---

---

RATED M for Mature
Contains: Foul Language, Blood and Gore, Intense Violence

...but if you can't handle all of that in 2D then you should seriously just get out of here now.

---

Story

"Devil's Island...

It's been in the news quite a bit lately. Apparently people have been going to Devil's Island...and are never seen again. The locals have been saying that they go to Devil's Island and are torn apart by the spirits of those lost at sea. Mind you, that's just local superstition. There's no such things as ghosts.

Naturally the police have investigated the island, but they found nothing. Still, Devil's Island is my only lead on the person I'm looking for. There's got to be something on that island that will give me some idea of what's become of her, so I'll be taking a trip there later this evening. I heard that a group of college students are getting ready for a trip there anyway, so maybe I'll hitch a ride with them.

I've got a bad feeling about this island, but I should be fine. I've had tougher cases before. Besides, no ghost will dare bother me as long as I bring my little "friend" along to keep the peace. It's almost 6:00 now, so I better head down to the docks to see if I can get myself a free ride with those college guys. Wonder why they're going to the island, anyway? It sounds like they're planning to spend the night there.

...(sigh)...I can already tell. I've got a long night ahead of me..."

---

Characters

Other Characters

Screenshots

---

DEMO is now available!
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=Q9VT09B7


Just keep in mind a few of the following things:

1. You can only explore the first floor and part of the basement in the demo. The most you can go to is finding the first two coins.
2. A lot of items were rearranged in the demo so that they could be easily found (including those normally accessible upstairs).
3. You are allowed infinite amount of pills and bullets in the demo.
4. It takes fewer hits to kill an enemy or blow its head up.
4. There are a number of bugs being worked out. If you find one, let me know.
5. It is a long download because I forgot to delete a bunch of things not used in the game. Sorry.
6. This IS a mature rated game, so if your mommy is looking over your shoulder and you get in trouble, it's not my fault.
7. You can save your game by examining the bibles.


IMPORTANT NOTE: Apparently some computers can't handle the Mode Seven intro, so if the above version does not work or is generally slow, you will be wanting to use the "Mode-Sevenless" version of the demo below:

http://rapidshare.com/files/96834140/Midnight_Demo__No_M7_.exe.html

---

Teaser is now available!
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=HOLPAU7D

Just a short teaser to garner some attention and make people say "Work faster, you damn furry!"

---

Beta Mode Seven Scene
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=682FLPDE

This is a test of how mode seven might help my game out. Imagine this: someone has just activated some sort of self-destruct system on Devil's Island and you have only two minutes to escape before everything blows up!

The point of this "minigame" is quite simple: avoid the mines and stay alive for two minutes. It sounds easy, but it isn't.

Remember that this is just a test scene.

---

Credits

RMXP: Enterbrain (no kidding)
Mode Seven: MGCaladtogel
AMS: Dubealex.com
Facesets: Sozaimenu.gozaru.jp/english.html
Tilesets: TeamAnti.com
Sprites: Etorie, Ninesages.org, Emidy, Dertt, and Sozaimenu.gozaru.jp/english.html
Music: VGMusic.com, Master_of_Time, and HaloOfTheSun (Mansion ~ 2nd Floor)
Sounds: Partners-In-Rhyme.com
Icons: Phanx.com, Ninesages.org
Everything Else: Ninesages.org

If you find something in the demo that's yours and you didn't get credited for it, PM me and let me know so I can fix that.


Progress

Maps: 80%
Sprites: 85%
Puzzles: 85%
Enemies: 80%
Effects: 70%
Music: 100%
Story: 85%

Overall: 85%

---

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Complaints? Insults?

This looks pretty good, and like it could be genuinely creepy.

oooh just my type of game really. MYSTERIES!!!!

Good Luck got my eye on this

It's not going to be so much a mystery...
It going to be more like a:

"Oh s#$%! Oh s#$%! It's still f#$%^% after me! Gahhh! Where the f$%# did that OTHER one come from! @#$%!"

Lol, still going to be fun XD.

I used to have that clock image as a wallpaper once

Oh and the game sounds brilliant. I like it when you step out of the box and do other kinds of stuff. Let's just hope it gets finished, eh?

Your larger maps are a bit empty. They could use some work.

Other then that, it looks great. Looking forward to a demo.

UPDATE! Demo now available!

I like feedback, both positive and negative. Just keep in mind that this is still a work in progress.

Very awesome. I believe I finished the demo and it rules so far!

Good job and I can't wait to see more!

BTW, it's probably very obvious, but the game is a lot creepier if you play on fullscreen (ALT+Enter) and with the lights out in your room. The whole point to a horror game is to be creeped out.

I belive i played through the whole Demo also. Not to be mean or anything but this was more MUST PLAY MORE then I think i wet myself game. (Just not easily scared, if it wasn't on RMXP i think i would be)

I still say its one of the best games out there.
Also i see why your maps are the way they are, there needed to stop the zombies for any period of time you can afford, also you need space to not get killed

But, i couldn't find the escape button o.o (Was on ALT + Enter)
Also, would be nice if i knew when the demo was over. (Didn't have anything left to shoot)

Yeah, the demo is "over" once you've inserted the second medallion.

So things I need to add:

1. More scare.
2. More zombies.
3. Shutdown button.

Anything else?

Not that i can think off.
One thing though, Do not change what your doing its a good game and challenging. 

Thanks! 

I have some more challenging puzzles finished that aren't in the demo, such as a music memory puzzle (where you have to pair off a bunch of jingles), a box pushing puzzle, a code decyphering puzzle, and some others that I don't want to spoil.

Another feature that's not in the demo is the Sudden Selection feature, which is shown in one of the screenshots. What happens here is that every once in a while during a cutscene, time will freeze and you will be asked to choose an action. The outcome of your choice may affect anything from simply how difficult the next part of the game will be, to affecting the plot itself (such as a character death or the very ending itself).

I'm drooling over this man. I forgot to mention, Garrett is a pretty cool character. I don't think much characters are like him. And good luck with everything else i'm watching.

A demo finally!
I am downloading now, can't wait to play it. 

Now that my game has garnered at least some notice, I have a request from you guys.

I need a name for the following character.



He is a sinister but respectable looking man, who is absolutely paranoid about security and is borderlining schizophrenia in the incident on Devil's Island.
His first name should reflect his aristocracic personality, while his last name should reflect his dark nature.

PM me for name ideas.


EDIT: Strike that. Someone gave me a good name to go with.

UPDATE!

While the demo remains the same, I've completely finished the entire mansion and basement areas. I've also added a new experimental mode7 chase scene, which should now make my game seem more intense. Once I've worked out the bugs on it (and have made some appropriate chase sprites), I should be able to finish the remaining 40% of the maps and start working on everything else.

I'll also try to upload the demo to another host, since I personally think Megaupload sucks. I should have that done by tomorrow.

Edit: Should this be moved from New Projects?

It should. I think the Demo is 15 minutes long. And before i forget, YAY UPDATES. lol

Since it's not an RPG where you have to spend hours leveling up and wandering around dungeons, the game itself will be fairly short. You could probably finish it in a couple of hours, if even that.

The length of the demo depends entirely on the player. If you know what you are doing, it could take you about 5-10 minutes. But if you've never played the game before, it could take you anywhere from 10 minutes to a half hour. It's all up to the player.

Lol, i think it also depends on our luck. The rolling balls of death took me 2 trys lol, and it took me awhile to find the basement.

It was very good. I must not be that good at it LOL. I got to a part where you go into a room, a door behind you and a door in front of you. and when you go a litle bit forward, a zombie comes in. I wasn't fast enough and was on low health. Very creepy. It kept me on the edge of my seat. I also like the creepy Game Over music.

EDIT: I made it to the part in the room with all the spike traps. After killing the dog thing, and the door opened, I got scared and tried taking out my gun, when it was only the girl. XD

 

You made me giggle.

lol, you actually got the joke XP. i was being serious but i had to try that XD A.K.A (Serious Joke)

Oh a question, in the full game -

1) How much Ammo do we have before we reload
2) Will we be able to hold catridges(However it's spelled)
3) Will we get new guns, i belive it's john who had a shotgun.

Just curious.

The answers:

1) 15. However, I'm still working out a reload button, so right now you don't have to worry about reloading as long as you have some bullets left. You'll find them scattered throughout the mansion and from fallen monsters.
2) I don't quite understand what you mean by holding cartridges. If you mean carry around the bullets as an item, then the answer is no. There'll be a display of how many bullets you have left under your HUD.
3) Right now, you only get the one handgun. However you will be able to upgrade your handgun to better versions that deal more damage and have a higher chance of blowing up an enemy head.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to work on my game as often as I'd like since I'll be heading home for the holidays tonight. My house only has one computer, and my twin is usually on it more often than I am. But don't worry! I promise some sort of update soon anyways, even if I have to throw my brother off the computer by force. So...

So long, and hopefully I'll be back tomorrow without having to murder my brother!

Alright, lol looking forward to your return.
Well you answered my question(2), i actually ment it like - A resident evil 4 thing, where you have a box of ammo and carry it around. But your way is better 

Okay, I just finished playing through the game. It took me half an hour, but that's partly because I couldn't remember where the broken grandfather clock was. Anyway, I think you're really onto something great here. This game has one of the best real-time combat systems I have seen. It's extremely fluid and user-friendly. The game wasn't really scary, in my opinion, but I definitely want to play more. I love how you would return to old rooms and encounter new enemies that weren't there before. There is a very Resident Evil feel to this game; lots of stuff reminds me of the original RE. Your health display, the way you are asked if you want to pick up every item, and...well, the zombies of course.

The things you really did well: (1) Combat. Magnificent. I would like to see some more challenging enemies later on in the game, however. (2) The ball-and-spike puzzle thing was amazing. I only barely dodged that first ball, but I ended up dying soon after. It was very well put together. (3) The lighting effects in the basement. Very eerie...it really helped establish the mood. The painting that watches you was great too.

Things that could be improved: (1) A way to exit the game, although someone already brought this up. (2) The creaking doors get a little annoying after awhile. Might I suggest only playing the sound during cut-scenes and when you can actually see the door swinging open? But it's your call. (3) The dialogue. It was a bit awkard at times...no one seemed overly concerned about finding the dead body in the wolf room, and if they couldn't get out the front door, then how did they know the boat had sunk? Other than that I didn't have a problem with it.

All in all, a very worthwhile game, even if it's a bit on the short side, even for a demo. I'm looking forward to seeing this one develop. Keep it up.

I'm back! My brother isn't coming home until thursday, so I have the computer mostly to myself until then. 

In reply to Erk64's comments, there are tougher enemies than zombies. As the game progresses, you'll notice that corpses will start returning to life (the one in the demo was toned down a bit), dogs will become more frequent, and newer enemies will start appearing, such as the Bandersnatch (the green monster in one of the cutscenes, I won't say any more for those who haven't seen that scene yet), and some others I haven't named yet.

I will add a shutdown button, but right now that's pretty low priority on my list of things to add.

Yes, that creak can be annoying, but it doesn't feel right without it. The most I can do lower the volume of that.

One thing you'll notice about ALL games is that they tend to have corny dialogues that occational don't make sense. But I'll see what I can do to make it a bit less awkard without ruining what I already have. It's a bit difficult to do since there are many different dialogue paths (for example, if say you head upstairs and trigger another cutscene first, the cutscene in the wolf room would then refer to that cutscene upstairs), but I'll work it out.

I'll post a real update soon. For now, I need to get some sleep. I've been on a train for nearly 12 hours now, and the only thing I want to see is my pillow. Later!

You know what? I can't believed I screamed in front of my computer. My parents must have think of me a weirdo.
I luv your games! can't wait to see more of those creepies~XD

UPDATE!

I have now finished the mode 7 scene. All I need to do is find that good motorcycle sprite I saw a few months back, so once I find that I should be able to start work on the remaining maps. I have also added three more characters, but as they are all plot related I will not disclose details.

I have also taken all comments into consideration and made numerous edits to what I already have done. The doorcreak is less annoying, the dialogue is still corny sounding but is at least consistant, there are more zombies but they are in places you won't expect to find them (be wary of windows, paintings, suits of armor, cracks in the wall, and most importantly, be aware of what's behind a door before you open it...boo), there are now enemies added that can instantly kill you by decapitation, and I am currently working on a second set of buttons (one to reload, one to change directions while your gun is equiped, and one that will allow you to shutdown or return to the title).

It's actually a smaller update than it sounds, but it's an update nonetheless!

ooooh one hitters, i'm gonna have to get ready to run like a little baby then  also great updates looking forward to this even more, also Poor emidy 

Also!!!!!!! Those lines WERE NOT CORNY! i enjoyed them but everyone else will kinda or maybe agree 

Well, some people thought the lines were corny. I won't change much of the dialogue, only enough to make it seem more real and consistent.

On a side note, I seem to be getting mixed replys as to how scary the game is. Some people seem to think that it's not scary enough while others think it's already too scary.

lol, well then i guess you should keep it as scary as you had it before. I also know some people thought the lines were corny, just saying my opinion.

If you make it to scary for others i don't think you'll get as much play as you would if it was original way. I would still play no matter what  now, back to waiting for you to finish this lol.

UPDATE!

Probably the last one for a little while, as my brother comes back today. 

Anyway, I've made a good number of new maps to explore, including the graveyard and the laboratory. Still need to add the enemies to them, but that should be easy enough. I wonder how many people will freak out in the graveyard when zombies can suddenly grab you from the ground?

What?! Zombies from the ground! Uh...I'll be fine...I'll be fine...
Scary or not, they're surprising for sure. I guess that's how a horror game should be.
(PS. You'll make a good horror movie director.)

Emidy, i don't think we want him directing movies, he might really unleash his creative sides. 

Zombies from the ground makes me think of resident evil for some reason...

Actually I'm a college student with a Film/Video major, so you never know what the future holds for me, Emidy.

Seriously? So am I! It's a tough major, so I wish you the best of luck.

Anyway, I would like to clarify what I said before. I never really meant to imply that the dialogue was corny. In fact, it is very well written. However, I did find that in one or two places the dialogue didn't seem perfectly natural; there were places where the dialogue seemed to move too quickly and jump from one topic to another. I guess that's to be expected, however, considering it is a game.

I think the new additons sound fantastic. The zombies that can grab you from the ground sound great...I can't wait to see it in action. Has the demo been updated with these new freatures? I'm really looking forward to playing.

I got stuck. 

Where are you stuck? o_O

Well, I've got the heart medallion and club medallion, and I've opened up the basement, but it seems like the only place to go is in circles. 

I'm back!

No, the demo itself has not been updated, only the real game. When I'm most of the way through the game, I might make a new demo that allows you to go a little bit further but remove some of the cutscenes so that it doesn't spoil the plot.

Okay, the demo is technically "over" when you've USED the two medallions. You can keep playing if you want to but there's nothing else to do after that. If you're stuck on where to use the medallions, I'll give you this small hint: the Crown Key was originally called the Fountain Key, and someone on the island the has that key. Or should I say HAD that key...

The only thing I've worked on since the last update has been making more zombie sprites out of the RTP characters. BTW, a big thanks to Emidy for making an awesome chase scene sprite for me. I've added a screenshot in the first post of what the scene might look like before I've added some details and obstacles. Once again, thanks Emidy!

Oh, and just a side note to EVA, there is no machete. You do get to have a knife, but you can't use it against the zombies. I originally intended for you to be able to use it as a weapon, but I decided against it since it would mean reworking my battle system to include a melee weapon PLUS having to make some difficult ABS sprites for it. That's like a day or two's work for a weapon that would only be used as a last measure attack anyway, so screw that. Your gun should be enough to get you through the game without too many problems.

Anyway, it's been a hassle trying to be on the computer for more than an hour now that my brother's back, but like I said I'll try to keep you up to date as much as possible. If I don't post by tomorrow, have a merry Christmas everyone!

Minor Update!

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=682FLPDE

This is a test of how mode seven might help my game out. Imagine this: someone has just activated some sort of self-destruct system on Devil's Island and you have only two minutes to escape before everything blows up!

The point of this "minigame" is quite simple: avoid the mines and stay alive for two minutes. It sounds easy, but it isn't.

Remember that this is just a test scene, and don't feel bad if it takes you several tries to beat it. It's very difficult.

Wow Zylos, I normally don't post in the RPG Maker section, but your game looks very interesting.

I will be keeping an eye on this one.

*Enabled Notify, for the first time*

Update!

I was able to create some more playable characters that can use guns. But you will only get to play as some of them depending on certain choices you make throughout the game. For example, if you didn't get a key item before entering a part of the game that requires you to have it, you might have to play as another character in order to quickly obtain that item.

There will only be one section that actually requires you to play as another character. All other chances are just optional. But keep in mind that playing as another character is not always a good thing, because sometimes playing as that particular character might bring about that character's death later in the game. Then again, it might save them instead. There will be no way to know if you made a good choice or not until long after you've already made your choice.


I also managed to track down some interesting monster sprites and am now experimenting with bosses. I'm trying to find different ways of killing them besides just whipping out the gun and wasting all your ammo. One of the bosses you'll have to time a trap mechanism carefully in order to temporarily disable the monster, otherwise your bullets won't penetrate its skin. Another boss will require you to actually dodge its attack before it becomes vulnerable, but it will only be vulnerable for a split second so you'd have to be damned fast. It's still a work in progress, but if all goes as planned it should be challenging and fun.


On a side note, no one has said anything about what they thought of the M7 Scene yet. I want your feedback, people!

You want us to die in that crazy place :'(

Nice updates though.

The M7 Scene is a bit challenging...but it IS beatable. You just have to have quick reactions. I'll probably tone it down a bit in the real game, but I want people's opinions first as to how fun it is, how difficult it is and if anyone found any bugs.

Damn, Zylos, that was amazing! It was very tense, but I really liked it. I haven't seen the RPG Maker used quite like that before. I'm impressed. Personally, I like the current level of difficulty, and I don't think it needs to be toned down much, if at all, for the final game. It took me four attempts to get through it, but the first time I died almost instantly because I didn't know what to expect. The only thing I would say about it that you may need to fix, is the controls. They seem a little too sensitive; once or twice I wanted to move to the middle, but I shot all the way across to the other side. After a while I got used to it, but it was slightly too sensitive for my tastes. But overall, this was really great. It was fun.

Sensitivity has now been fixed. I'm experimenting with adding a monster chasing you down the passage. What would happen is you would avoid obstacles in the passage like in the M7 Scene, but hitting them won't kill you. It will, however, slow you down a little, and if the monster catches up to you, it's game over.

I've not been able to work on everything as much as I'd like to (thanks to my brother), but things are progressing, albeit a bit slowly. Considering how much I've gotten done in only a little more than a month, I don't think I'm doing too bad so far.

I'll try to keep you up to date on my progress.

  go Zylos, and i ment the boss not the M7 Scene, i just find the gun a bit hard to use for a split second.
But then again what i played was a demo, and i'm sure playing the game more when its done, we'll get use to being able to do that. So disregard my previous post.

Would you believe that I had the computer to myself for almost the entire day? YES!

UPDATE!

The graveyard is completely finished. You'll need to be careful where you step, otherwise a zombie might grab you from the ground. I'm also working on zombie sprites that pop out from the ground entirely (it's harder than it sounds). Next on the list of things to do is the laboratory.

I'm still experimenting with the bosses, but I like what I have got so far. It should definitely make for some intense combat. I'm also trying to experiment with human bosses. Obviously it won't take dozens of bullets to bring a human down, but what if the human was quick enough to avoid being in the line of fire AND had a gun to shoot you from a distance? You'll definitely have to be on your toes to beat that one.

Judging from all the things I have to work on, I'd say the game itself should be finished by early february. In the meantime, I'm working on a second demo which should demonstrate the freedom of choice. It won't tie in with the actual game plot-wise (so as to not spoil the actual plot), but you'll quickly see just how choices will affect the way you play.

Actually i don't belive it!!!!

lol, man you gotta be working hard man. The graveyard thing is something i'm looking forward to.

Perhaps, perhaps not. You'll just have to wait and see.

...I love being so mysterious. 

Aww man, now i have to wait!!  darn you and your mysteriousness.

Out of curiousity, has anyone had an error with my demo saying "the script is hanging" or something like that? One person PMed me about it but said that it only happens when he has another program running at the same time. I've investigated but I can't find anything wrong with the demo. Does anyone else have this problem?

No i haven't but i'll see if i get the bug to. I'll either post or edit this one.


<Edit>

After i download it again lol.

<Edit2>

Alright, i didn't get any error while playing.
I had Internet Explorer up, My project up, Msn Messenger, and Yahoo Messenger up.
Not sure what else i could do to get the the error, how far was were they before they got the error?

He said that he couldn't even play the game. I have a feeling that it's just a problem with his computer or something, but I need to make sure, otherwise I might have some big problems later on if there really IS a bug.

BTW, happy new year, everybody!

lol happy new years to you to.
I'm sure it's just a problem with his computer, unless i just got lucky. I played the game and had all sorts of things on and not all sorts of things on. And it ran well, i even killed 4 zombies and got a head shot.

It's late for me to say this, but...happy new year, everyone.
I've tried as well, nothing bad happened to me except that I get more freak out with your new scene...
I like the challenge though, don't mind with my scream (it's a must for a horror game!).

Oh...and if an error really occured because of some program running at the same time, he should just turn it off and try it again. As for me, I'm fine.

UPDATE!

I've now got some bosses up and running, most of whom have a strategic way of being defeated. And no Ruzu, you don't have to be super fast with your gun to beat them. That would be making it too difficult.

Speaking of difficult, I'm adding hordes of zombies now. In the demo, you only took on one or two at a time, but towards the end of the game those numbers are going to increase drastically. I've even made one area have twelve zombies coming at you! That should add some scare, when you think you're all alone in a room and suddenly zombies start crawling out from everywhere. I foresee some people repeating "Oh s%!#, oh s%!#, oh s%!#...." to themselves...

I've got a lot of work ahead of me, but Midnight's still alive and kicking!

I love this game! I downloaded the demo last week, but I got stuck when looking for the second coin, but it was still awesome.

Keep it up Zylos!

You still stuck?

I don't think it's a bug, I think it is just me not thinking straight, but I do get a sense of "I have been everywhere" while I am looking for it.

Which coin did you find?

The Charlmagne(?) coin.

You'll need to find the basement. The entrance is hidden somewhere in the library.

Remember, when in doubt, examine EVERYTHING! You never know what you may find.

That is why I love this game.

Yay! People like my work! 

Try playing the Resident Evil series, it's my main source of inspiration.

I knew it... BTW, have you ever play Fatal frame? there is a ghost which cannot be defeated in some area. When he touches you, it's the END. You need to run away from it, and it's actually kinda fun. It can be some kind inspiration eh?

Hopefully his inspiration isn't resident evil 4, that game was all action and barley any scare.(The breathing got from the Iron Maiden and the Regenarators).
Also have you played "The Convent" it has no fighting in it but just the athmosphere of the place is pretty scary  (it's an rmxp game btw).

Also for the updates, s@#%$ freakkin 12 in one room?  i foresee everyone needing at least over 20 retrys.
lol, still love your game. 

I've never played it, but I do have something similar in store. Unfortunately it's plot related I can't say much about it.

@Ruzu: I played "The Convent", and I must say I was impressed with it's graphics and ambience, but it seriously lacked in it's story. That's one of the big differences between Midnight and the Convent; my game has a definite story to it.

Also, RE4 was a survival action, not survival horror. My game is not all about action, it's mostly about puzzles and scares. The twelve zombies is supposed to get your adrenaline running, but you're supposed to run away from them instead of fighting them. Remember that in the game you have limited ammunition, so if you wanted to you could TRY taking them on, but the best way is to take a deep breath and run through them very quickly.

The goal of RE4 was to kill everything that moved. The goal of Midnight is just to effing survive.

@Tezuka: Are you still stuck or did you figure it out?