Yes! Lillian Woods will appear as an optional boss in all four characters’ campaigns. She’ll be equipped with SOCJUS-themed copies of Vivian’s weapons and abilities, and will become stronger each time you defeat her. More info on this later!

Yes, the game will have some similarities to Metroid games, in terms of exploration and platforming. Exploration will play a major role in the game; Vivian (or any of the other player characters) will have to search for collectable data files that contain snippets of evidence, character info, or translations of SOCJUS Newspeak, for example. There’ll also be equipment, items, and upgrades hidden around the city.

Vivian starts out with a basic ledge grab/climb, and will gain new abilities over the course of the game, such as wall jumping, double jumps, and air dashing, which allow her to access new areas or previously inaccessible ones. Some areas will also have platforming challenges with rewards at the end. While some challenges are difficult or outright impossible to complete when you first discover them, they become easier as Vivian gains more abilities.

Combat-wise, the game is intended to play more like a 2D beat-‘em-up or a light fighting game. We’re planning to release some combat footage at the end of this month, so keep an eye out for it!

(And apologies for the late response!)

Yes, there will. We’re planning to add some of the other board-tans as helpful NPCs or assist characters that can be discovered and recruited throughout the game. As to which ones will be represented, we’re still in the process of selecting them; it’s also possible that more board-tans will be added to the game after its release, either as updates or free DLC. If there any boards in particular you’d like to see in the game, be sure to let us know!