Reference is a 3D arena fighting game solo project developed by myself to prototype several systems all within the same project. The game is inspired heavily by over-the-top fight scenes from anime such as My Hero Academia and Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.

​

The project started in Summer 2020 and has gone through numerous different forms of iteration. The biggest of which is the removal of multiple mechanics and systems. These are often removed or are changed to keep to game scaled.

​

Inspired by 3D arena fighters, Reference is built to provoke the "big-brained" players that want a simple to understand, yet difficult to master game that feels like you could always find new ways to create new strategies. 
​
The primary gimmick of the game is that you control two characters to a degree. Each character has a "Reference" that they can take control of using abilities. These references are unique and contain different special moves which can enable combos.

​

In short, each player controls a character and a reference. These two can be mixed and matched to best suit different playstyles, such as playing around range or playing rush down to get in close as fast as possible.
​
While development is always active, the game acts as more of a collage of assorted prototypes rather than a fully fleshed-out game. However, if enough work is put in, it could very well see a full release on Steam in the far future.

At the current moment, Reference is solo developed by myself, with 3D models taken from the Infinity Blade asset pack from the Unreal Marketplace.