Here's the first build of Khemia with an overhaul to the story and art. Art is of course by Haps, along with a new track from Anthemics. In terms of story, most lines have been reworked along with a few completely new scenes. If you would like to keep up with Khemia but have already played the first build, we recommend you play through this one as well.
Definitely loving the new sprites here. Granted there are some minor adjustments that could be made to a few of em but overall I'm really excited.
Perry the Political Platypus
2024-12-23 21:20:07 +0000 UTC
I loved what was done with the story so far!~ I can't wait to read more and read into parts that we haven't gotten to yet at least when it comes to version 1... I also like that it's still 3-4 years after Adastra. It's kind of funny that real life kind of caught up with this... But I think it also helps with immersion in a weird way...
Jojo6716
2024-12-17 16:41:13 +0000 UTC
found myself really enjoying this story!! this *really* pulled me back into the world of adastra like the first game did, so i'm very happy to see everyone continuing this, and i'm very excited to see the direction this takes
roger
2024-12-15 08:44:24 +0000 UTC
I want to play, but the android version didn't come out yet... 🥲
Bruno
2024-12-13 06:17:51 +0000 UTC
also just noticed a small typo in one first few dialogue pieces of the game, during the black intro. it reads "That'a a common feature for those like you."
White Lieger
2024-12-13 05:04:18 +0000 UTC
just wanted to say thank you all for making this available natively on linux. it's just really nice to not have to jump through a bunch of hoops (well not a bunch but still) to experience the game
White Lieger
2024-12-13 04:58:15 +0000 UTC
I don't understand the hate towards the art style shift. Having just replayed the previous version of the novel, the art is FAR more polished. That's just going to happen with an artist, and I support Haps 100 percent.
Amicus looks less chibi in this version, which was my biggest issue with the last few revisions.
Neferu is also way less "cute," which is fine by me, personally.
Brunis' posture and pose helps convey his casual personality, and he isn't posed to fight like before. His arm is also overhauled to seem less skimpy. Love the detail on the "mystic" parts of it
Virginia's design has been refined even further. I don't have more notes since we haven't seen her more.
The story changes are amazing, and we get to see a little bit more from Scipio's distain for a certain part of this world.
The Den scene has gotten a complete overhaul, and I love the new art.
Overall, this build has given me hope that Khemia will finally be released from the weird Limbo it was left in
Platonic
2024-12-10 04:00:37 +0000 UTC
Agreed~!
Fanarterer
2024-12-09 19:32:45 +0000 UTC
Not a huge fan of the Amicus redesign. I'm sure some people will like it, but its not for me. V1 Sprites were leagues better. IMO
Nick Fernandez
2024-12-09 01:54:03 +0000 UTC
Noticed some comments are gone..? Some of them had some constructive criticism on 'em paired with fair compliments! 🫣 anywaysss
Story is back? Big. Big. Big hype!
I really liked the in between scenes and the changes. Its been a while, so a rewrite of an unfinished story is pretty good and exciting.
The sprite for amicus and virginia made me ... uncomfortable. They look so very stiff.
And thats it! Excited for the next update, but damn I hope there are gonna be some more changes.
Fanarterer
2024-12-08 21:14:36 +0000 UTC
The quality and the impact feel different. As said, from quality it has changed to quantity. And quantity is never better if the quality is lost
Zynkolion
2024-12-05 22:40:05 +0000 UTC
They old ones are more dynamic in pose, but the new ones are more dynamic in possibilities. There´s endless possible expressions and poses now. They are not simplistic, and they are definitely not lazy. The way you call them "copy paste" sprites feels offensive to an artistic level.
ABC
2024-12-05 15:10:32 +0000 UTC
That's what i wanted to said. The old sprites looked dynamic and fresh. These one because of the simplicistic choice of drawing only faces, give the idea of laziness.
Evolution is a wrong term. Change suits better. Also i agree with you about the increased number of sprites, but Adastra has worked perfectly with a limited number of them. Are we sure that increasing the number of copy and paste sprites could be a better choice?
Zynkolion
2024-12-05 14:45:23 +0000 UTC
I dont know what you are on man, the art looks really good. Haps´style has grown a lot, and i really think they´ve landed on a very good middle point between more realistic heights and proportions and the older more chibi-like sprites. You can see his evolution through the VNs he´s worked on. This new artstyle is not a surprise.
I dont get what you mean with "the figure faces always the same side without giving us an hint of the feeling the character is feeling". The new Neferu, to give an example, has 47 sprites while the old one has 21. The old set of sprites has a super limited set of actual emotions, while the new one is quite extensive by comparison. You say they don´t give hints of how they are feeling, but that´s not really the case. The more expressions means characters have more subtle expressions than "open mouth smile" and "closed mouth sad" that get used for all situations.
The only single thing i agree with you is that the posing is less dynamic, which while true has a very obvious explanation. Previously in Adastra projects if they needed to make a new pose, the WHOLE thing needed to be redrawn. With this new set of sprites, if they need to change the position of the head, of the arms, of the ears, etc. they simply need to adjust those instead of an entire set of sprites, which both saves time, makes characters more active and expressive while making the whole thing more immersive. Neferu no longer needs to contort himself around just to emote, now he can move like an actual person would.
Also, no sprite shows us anger? Have you read the actual release? Amicus is angry for half of his screen time.
ABC
2024-12-05 13:52:00 +0000 UTC
This new look of Khemia looks like more of a fanfiction and not an official release of it. The characters are drawn simply and they are de-humanized. It's a deep change and not all changes are good.
The V1 of Khemia had the sprites we already know from Adastra, thought they were changed because of the age of the characters. But in the V2, there is a disruption.
The sprites are drawn too simply, and the figure faces always the same side without giving us an hint of the feeling the character is feeling, and without introducing the character.
They just show us their bodies, not their minds. The rich expressions and poses from the other vns here are lost, making the reader look away from the sprites that appear in front of them. There is a movement of arms but it is just that. Not a single sprite shows us a very angry character with a complete and new position of the character in the space. Just a facial grin. This is a way of making art easier and simplier. What purpose does this serve? The fans have waited three or four years. They can wait two months or three between updates on Khemia, if the design of characters aren't deeply disrupted like this.
Zynkolion
2024-12-05 12:45:50 +0000 UTC
Is the android version already released?
Bruno
2024-12-05 00:03:07 +0000 UTC
So great to see a new release in this setting. Arches was fantastic, of course, but I've been looking forward to seeing Khemia itself for a long time. Keep up the good work.
Brathor Cyr
2024-12-02 18:16:48 +0000 UTC
Amicus & Neferu got the Jo Jo's part 1 treatment
Shinigami wolf
2024-12-02 06:52:55 +0000 UTC
I actually reallly love this. That being said, the art is extremely hit and sometimes alittle miss. The Cg with skipio being covered in blood I didn’t like at first, I prefer the first khemia cg, but it’s not awful the more I look at it.
SUG
2024-12-02 05:21:51 +0000 UTC
Chat is this real?
Perry the Political Platypus
2024-12-02 01:53:17 +0000 UTC
Thank you so much team, I'm so excited to see work resuming in earnest of my favourite projects from you :3
Raffie Foxmew
2024-12-01 23:20:54 +0000 UTC
We're So Back!!!!
Bryce Ward
2024-12-01 22:21:40 +0000 UTC
I'm so hyped to read this you have no idea
Jalfred
2024-12-01 21:52:52 +0000 UTC
Viruses can be kept alive inside an asymptomatic host for a loooooong time, so it´s not that unbelievable to me that an alien virus could´ve survived for a couple years inside Marco
ABC
2024-12-01 19:03:03 +0000 UTC
Your build is being flagged as a trojan
Lead Boo
2024-12-01 18:58:27 +0000 UTC
Not going to lie, I kind of wish Interea would be developed before Khemia mostly because it's, well, the story that comes after Adastra but before Khemia (assuming my memory serves me correctly here) but I am content as a cucumber to play this first nonetheless. Keep up the good work, guys.
MoonStalker
2024-12-01 18:43:41 +0000 UTC
Congratulations on the new build, after what seems like a very difficult month. Seriously, I respect what you do so much! Now, I’m overall very impressed with this new build, but I’m gonna go over negative stuff first. I played the Linux verison FYI
Errors:
I found two typos:
Scipio’s mom: “I push the icon resembling an arrowhead, as if pointing in the direction of where my she is, thousands of kilometers away” (do wolves use kilometers?)
Final dream scene “I hear screaming but it can’t be me, as die and feel everything rip apart”
Neferu surpised sprite doesn’t exist: Couldn’t find file ‘images/sprites/neferu/nef-surprised.png’.
One of neferu’s sprites is misaligned in the return to the palace, ‘floating’ above the bottom of the screen.
Things I didn’t like:
I’m sorry, but aside from Neferu, I really don’t like the new sprites. Please tell me they’re WIPs. Amicus’ first pose is a full frontal that looks directly at you, and I found this jarring and uncomfortable. Second, the figures do not feel very dynamic at all, quite flat and stiff. Amicus’ more expressive emotions are much less jarring however. Virginia’s poses also feel flat, and I… don’t want to talk about Brunis’ art in this build, although I like the new arm design in concept, but not in execution here. Again, all these sprites may be WIPs, so if they are, pay this no mind.
Things that could be improved:
Amicus seems to curse like a human from Earth. I think that’s an interesting development, and it is hinted that this is odd, but it still felt jarring. Maybe a couple of internal lines from Scipio surprised by this manner of cursing.
Scipio’s reaction after the den scene is a little odd to me. From my experience with trauma, I don’t freeze, try to hide, then freeze again. Typically, I would just be rendered catatonic, almost mute. I think this potrayal is fine, but you may want to consider moving his frantic activity “inside” his mind, reliving those experiences, but being completely non-responsive to Neferu, possibly making Neferu have to physically guide Scipio off the bed and onto the ship.
Okay, onto the good, yay!
The new music is phenomenal, Anthemics is amazing.
Next, Howly’s writing of trauma feels a lot more coherent and ‘accurate’ compared to the first build, well done! Furthermore, it seems like Howly is saying a lot more with fewer words, and is a bit smoother, nice!
The illustrations in general are top-notch! So much vibrancy, detail, and very dynamic in value! I especially like Neferu’s room illustration, it feels so warm and inviting despite the cool color palette! Finally, Scipio’s reaction in the Den illustration is priceless! Phenomenal!
I liked the “Unless…” line during the last scene. Not only for the fact that it narratively fits so well, but the irony of using that specific line in the least horny way possible in an 18+ visual novel... That’s beautiful, I cracked up, lightening the dark themes portrayed, well done!
Lazurite
2024-12-01 16:19:34 +0000 UTC
I can't download it because of a virus threat
Joel V-F
2024-12-01 15:40:59 +0000 UTC
This was such a lovely read. I love the things this new version is setting up for the future. While i do agree that it was a slightly short build, what´s there is sweet and very well written. The new art is amazing! I´m so glad Haps iterated with the new Neferu design, the version he landed on looks incredible from the side AND front.
I know these past few months have been... troubling for you guys behind closed doors, so i hope developing this VN, Glory Hounds, and any other project becomes a boon for you guys, and helps you feel any kind of positive way. You guys deserve smooth sailings.
I genuinely love what you guys are creating, and i can´t wait to see more soon, hopefully. Cheers to Khemia!
ABC
2024-12-01 12:26:33 +0000 UTC
We're so back baby!
Emerald Spark
2024-12-01 08:19:38 +0000 UTC
The new sprites feels like I grew with Adastra, the characters looks more mature in some way, also I saw Amicus sprites after reading and if u put together 2 sprites of him, looks like ishowspeed smile meme 😂😂😂😂😂😂
fr4n_arts
2024-12-01 08:16:40 +0000 UTC
Khemia is back!!!! 🤩🤩🤩
JohnWolfen
2024-12-01 08:00:04 +0000 UTC
I didn't believe in this project anymore and I'm very glad I was wrong. I like the variety of illustrations. Some are extremely detailed and impressive, while others are caricatured and cartoonish, which complements each other in an interesting way. The new sprites are brilliant, I was surprised by their quality! I look forward to seeing more!
One thread, however, troubles me. Marco being a "biological weapon". Maybe I don't understand something, but how come he started infecting Avia Pox after THREE DAMN YEARS? Did they previously keep it in some kind of capsule and keep it out of contact with others for three years? After all, we remember from Adastra that Marco himself was infected almost immediately, so this virus didn't need time to incubate or gradually infect.
Am I leaving out some important detail or is there really something wrong here...?
Mikky
2024-12-01 06:58:22 +0000 UTC
New CGs are ELITE! Loved this build, keep up the good work!
Crazy Jimothy (6’2)
2024-12-01 06:19:03 +0000 UTC
Of course no andriod 🫤
Shinigami wolf
2024-12-01 05:54:00 +0000 UTC
Just ignore it, problems weren't
Padvaxtag
2024-12-01 05:28:37 +0000 UTC
Thanks for checkin!
Raygun Draygun
2024-12-01 04:47:34 +0000 UTC
This also works for Windows 10
Lurkybot3k
2024-12-01 04:46:51 +0000 UTC
For those having issues on Windows 11, you can fix it by doing the following:
Open Windows Security
Scroll down to find “Protection History”, click on it
Here you should see a list of one or more “Threat blocked” entries. It should be the most recent one, click on it.
You’ll get a prompt to all Windows Security to make changes. Choose “Yes”.
There will now be an expanded view of the blocked threat. At the bottom of this will be an “Actions” drop-down.
Click on the “Actions” drop-down and choose “Allow”
It will give you a confirmation prompt, choose “Yes”
You should now be able to re-download the zip file.
Raygun Draygun
2024-12-01 04:26:35 +0000 UTC
Was kinda hoping it would go as far as the original version, but this being a rewrite and revamp, I can't blame it. I still loved every second of it and I am so very excited for this to be back in production.
Fenreon
2024-12-01 04:02:26 +0000 UTC
Can't download because of virus threat
Animus
2024-12-01 03:59:53 +0000 UTC
Super exciting stuff! Can’t wait to play it!
spooty
2024-12-01 03:36:33 +0000 UTC
Same here virus detection.
Courtney Strangewolf
2024-12-01 03:10:31 +0000 UTC
Yeah Same
Sergio Vázquez
2024-12-01 03:09:21 +0000 UTC
AAAAAAA FINALLY!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
Sora Dez WolFox
2024-12-01 02:44:14 +0000 UTC
I am getting Trojan warning on the PC version from more than one virus scanner.
Trojan:Script/Wacatac.B!ml
Chaz PilotWolf
2024-12-01 02:42:51 +0000 UTC
I'm getting the same thing.
Lurkybot3k
2024-12-01 02:36:47 +0000 UTC
LETS GO RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!
Natural_Salt
2024-12-01 02:35:18 +0000 UTC
LFG!
Ratchet Fox
2024-12-01 02:34:02 +0000 UTC
PEAK IS BACK LET'S GOOOOO
Kai Da Yeen
2024-12-01 02:23:44 +0000 UTC
Disregard!!! It was a setting on my end that did not like the file type!!!
Rukai Leopard
2024-12-01 02:19:05 +0000 UTC
Heads up that Windows Security flags this as having a virus.