Here in Hamburg the Alster is still frozen over (for the first time in 15 years!), but with temperatures rising to 6°C and more until the end of the week, it looks as if we finally got to say “Goodbye” to the winter and prepare ourselves for the arrival of spring. Soon the last mounts of snow will be molten and the first crocuses will crane their necks towards the sun. And our skates, sleighs and snowboards will be stacked in the attic for at least another 10 months. On your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, however, the fun’s far from being over and all that separates you from the next action-packed ride down the slope is a handful of taps on your preferred device’s touch screen! With our fast-paced winter sports racer Snowboard Hero (winner of two prestigious IMGAwards 2011) you can experience the thrill of speed whenever you want and race down the steepest slopes and most spectacular alpine areas at breakneck speed![full] To celebrate the last days of winter, we have dropped the price of the game to 0,79€ / 0,99$ / 0,69£ for a limited time only! If you haven’t purchased Snowboard Hero yet, buy it now for an unrivalled special price and perform the most spectacular tricks and hazardous jumps on your smartphone or tablet!
For the first time in 15 years, the Alster is completely frozen over...
Hello space pilots! Here’s your old pal Mkkt Bkkt. As you all know, the one thing me and all other Multipods hate the most is having to part with our hard-earned credits. And correspondingly the one thing we like best is saving a good amount of cash! And that’s exactly what yours truly, as well as all other part-time space adventurers, can do now, because Fishlabs have just dropped the price of their award-winning sci-fi shooter and trader Galaxy on Fire 2 HD to unrivalled $4.99! That’s 50% off! So if you own an iPhone 4S or iPad 2 and haven’t bought the game yet, I’d strongly recommend you to make use of that offer and purchase the most ambitious and accomplished outer space adventure on the App Store for an absolute bargain price! Think about it, $4.99 is less than a bottle of S’kolptorr Rum or a flask of Oom’bak Gin in one of my space bars and unlike said boozes, Galaxy on Fire 2 HD will keep you entertained for way more than half an hour… and even if you play it for several hours straight, it surely won’t make you feel as if a Rhinocitroll would go postal in your head the morning after![full] The way I see it, this is a win-win situation for all daring fighter pilots out there, so what are you waiting for!? Head over to the App Store right away and help my good friend Keith T. Maxwell to save the galaxy from its impending destruction by the hands of the mysterious and utterly annoying Voids. And… well… I’m really just saying this because I strongly care for the survival of the universe and not just because those nasty Voids are causing severe damage to my business by raiding and plundering all kinds of convoys and cargo ships, including the freighters who supply my establishments with alcoholic beverages and other more or less illegal substances…
Galaxy on Fire 2 HD for iPad 2 and iPhone 4S by Fishlabs Entertainment
This price drop is only valid for a limited time, so if I were you, I’d grab that offer while it’s hot! Or, as we Multipods use to say, I’d get my slimy tentacles on that baby right away! Here’s the link to the App Store: http://itunes.apple.com/en/app/galaxy-on-fire-2-hd/id465072566?mt=8.
Hope you’ll have fun saving the galaxy, fellas! And if you’re still hungry for more after you’ve finished the game’s main story line, why don’t you accept a number of luctrative missions in the space bar as well in order to gather a nice sum of credits and prepare yourself for the upcoming add-on Valkyrie HD, which will presumably be out in March 2012 and add a new story line as well as new star systems, space ships, characters, weapons and pieces of equipment to the title!
If there’s one thing that every Galaxy on Fire pilot out there enjoys even more than shipping a cargo hold full of Vossk Organs from S’kolptorr to Wolf-Reiser and score almost a million credits, it is equipping his ship with the most powerful and advanced weapons systems on the market and blasting all space pirates from here to Skavac into oblivion! And for most dedicated fighter pilots it does hardly even make a difference whether they vaporize their enemies’ ships with the dazzling beam of a Disruptor Laser, the kinetic flares of a SunFire o50 thermo-weapon or the devastating shrapnel rain of a Berger Flak 9-9 scatter gun. However, for the graphics artists working on Valkyrie HD, Galaxy on Fire 2’s stunningly beautiful high-definition add-on specifically optimized for iPhone 4S and iPad 2, the choice of weapons does indeed play quite an important role, as each of the 50+ primary and secondary weapons in the game does contain an individual set of special effects and animations for their respective muzzle flashes, shots and explosions.[full] And, needless to say, all these flashy and flamboyant beams and blasts have been completely re-done from scratch in Valkyrie HD to make the game’s space action look more staggering and spectacular than ever before! Besides much more complex animations, the new effects also feature up to 32 times higher texture resolutions and four times higher polygon counts, which promise some real eye candy whenever you hit the “Fire” button! Just compare the new scatter gun animation in HD to that in SD and you will surely see what I’m talking about!
_Scatter Gun (HD)
_Scatter Gun (SD)
Besides the overhaul of the weapons systems, the creation of the sophisticated OpenGL shaders for the cloaking device and energy shield have been particularly challenging for our designers and programmers. The energy shield surrounds the player’s space ship with a honeycomb-shaped force field that absorbs all kinds of impacts and explosions and quite often turns out to be a last-minute life-saver for a struggling pilot under enemy fire. In Valkyrie HD, the energy shield’s characteristic refraction effect is created with the help of a normal map.
The Energy Shield in Galaxy on Fire 2 HD - Valkyrie
The cloaking device, on the other hand, is inspired by effects you’ve seen in sci-fi classics such as Predator or Star Trek and is also created with the help of normal maps. This time, however, the line of vision and the surface angle have been taken as basis for the creation of a so-called Fresnel effect which describes the alteration of certain surface properties according to the viewing angle. While the cloaking device makes the player’s vessel literally invisible for his enemies, the trained eye of a veteran GOF pilot should have no problem at all when it comes to indentifying the hidden ship. So what about you? Do you recognize the space craft in the image below?
The Cloaking Device in Galaxy on Fire 2 HD - Valkyrie
Well, fellow space adventurers, that’s it. We hope that you enjoyed our second developer’s diary for Valkyrie HD and would love to see you around soon when the eagerly awaited add-on finally sets the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 on fire!
To be honest, the huge success of the graphically overhauled HD-version of our popular sci-fi saga Galaxy on Fire 2 surprised us quite a bit, because we had never thought that even such a vast number of fans, who already own the regular version of the game, would still buy the HD-version as well to save the galaxy from the devious Voids on their iPad 2 or iPhone 4S once again. Apart from minor refinements such as the thrust control, which allows you to change the speed of your ship with little more than a swipe of the index finger, we’ve not added any new content or features on purpose, because in regards to the story and gameplay we did not want to favour any user group at all. At least in our opinion, a gamer, who plays GOF2 on his trusty iPhone 3GS, should experience the same thrill and excitement as a fan, who sets course for the final frontier on his brand-new iPhone 4S.[full]
A Nemesis-Fighter by the Deep Science-Faction approaching the Kaamo Club
Nevertheless, the hardware capacities of the current generation Apple devices do indeed differ quite a bit from those of their predecessors and hence we’ve worked very hard to max out the powerful dual-core A5 chip of the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S and offer our fans a visual treat which is pretty much in a league of its own on mobile platforms! And the many raving reviews by the world’s leading gaming magazines on the one hand and the countless satisfied customer comments on the other have shown us that we’ve apparently done a pretty good job with GOF2 HD and hence it’s only been a matter of time until we’d optimize Galaxy on Fire 2 – Valkyrie, the first add-on for our action-packed space epic centering around the daredevil space war hero Keith T. Maxwell, for iPad 2 and iPhone 4S as well. Right now it looks like Valkyrie HD will be out in mid-February and we’ve decided to ease your waiting by publishing two developer diaries prior to the release and give you a little insight into the creation of the add-on’s spectacular new graphics assets!
Galaxy on Fire 2 HD - Valkyrie: S'Kanarr (HD vs. SD)
In the following we’d like to show you some of the new 3D models in detail and give you a little info on how they’ve been created and in what points they differ the most from the assets of the SD-version. For illustration purposes, our graphics department has not only provided us with a number of cool “HD vs. SD” images but also given us some interesting information on how the new space crafts, stations and other 3D assets have been brought to life!
Galaxy on Fire 2 HD - Valkyrie: S'Kanarr (HD vs. SD)
All in all, the creation of a space ship such as the S’Kanarr took about a week. First, the wire frame for the new fighter had to be created in 3DS Max 2012 and second, the detailed new texture sets had to be added. Compared to the SD-version of Galaxy on Fire 2 – Valkyrie, the assets of the HD-version feature four-times as many polygons and a four-time higher texture resolution. This results not only in slight changes in the ship’s body but also in a multitude of cool new details, such as extra lights on the bottom side or more sophisticated weapons systems in front of the cockpit.
Galaxy on Fire 2 HD - Valkyrie: Hangar (HD vs. SD)
Besides the ships, stations and heavenly bodies, the backgrounds of the stations’ interiors, such as the hangar, have been re-designed from scratch as well. The additional light sources and new structure elements on the ground and on the walls really aid the three-dimensional feel of the hangar and the vast number of added details makes it look more lively and colourful than ever before. As you can see, the graphics and overall look of the game have been improved a lot and we’re already looking forward to fill you in on the new special effects next week. Of course, we’re also gonna show you some spectacular “HD vs. SD” graphics again, because when it comes to the dazzling laser beams and thundering explosions of Valkyrie HD, an image definitely says more than a thousand words!
Last Wednesday and Thursday our Community Manager Sebastian went to Berlin in order to introduce Fishlabs Entertainment to the video-game loving students of four universities residing in our beloved capitol. Together with Quinke Networks’ Dennis Schoubye and gamecity:Hamburg’s Stefan Klein as well as five colleagues from other Hamburg-based developers and publishers such as Bigpoint, Bytro Labs, Daedalic, Farbflut Entertainment and InnoGames, he visited the lecture rooms of the HTW Berlin, MD.H Berlin, TU Berlin and Games Academy Berlin and held lively speeches and presentations in front of more than 200 students. Everybody in the audience was really excited to get some first-hand knowledge and information about the games industry and find out what job capacities the respective companies got to offer at the moment and what it is like to work for a studio like Fishlabs Entertainment as a game designer, game developer or graphics artist.[full] According to Sebastian, who would love to take part in similar events in the future as well, the trip to Berlin was “a lot of fun and it was great to meet so many talented young people, all of whom are eager to work in the games industry.” Furthermore, he also added that “Gamecity:Hamburg did a great job organizing the recruting tour and that it was a fantastic opportunity to get into contact with colleagues from other Hamburg-based games studios.” Sounds like the trip was a fullscale success, doesn’t it? And who knows, maybe we will even be able to welcome some of the students, who attended the presentations, as new colleagues on board of the Fishlabs vessel rather soon!
From left to right: Felix Faber (Bytro Labs), Sebastian Grun (Fishlabs Entertainment), Steffen Boos (Daedalic Entertainment), Wiebke Burrichter (InnoGames), Verena Zelfel (Bigpoint), Thomas Dlugaiczyk (Games Academy), Marie Hanowski (Farbflut Entertainment), Dennis Schoubye (Quinke Networks) and Stefan Klein (gamecity:Hamburg)
BTW, if you always wanted to work in the games industry yourself, why don’t you hop over to our “Jobs” section (http://www.fishlabs.net/en/jobs/) and take a look around. Maybe someone with your talents is exactly whom we’re looking for right now!
If the countless emails and comments we’ve received from Galaxy on Fire™ fans from all over the world in the past couple of months have shown us anything, then it is that above all else you guys want just one thing: to step into the cockpit of your Veteran fighter again and continue GOF2’s engrossing storyline in which you take over the role of the reckless space war hero Keith T. Maxwell and save the universe from all kinds of ruthless pirates, greedy bandits and devious alien menaces. And though we’ve been rather reserved on that matter in the past and didn’t leak too many hints or pieces of information, we’re proud to officially announce the next chapter of Keith’s epic struggle for the freedom of the galaxy today! Yes, that’s right, the production on Galaxy on Fire 2™ – Supernova, the brand-new add-on for the “[most] complete space game in the App Store” (according to 148Apps.com) has already started and we’re working hard to make it the most complex, most compelling and simply best instalment of the GOF-series so far[full]
Head Hunter - Galaxy on Fire 2 - Supernova (by Fishlabs)
Storywise, the add-on will focus on the long-lasting scuffle between the Nivelian Republic and the Mido Confederation and put Keith in a delicate situation: a devastating supernova is threatening the mere existence of vast parts of the Mido sector and there is no chance that Keith and the Deep Science society can evacuate all inhabitants of the trouble area in time unless they get support from the Nivelians. Will Keith be able to persuade the Nivelian leaders to save the lives of their detested foes? Will he and his allies find a way to avert the impending catastrophe? Will he be able to fight back the mysterious fighter squadrons, who try to prevent the rescue of the Midorians at any cost? And will he survive another meeting with his old companion Mkkt Bkkt without ending up completely wasted on neuro algae and other weird and slightly illegal substances? Well guys, as much as I hate to say it, but to get an answer to these and many other questions, you will still have to wait a little, because we’re currently planning to release Galaxy on Fire 2™ – Supernova for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch in the 2nd quarter of 2012. Until then, however, we will sure keep you up to date about the production and progress of the add-on with a whole bunch of blogs, developer diaries, interviews and all kinds of other features!
Mining Plant - Galaxy on Fire 2 - Supernova (by Fishlabs)
Gameplaywise, Galaxy on Fire 2™ – Supernova is going to introduce tons of new content, such as new systems, characters, mission types, weapons, commodities and ship models and classes, just to name a few! All in all, Supernova™ will offer at least 10 hours of action-packed gameplay and take twice as long to finish as its predecessor Valkyrie™.
Troop Carrier - Galaxy on Fire 2 - Supernova (by Fishlabs)
Hey guys, as you might have heard, our sci-fi epic Galaxy on Fire 2 has been nominated for 148 Apps’ „Best App Ever“ award in numerous categories. Until January 25th, 2012, the 148 Apps community will be able to cast their votes and make their fave game become the most awesome app of the year… erm, sorry… ever! In each category, ten iOS and ten Android titles will be struggling with their peers for the desired title and Galaxy on Fire 2 is right up there with some of the most popular and accomplished games on the mobile market![full]
In the category “Best Game Graphics”, both the Xperia PLAY-version for Sony Ericsson’s PlayStation-certified gaming smartphone and the HD-version for iPhone 4S and iPad 2 have been nominated and they all find themselves in the best of company. Real Racing 2, Shadowgun, Infinity Blade 2 and Madden NFL 12 are only a few of the games whom the 148 Apps crowd considered to be the best looking apps of the last year!
When it comes to the “Best Action Game”, GOF2’s spectacular space battles and fierce dog fights surely make it a worthy candidate for the title as well. Add to this the afore-mentioned top-notch graphics as well as the slick handling via the Xperia PLAY’s unique gaming controls and you’ll end up with an outstanding sci-fi shooter that hardly leaves anything to be desired! However, in this category the competition, such as Modern Combat 3 or Assassin’s Creed, is pretty fierce as well.
Since the HD-version of the game takes full advantage of the iPhone 4S and iPad 2’s dual-core A5 chip and really maxes out those devices’ capacities to bring an unprecedented outer space adventure to your smartphone or tablet and hence Galaxy on Fire 2 HD has also been nominated in the “Best Use Of Hardware” category. Infinity Blade 2 is the only other game in the list, which otherwise consists of tools and gadgets such as the electronic field guide Leafsnap or the navigation app Localscope.
And last but not least our action-packed science fiction saga centering around the rough’n’ready space adventurer and war veteran Keith T. Maxwell is also nominated in the categories “Best Simulation Game” and “Best Adventure Game” where it takes on, among others, Game Dev Story, Minecraft Pocket and Samurai 2: Vengeance.
Needless to say, it would be totally awesome if we’d win any of these competitions! So if you got a few moments, please follow the link below and vote for Keith & Co. in the respective categories. Thanks a lot, fellow space pilots, and see you soon in a galaxy far, far away…
Hello Fishlabs fans, the year 2011 is almost over and we’d like to thank our friends, community, business partners and media contacts for all the support you’ve given us in the past 12 months. The last year had been really successful for us and a lot of amazing things have happened here at the Fishlabs camp. All in all, we have released five new games (three own titles and two brand games) throughout the course of this year, won a couple of prestigious awards and ported our flagship title, the highly popular sci-fi shooter and trader Galaxy on Fire 2, to a whole variety of new platforms and systems.[full]
The year 2011 kicked off really nicely with our action-packed fun sports spectacle Snowboard Hero winning two IMGAwards in February and being officially released on the App Store in March. In April we then ported our popular sci-fi shooter Galaxy on Fire 2 to Android in an exclusive Xperia PLAY version and later on that month, the game’s first add-on Valkyrie saw the light of day as well. In June another Android version followed especially for Tegra 2 devices and in July we released the arcade hit Waterslide 2.
Snowboard Hero by Fishlabs
In August we moved to a beautiful new office building right in the heart of Hamburg city and in September we celebrated the very first release of a Fishlabs title on a non-mobile device, namely Galaxy on Fire 2 Full HD on the Mac—which is easily the best looking instalment within the Galaxy on Fire series so far.
Galaxy on Fire 2 Full HD by Fishlabs
In November we put out Sports Car Challenge, another successful ad-game for Volkswagen featuring highly detailed and beautifully rendered 3D models of the latest super sports cars from Audio, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche and Volkswagen! And in December we last but not least won the “Best Studio 2011” award at the renowned German Game Developer Awards.
All of this wouldn’t have been possible without your constant help and support and we’re eager to see what 2012 will have in store for Fishlabs. We’ve got a lot of plans and projects up our sleeves and will reveal the first spectacular news rather soon. Until then the whole Fishlabs team wishes all our friends, fans and partners a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! See you soon!
Sports Car Challenge by Fishlabs and Volkswagen (China)
Fishlabs Timeline 2011
02/2011: Snowboard Hero wins two IMGAwards 2011
03/2011: Release: Snowboard Hero
03/2011: Galaxy on Fire 2 wins the “Best Mobile Game” award at the German Video Game Award 2011
04/2011: Porting: Galaxy on Fire 2 for Android (Xperia PLAY)
04/2011: Release: Galaxy on Fire 2 – Valkyrie (Add-On)
06/2011: Release: GTI Edition 35
06/2011: Porting: Galaxy on Fire 2 for Android (THD)
07/2011: Release: Waterslide 2
08/2011: Porting: Galaxy on Fire 2 Full HD for Mac
08/2011: The Fishlabs team moves to its new headquarters
10/2011: Porting: Galaxy on Fire 2 HD for iPhone 4S and iPad 2
11/2011: Porting: Valkyrie for Android (Xperia PLAY)
12/2011: Release: Sports Car Challenge
12/2011: Fishlabs wins the “Best Studio” award at the German Game Developer Awards 2011
With more than 1.5 million downloads and 15 million minutes of unsolicited brand engagement in less than two weeks, Sports Car Challenge has made quite an impact on the iOS racing community. However, since both driving forces behind the game, Volkswagen (China) and Fishlabs Entertainment, are always very eager to give their fans the best product possible, we have not rested on our laurels for too long, but rather worked hard on the first update for the game. And unlike most other app updates, Sports Car Challenge v1.1 not only fixes a couple of minor glitches but also adds a whole lot of new features and content to the game![full]
Racing along the track in the Audi TTS Coupe
While the overall feedback from the fans and media was really positive, there were still a couple of minor things that the gamers would have loved to see included to the game in the future, the most important of which were a 1st person driver’s view and a more slick and sensible handling of the cars. Needless to say that we have made both of these features available in version 1.1 of Sports Car Challenge. But that’s not all! Furthermore, we have also added an additional exterior camera, put a driver behind the steering wheel and given you the chance to explore the classy interiors of all six super sports cars in the showroom via 360° panorama view!
At the official Lamborghini Shop in Berlin
The cockpit view and panorama view have been designed on the basis of a multitude of high-resolution photographs taken at the respective brands’ official showrooms, such as the Lamborghini shop in Berlin. In the creation of the sophisticated cube-maps of each car’s interior, the different lighting conditions during the photo sessions turned out to be particularly challenging, but our graphics artists and programmers all did a fantastic job and we’re more than pleased with the final outcome!
The classy interior of the Volkswagen Scirocco R in the showroom
Just like the cockpit view, the enhanced controls positively affect the game’s level of realism as well and make the illusion of mastering a 640 PS powerhouse like the Bentley Supersports ISR even more real! Can you sustain the thrill of speed and keep your high-speed super sports car on the track? Download Sports Car Challenge v1.1 now and prepare yourself for the fastest, classiest and most spectacular free racing experience the App Store has to offer!
Last Friday, our CEO Michael Schade and the representatives of 19 other Hamburg-based gaming companies attended a special industry brunch in the town hall, where they discussed future proceedings and opportunities for the gaming stronghold Hamburg with the city’s Mayor Olaf Scholz. The constant demand of skilled employees, the tough housing situation (which is especially hard for people who are coming to Hamburg from the outside) and new sponsoring and financing models for upcoming games productions were the main topics of the lively discussion.[full] Needless to say, the city of Hamburg will continue to support its local developers as good as possible in the future and make sure that it will keep its position as Germany’s prior and most vivid gaming location.
Mayor Olaf Scholz and the representatives of Hamburg's Games Industry
In Hamburg, the potential of video games as an industry had been recognized early on and ever since 2003 the city has bolstered its local gaming studios with the aid of the widely spread industry network gamecity:Hamburg. Today, there are about 150 different gaming companies with more than 3000 employees located in Hamburg and it looks as if these numbers will increase rather than decrease in the future. In recent days, the fantastic performances of Hamburg-based studios such as Fishlabs, Bigpoint or Daedelic at the German Game Developer Awards 2011 have given further proof to the fact that Hamburg is indeed Germany’s Game City #1. Video games have become as much a part of our beautiful hanseatic city as the fish market, the Michel and the Alster and we are positive that this development has far from reached its peak yet!
For more information of the city of Hamburg and its local game developers, please visit www.gamecity-hamburg.de.
Here in Hamburg the Alster is still frozen over (for the first time in 15 years!), but with temperatures rising to 6°C and more until the end of the week, it looks as if we finally got to say “Goodbye” to the winter and prepare ourselves for the arrival of spring. Soon the last mounts of snow will be molten and the first crocuses will crane their necks towards the sun. And our skates, sleighs and snowboards will be stacked in the attic for at least another 10 months. On your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, however, the fun’s far from being over and all that separates you from the next action-packed ride down the slope is a handful of taps on your preferred device’s touch screen! With our fast-paced winter sports racer Snowboard Hero (winner of two prestigious IMGAwards 2011) you can experience the thrill of speed whenever you want and race down the steepest slopes and most spectacular alpine areas at breakneck speed![full] To celebrate the last days of winter, we have dropped the price of the game to 0,79€ / 0,99$ / 0,69£ for a limited time only! If you haven’t purchased Snowboard Hero yet, buy it now for an unrivalled special price and perform the most spectacular tricks and hazardous jumps on your smartphone or tablet!
Hello space pilots! Here’s your old pal Mkkt Bkkt. As you all know, the one thing me and all other Multipods hate the most is having to part with our hard-earned credits. And correspondingly the one thing we like best is saving a good amount of cash! And that’s exactly what yours truly, as well as all other part-time space adventurers, can do now, because Fishlabs have just dropped the price of their award-winning sci-fi shooter and trader Galaxy on Fire 2 HD to unrivalled $4.99! That’s 50% off! So if you own an iPhone 4S or iPad 2 and haven’t bought the game yet, I’d strongly recommend you to make use of that offer and purchase the most ambitious and accomplished outer space adventure on the App Store for an absolute bargain price! Think about it, $4.99 is less than a bottle of S’kolptorr Rum or a flask of Oom’bak Gin in one of my space bars and unlike said boozes, Galaxy on Fire 2 HD will keep you entertained for way more than half an hour… and even if you play it for several hours straight, it surely won’t make you feel as if a Rhinocitroll would go postal in your head the morning after![full] The way I see it, this is a win-win situation for all daring fighter pilots out there, so what are you waiting for!? Head over to the App Store right away and help my good friend Keith T. Maxwell to save the galaxy from its impending destruction by the hands of the mysterious and utterly annoying Voids. And… well… I’m really just saying this because I strongly care for the survival of the universe and not just because those nasty Voids are causing severe damage to my business by raiding and plundering all kinds of convoys and cargo ships, including the freighters who supply my establishments with alcoholic beverages and other more or less illegal substances…
If there’s one thing that every Galaxy on Fire pilot out there enjoys even more than shipping a cargo hold full of Vossk Organs from S’kolptorr to Wolf-Reiser and score almost a million credits, it is equipping his ship with the most powerful and advanced weapons systems on the market and blasting all space pirates from here to Skavac into oblivion! And for most dedicated fighter pilots it does hardly even make a difference whether they vaporize their enemies’ ships with the dazzling beam of a Disruptor Laser, the kinetic flares of a SunFire o50 thermo-weapon or the devastating shrapnel rain of a Berger Flak 9-9 scatter gun. However, for the graphics artists working on Valkyrie HD, Galaxy on Fire 2’s stunningly beautiful high-definition add-on specifically optimized for iPhone 4S and iPad 2, the choice of weapons does indeed play quite an important role, as each of the 50+ primary and secondary weapons in the game does contain an individual set of special effects and animations for their respective muzzle flashes, shots and explosions.[full] And, needless to say, all these flashy and flamboyant beams and blasts have been completely re-done from scratch in Valkyrie HD to make the game’s space action look more staggering and spectacular than ever before! Besides much more complex animations, the new effects also feature up to 32 times higher texture resolutions and four times higher polygon counts, which promise some real eye candy whenever you hit the “Fire” button! Just compare the new scatter gun animation in HD to that in SD and you will surely see what I’m talking about!
To be honest, the huge success of the graphically overhauled HD-version of our popular sci-fi saga Galaxy on Fire 2 surprised us quite a bit, because we had never thought that even such a vast number of fans, who already own the regular version of the game, would still buy the HD-version as well to save the galaxy from the devious Voids on their iPad 2 or iPhone 4S once again. Apart from minor refinements such as the thrust control, which allows you to change the speed of your ship with little more than a swipe of the index finger, we’ve not added any new content or features on purpose, because in regards to the story and gameplay we did not want to favour any user group at all. At least in our opinion, a gamer, who plays GOF2 on his trusty iPhone 3GS, should experience the same thrill and excitement as a fan, who sets course for the final frontier on his brand-new iPhone 4S.[full]
