enough for bringing to life such a remarkable little game.