Skip to content
Northforge Interactive
Buy
Menu
← Back to journal
PULSE//ZERO

OUT NOW: PULSE//ZERO v0.4.0: DISTORTION

v0.4.0 is a systems update — Overdrive becomes an earned charge→spend burst, combos climb to x32, bosses reshape the arena, and a rebuilt director paces the whole run.

PULSE//ZERO v0.4.0 — DISTORTION is out. Where past updates added things, this one makes the things already there talk to each other — so a run reads as one escalating story instead of a set of separate mechanics.

What’s new

  • Overdrive is now an earned burst. It used to be a background state; now you charge it through skilful play, it ignites at MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE, and it spends down while you keep the pressure on.
  • Combos climb to x32 — twice the old ceiling.
  • Bosses with personality — they read the fight, shift mood, and reshape the arena against you.
  • Run Director v2 — encounters are built from enemy roles and paced to your run, with hard fairness guards.
  • Anomalies bend reality mid-run, including a BLACKOUT that drops you into a spotlight — and the battlefield now scars and heals as you fight.
  • Deeper accessibility and readability — daltonization for colourblind players, a readable boss scrim, and bloom confined to the play area so peak moments stay legible.

Full build notes — everything added, changed and fixed — live on the changelog.

What’s next

More arena expression, tighter coupling between the systems, and continued work toward 1.0. We build in the open — follow along here.

Playing the build? Tell us what you think: hello@northforge-interactive.com.