Genome Guardian 2

TUTORIAL STUFF

I guess my recent changes weren't enough. Fine, you win, here ya go:

• WHAT IS NOW SKIPPABLE:

• the "that's the basics!" popup asking if you want to skip some tutorials now skips lots more of them.

• when returning to SETUP for the first time, it'll ask you if you want to go through all of the SETUP / RESEARCH menu explanation.

WHAT WILL NEVER BE SKIPPABLE:

• "The Basics" (Wave 1-6): Being a GG1 player does not mean you already know about moving Genes or Storage because they're mechanics new to the sequel. It's literally just the first 6 waves, I don't need to make some completely separate tutorial flow just because you're already familiar with adding DNA.

• Evolution menu explanation: not pointed out anywhere else and very easy to miss if you don't know about clicking weapon names during a run. Nothing in-game indicates this feature exists.

• Doubletime explanation: also not pointed out anywhere else. You're invincible during it and all Microbes die when it ends, it can't harm you.

• Enzyme explanation: Single popup explaining what they do in CHECKLIST - brand new mechanic to Genome Guardian 2.

• Various Other One-Time Popups: Not every popup is a "tutorial", man. For real, just because there's a popup explaining a new mechanic unlocked by beating the story doesn't mean you've been in the tutorial the entire time you've been playing. Sometimes the game is just telling you a feature exists, it's not "hand-holding".

• Weapon Descriptions: I'm not removing lines like "this works great with Range boosts!" or "goes crazy with Sticky!" from weapon descriptions. They are WEAPON DESCRIPTIONS. They describe how to use the weapon. Dudes are seriously complaining to me that this is "backseating", come on.

🔨 FIXES

• MANY things specific to "The Abyss Approach" (boss attempt) dive - I lost track of them but I've addressed everything I was aware of including a number of potential softlocks.

• "Chlorine" Core: no longer destroys framerate.

• uhhh some other stuff too I forget... it's all kind of a blur honestly, hectic launch, doin' my best.

💖 Please add a review! They directly support GG2 / development 💖

You know those sites like Patreon or that Buy Me A Coffee one? That's what reviews are to a game.

Whether it's 30 paragraphs or 1 letter, they all directly influence Genome Guardian 2's success & exposure.

This is it. The big one.

Genome Guardian 2 has left Early Access and is now fully released!

Not only are you finally able to conclude the game's story - this update adds more new content than any of the major updates that came before. There's so much to sink your teeth into, and no content is marked as "unreleased" in-game anymore because it's now all available. That also means you can obtain those last few Guardian Files for the DATABASE.

Everything below has unlock conditions listed in-game in the CHECKLIST but if you already meet their requirements, you'll instantly unlock them upon opening the game!

CHALLENGE THE ABYSS

First you gotta discover all 18 Journal files in the DATABASE (which appear based on # of unlocked parts) to reach "CURE PROGRESS 100%" on the Main Menu.

Then, you can initiate the journey to the injection site (where you can inject the cure into The Abyss' heart) via VIRUS Mode DEPTH 5 with the "p53" Guardian.

To players of the first game: No, it's not a trip to wave 100, but it's not quite to wave 30 either... Expect some similarities, but also a number of very important differences.

Bring something with great Damage output - something "reliable", "consistent" - with parts you already know how to use. Don't say I didn't warn you pal.

GHOST MODE

• I guess that pic is kinda spoilery since it presumes that you defeat The Abyss buuut Cell Command's story is entirely predicated on that fact anyways.

• indeed, the game isn't "over" after you defeat The Abyss, because this unlocks afterward. Like all Modes, there's 3 part unlocks attached to it:

• GHOST DEPTH 1: "UR4-C1L" Motherboard

• GHOST DEPTH 3: "Psychic" Bracket

• GHOST DEPTH 5: "Quantum" Core (or as my gang of testers say, THE GOAT)

now, you might be thinking: "is GHOST Mode essentially a post-game 'extra hard' difficulty?" - nope... DEPTH X is.

DEPTH X

This also unlocks after defeating The Abyss, and is available for all 6 Modes.

Tired of winning? Miss what it felt like to actually be challenged by this game after having become such a "Genome Guardian 2 expert"? Or maybe you just can't get enough of GG2 and want a new goal to work towards?

Well, DEPTH X is the ultimate test of both skill and knowledge.

Like it says above, it's entirely optional - not a single unlock, award or achievement is tied to victory at DEPTH X, so you don't get to whine if it's too tough for you (seriously, I will never make it easier).

NEW GUARDIAN: RINGMASTER 🎩

• your Platform moves the Spotlight instead

• Microbes in Spotlight take Damage +50% & are slowed

• Mirobes outside Spotlight take Damage -50%

• Speed +100%

You stay locked to the center - your movement inputs instead control a Spotlight, and the way it moves is based on your equipped Platform.

High Speed (and the right Platform) really help this one.

NEW GUARDIAN: TOIL & TROUBLE 🦇

• Toil grants Invulnerability if alive, ×2 Damage Taken if dead

• Trouble grants Damage / Knockback / Firerate / Velocity / Size / Accuracy / Range / Speed +25% if alive, -25% if dead

• familiars die if you touch them or hit them with your projectiles, but revive after 2 waves

Can't release in October without a Halloween-themed Guardian!

Right, so, what does this Guardian actually do: A little spider & bat scurry around the arena that each grant a different buff while they're alive, or apply a spooky debuff when dead.

They bumble around with zero awareness - Microbes can't hurt them, but if YOU touch them or hit them with any of YOUR shots, splat. They'll be gone for the rest of the wave and next wave, then come back to life the wave after that. They also grow larger & faster each wave they're alive, so it gets progressively tougher to avoid squashing em'.

It's a "maybe don't use your screen-clearing nuke build" Guardian.

NEW GUARDIAN: SERAPH 👁

• take 2 Damage upon eliminating Microbes instead of receiving Biomass

• gain Biomass & heal 1 for each Microbe alive at wave end

• Microbes stay within view

The quintessential "pacifist". The Microbes won't know you're only trying to protect them though, so they'll still hunt you down - you'll likely need either a highly-mobile Nanobot to dodge them or lots of Knockback (but low Damage) to keep them away.

NEW BRACKET: PSYCHIC 🔮

• psychic projectiles

• Damage +200% & Knockback +200% while overheated

• Range +500%

• Firerate -60%

Alright so this one's... hard to explain.

It's like the "Orbit" Bracket, but projectiles quickly & tightly orbit you, and slow to a near-crawl when not firing. If you overheat, they'll all shoot outward, grow, and have lots of extra Damage/Knockback. Cooling off lets you bring them back in to do it again.

NEW CORE: CHLORINE 💀

• CORE STATS:

• Gas Max (formerly Heat Max): 300

• Refill Amount (formerly Cooling Rate): 10 (gas gained from touching an Offspring)

• Gas Drain (formerly Cooling Delay): 1 (gas drained per shot multiplier)

projectile hits on Microbes Damage others nearby (Damage & radius scale with Gas)

hits from Offspring refill Gas instead of hurting you

Gas doesn't refill each wave

Damage -25%

Hooo boy, it's a mouthful... but it's not as complicated as it sounds (and if you're familiar with GG1's "Fume" Turret, you already understand it).

When your shots hit something, they produce a green gas cloud that hits all Microbes within it. It's like adding "Explosive" to a Minigun or Ion Laser.

Shooting slowly drains Gas, and it won't refill when the wave ends... but taking hits from Offspring won't hurt you, they'll get converted to Gas!

It's a delicate balance: You want a Microbe that's shooting at you to stay alive so it can keep filling you up, but the more Gas you have, the larger the cloud, whiiich makes it harder to avoid accidentally eliminating it 😖

NEW MOTHERBOARD: D0R-1T05 🔺

No, not 5, that's plus 5. That means 8 Chip Slots.

Sure, you have fewer DNA & Gene Slots, but just think of the potential...

• 8 "Powerpolyp Chance +300%" Chips for +2400%...

• 4 "Charge Max +50%" Chips + 4 "Charge Rate +60%" Chips with "Fusion" Core for fast-charging INSANE Damage/Size/Range shots...

• a combination of Armour / Shield / Health / Evasion Chips that can get you to wave 300...

NEW MOD: WAND 🌟

• Powerpolyps match the first Powerpolyp triggered for the rest of the dive

• no INVULNERABLE! Powerpolyps

I obviously had to disable INVULNERABLE! Powerpolyps for this one, which still leaves you with 14 different ways to use this! Slap it on something like the "Superstar" Guardian and you could do something like:

• all LIFESTEAL! Powerpolyps: frequently heal 2 with each Microbe elimination.

• all HIGH VOLTAGE! Powerpolyps: infinite Zap range on all weapons with near-permanent uptime.

• all BOMBARDMENT! Powerpolyps: rely entirely on bombardments for eliminations.

... Of course, gotta be careful. You "choose" the Powerpolyp by eliminating it first, so it might be time to put away your 360AOESPAM build.

NEW MOD: PAULDRONS ⚔

• Invulnerable for 3s & Heat +50% when hit (3s cooldown)

I-frames & a burst of Heat build-up when something hits you. Can be a solid generalist pick, or the cornerstone of certain builds.

NEW MOD: SNOWBLOWER 🏂

• if Heat below 50% but not at 0% Heat: Freeze

Basically: Your projectiles have Freeze if you fire while at low Heat, as long as you have at least some Heat built up (it was mega-busted without that stipulation 😅 b-but still super solid!)

FUTURE SUPPORT

This is the final Major Update - the game is "complete" in terms of content & features.

This doesn't mean I'm dissappearing or abandoning the game. I will address bugs as they come up (paying extra attention to any related to content added in this update).

Aside from that, Genome Guardian 2 is now officially the game I set out to make, with (easily) over 100h of genuine content.

⚖ BALANCE

• Guardians:

• Snare: projectiles only Damage Microbes once they enter 25% → 30% Range.

• Cerberus: aim speed +50% for the 3 turrets.

Mods:

• Gloves: Microbes within 25% → 30% Range receive +300% Knockback & No Damage.

• Impeller: Firerate +20% per Offspring within 60% → 70% Range (up to +300% Firerate).

• Lever: heal 8 → 10 when you reroll.

• Extinguisher: Cooling Rate -75% → -70%.

• Heatshield: ignore hits to your front while overheated for up to 5s → 6s.

• Siren: Firerate +150% → +200% & Velocity +150% → +200% & Accuracy -50% for 1.5s when hit.

Weapons:

• AACT "Anti-Freeze Missile": Damage +17%, Size +6%.

• AGTT "Bubble Blaster": Size +25%.

🔄 CHANGES

• MINER Mode: Homing projectiles will no longer seek towards Abyss Deposits (the ones that Damage you when broken).

• Daily Dive: adjusted the weights of various Guardians/Parts/Mods/Gadgets.

• SETTINGS: "Shooting Volume" & "Explosion Volume" are now sliders instead of on/off toggles.

• adjusted how often certain Genes / Chips appear.

• reduced the volume of the alarm sound heard from "MUTATION ALERT" & "Repair" Gadget.

• minor improvements to projectile/microbe/nanobot collision detection.

• the red edge when your Health is low now fades in/out faster.

• some slow-loading menus now show faster.

🔨 FIXES

• Hot vs Cold Path & GRUG SMASH Anomalies: hovering over the option button text no longer makes a tooltip appear explaining Bounce. (yes, this was a real bug)

• "Fusion" Core: Range on Flak projectiles now properly scales with Charge.

• MANY more translation improvements.

• changing language would sometimes leave some text set to the previously-used language.

• Daily Dive: If you have the "Jester" Guardian selected, various aspects of the current Daily Dive will be Jester-ish, and attempting to start the Daily Dive would result in strange glitches. (also, fun fact: Jester is the only Guardian that is completely banned from being featured in Daily Dives)

• saved loadouts would sometimes show text using the previous language you had selected instead of your current selected language.

• a couple tooltip-related bugs affecting when they display.

• a couple improvements to gamepad / WASD menu navigation. (you knew you could do that, right? navigate menu buttons with WASD / arrow keys?)

💖 Please add a review! They directly support GG2 / development 💖

You know those sites like Patreon or that Buy Me A Coffee one? That's what reviews are to a game.

Whether it's 30 paragraphs or 1 letter, they all directly influence Genome Guardian 2's success & exposure.