Skul: The Hero Slayer “Dark Mirror” update out on Switch next week, patch notes and trailer

The team behind Skul: The Hero Slayer has announced that a big “Dark Mirror” game will be going live on consoles next week, including Switch.

Dark Mirror is a new mode with more powerful enemies and lots of other features. A ton of other changes and bug fixes are also incoming.

The full patch notes for the Skul: The Hero Slayer “Dark Mirror” update are as follows:

Changes

System changes

Dark Mirror

Test your skills and limits in the new challenging ‘Dark Mirror’ mode. More powerful enemies along with new threats will try to stop you, but you will also have a new trick up your sleeve that will help you in your journey.

Developer Comment
We would like to say the Dark Mirror update is not just a hard mode that has increased the health and damage of the enemies. It is more of a new DLC, which includes a new story and content. We highly recommend that players personally experience the DLC’s full content rather than experiencing it through written texts and images. For these reasons, further details related to the Dark Mirror will be included in the Dev Blog.

Changes to the Reward System

• Players will now be given 3 reward options to choose from after clearing the Item Map.
• Players will now be able to loot Adventurers after defeating them.

Changes to how summoned characters attack

• Now damage inflicted on enemies by summoned characters will be recognized as the overall damage the player has inflicted.

Developer Comment
Our initial intentions were to have a clear and separate identity for both the player and summoned characters. However, the changes were made because we did not think the summoned characters had a clear identity. We plan to add a unique effect and content for summoned characters and will review separating the player and summoned characters again.

Etc.

• Added a new effect for destroying Skulls, Items, and Quintessences.
• Destroying a Quintessence will now increase the player’s Max HP, the increasing value will differ based on the rarity of the Quintessence.
• Removed the ‘Title Screen’ option from the Pause menu

Stages

• Adjusted the layout of several maps across all chapters.
• Decreased the HP of normal enemies and Adventurers in all chapters.
• Increased the drop rate of healing orbs in all chapters.
• Increased the drop rates of Dark Quartz in chapters 1, 2, and 3.
• Decreased the drop rates of Dark Quartz in chapter 4.
• Decreased the number of cleared stages that are required to clear chapters 3 and 4.
• Increased the reroll cost for repeatedly rerolling the Collector’s items.
• Now the player’s chance to encounter more field NPCs has increased in chapters 1, 2, and 3.
• Now the player’s chance to encounter the field NPC ‘Odd Dark Priest’ has increased in all chapters.
• Changed the HP recovery rate and appearance rate of the type of herbs the field NPC ‘Halfling Girl’ offers.
  • Changed the HP recovery rate of ‘Fruit of Love’: 15% → 20%
  • Changed the HP recovery rate of ‘Moonlight Herb’: 25% → 30%
  • Changed the HP recovery rate of ‘Inferno Flower’: 60% → 50%
  • ‘Halfling Girl’ will now offer the ‘Fruit of Love’ less frequently.
• The buffs casted by the field NPC ‘Spokesman of the Mist’ will now have decreased amplification values to the Physical and Magic Attacks.
• The buffs casted by the field NPC ‘Spokesman of the Mist’ will now have an increased value to Attack Speed.
• A new device called the ‘Ballista’ and the ‘Launch Pad’ has been added to chapter 4.
• The event map ‘Dang-Ka Defense’ has been temporarily disabled.

Developer Comment
The event map ‘Dang-Ka Defense’ has been temporarily disabled due to an issue that was found. ‘Dang Ka Defense’ will be enabled as soon as the issue has been resolved.

Changes to the Enemies

Normal Enemies

• Reduced the attack duration time of Blossom Ents.
• Improved the attack animations of Carleon Assassin for better clarity.
• Reduced the stabbing distance of Gold Mane Spearmen.
• Reduced the projectile speed of dishes thrown by Dish Maids.
• Reduced the number of Maids the Chief Maid can summon to 3.
• Reduced the number of flasks the High Alchemist and Dark Alchemist can throw to 1.
• Players will now have to defeat the Dark Golem summoned by the Alchemists to move on to the next map.
• Reduced the projectile speed of daggers thrown by Catechists.
• Reduced the ability to track players for the spears thrown by Leonia’s Spearmen.
• Increased the attack wind-up time for Leonia’s Priests
• Leonia’s Assassins will now attempt to use the slashing down attack more frequently.
• Reduced the number of followers the Missionary can summon to 3.
• Now enemies summoned by other enemies will have a brief invulnerability time right after being summoned.

Adventurers

• Adjust the AI to be less aggressive when 2 or more Adventurers appear.
• The Rookie Hero will no longer be able to be knock-backed during an energy blast attack.
• Added new attacks to the Warrior.
• Adjusted the speed and hit detection for the Warrior and Veteran Warrior’s leap attack.
• Added a stun effect to the Hunter’s traps.
• Added new attacks to the Mage.
• Added new attacks to the Cleric.
• Removed the trail of flames the Veteran Mage would leave after using her leap attack on players.

Bosses

• Reduced the damage of Leiana Sisters’ dash attack (Mid-air -> Ground dash) and now they will inflict damage upon landing.
• Changed the hit registrations of the black orbs summoned by Awakened Leiana to be one single attack rather than multiple attacks.
• During the First Hero’s energy orb summoning, the bolts of lightning will now be more accurate when attacking the player.
• Decreased the detection range of magic fields when the Leonia Grand Priest casts multiple magic fields.

Skulls

Buffs to Tackle Type Dash Effects

• Increased the dash range of Tackle type dashes.
• Increased the damage of Tackle type dashes
• Increased the invulnerability time of Tackle type dashes.

Skeleton-Shield

<Guardian>

• Adjusted the Physical Attack amplification values based on the player’s current shield value: 50% → 30%

<Guardian Commander>

• Adjusted the Physical Attack amplification values based on the player’s current shield value: 50% → 30%
• Increased the attack damage for successfully blocking an enemy attack from the front while concentrating on basic attacks
• Increased the attack radius for jump attacks

Thief

<Changes made to all skulls>

• The gold being dropped when attacking enemies has been visually decreased but the overall gold acquisition will remain the same.
• Increased the damage of gold explosions.

Stone Monkey

<Overlord>

• Decreased the concentration time for all skills.

Gene

<Changes made to all skulls>

• Added a brief invulnerability time after using skills.
• Increased the dash casting time and invulnerability time.

<Apprentice Gene>

• Increased the attack range of clones created after a dash.
• Increased the cast speed of the skill Genie Swordsmanship.

<Magnifico>

• Increased the attack radius of clones created after a dash.
• Increased the cast speed of the skill Genie Swordsmanship.
• Increased the attack radius for Genie Lamp clones.

Minotaurus

<Minotaurus III>

• Increased the damage of the skill Ground Shatter.

Dark Paladin

<Changes made to all skulls>

• Adjusted the shield duration when Darkness is full: 20 seconds → 30 seconds
• Increased the damage of jump attacks when Darkness is full.
• Decreased the delay after casting Dark Cross and adjusted the hit registration mechanism.
• Successful Dark Wave hits will now generate more Darkness.
• Successful Dark Charges will now generate more Darkness.
• Successful Dark Cross hits will now generate more Darkness.
• Dark Rush will now generate less Darkness.

Samurai

<Neo Samurai>

• Successfully hitting a swap skill will now increase the swap gauge.

Prisoner

<Changes made to all skulls>

• Now landing a single attack on one enemy will only generate up to 5 cells.

Items

Special Inscriptions

• Now a few specific inscriptions will be categorized as Special Inscriptions.
• Special Inscriptions will have a distinguishable coloured icon.
• Special Inscriptions can be only obtained through items that possess these inscriptions. Players will not be able to obtain Special Inscriptions through other methods.
• Therefore the Masterpiece inscription will no longer appear on the items ‘Prince’s Box’ and ‘Clone Stamp’ and players will no longer be able to obtain the following items of ‘Doubled Prince’s Box’ and ‘Clone Clone’.

Developer Comment
Using the ‘Doubled Prince’s Box’ and ‘Clone Clone’ was a blast. However, these items had issues that conflicted with the Dark Mirror contents. Holding back our tears we made a difficult decision to temporarily exile them from the land of Harmonia. We promise these 2 items will make a triumphant return once we make adequate preparations.

Prince’s Box

• Added new effects: increase Physical Attack and Magic Attack by 30%.

Symbol of Toughness

• Added a 1-second cooldown for the item effect.
• Increased the required shield value to activate the maximum attack bonus.

Clone Stamp

• Added new effects: increase Physical Attack and Magic Attack by 40%.

Medal Box

• Adjusted the Physical Attack increase values that could be obtained after defeating an Adventurer: 25% → 20%
• Adjusted the maximum Physical Attack bonus value that could be obtained after defeating an Adventurer: 150% → 140%

Priest’s Staff

• Changed the method of restoring HP: Percentage of Max HP -> Fixed HP value.

Sylphid Wings

• The item’s effect of increased dash distance and cool time will no longer be stackable with this same item.

Doomsday

• Increased the maximum damage of Apocalypse explosions.
• Damage dealt to enemies will now have a lower conversion rate to Apocalypse explosion damage.

Pot of Greed

• Changed the VFX for this item effect.

Other Changes made

• The Grand Alchemist and Dark Alchemist’s unstable Summoning effect layer has now been placed behind the enemy layer.
• The Gambler’s Roulette of Destiny effect has now been placed behind the enemy layer.
• The Quintessence Archdemon’s blackout effect and layer have now been placed behind the enemy layer.
• Spirit King Oberon who can be summoned after obtaining 5 inscriptions of Fairy Tale will appear behind the enemy layer.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug in which the effect of the item ‘Magical Choker’ could be activated through other items
• Fixed a bug in which the ‘Guardian’ and ‘Guardian Commander’s Physical Attack increase based on their shield value had no maximum threshold
• Fixed a bug in which the ‘Minotaurus’s Body Smash would not inflict damage to enemies
• Fixed a bug in which the ‘Elder Ent”s enhanced Rapid Growth could not cancel other actions
• Fixed a bug in which the effect of the item ‘Jagamon Thorn’ could be activated through other forms of attack rather than basics
• Fixed a bug in which the item ‘Warrior’s Pauldrons’ activated the stat ‘Decrease incoming damage’
• Fixed a bug in which possessing more than 1 ‘Symbol of Toughness’ item could cause an abnormal amount of bonus damage
• Fixed a bug in which the effect of the item ‘Ceremonial Dagger’ could not be activated by dash attacks and critical attacks from swap skills
• Fixed an issue in which the description for the item ‘Master Fighter’ was incorrect: 45% → 55%
• Fixed an issue in which the description for the item ‘Master Brawler’ was incorrect: 45% → 55%
• Fixed a bug in which the effect of the item ‘Clone Stamp’ only increased by 20 HP instead of 30 HP
• Fixed a bug in which enemies affected by the effect of the Quintessence ‘Banshee’ had to be damaged more than once to return to their normal state
• Fixed a bug in which having 4 Courage inscriptions amplified Physical Attack by 40%
• Fixed a bug in which activating and deactivating 2 or more Fortress inscriptions repeatedly allowed the players to stack shields
• Fixed a bug in which the treasure chests that would appear as an effect of possessing 2 or 4 Treasure inscriptions had different animation timings when appearing and opening the chest

Watch a trailer for the Skul: The Hero Slayer “Dark Mirror” update below. 

Source