A baroque-styled boss encounter introduced mid-game. However, you'll only really see one part of the castle which is the dining room:
Everything in this setting has been meticulously placed for a multitude of reasons, for now I will leave those details a secret. You'll find that the painting overhead is a panoramic depiction of Araphel's castle in it's natural habitat, Raiden and Eve are unconscious and seated at the dining table, and to the right is a portrait of Araphel's lover Millicent.
I wanted Araphel's boss battle to stand out from the others, and so I introduced an outcome changing choice system in place of what would be a tactical hack and slash battle — here is a sneak peek into the coding side of it:
LIFE variable meaning a point towards a win scenario, and DEATH variable meaning the opposite. I believe battling Araphel this way will encourage the player to pay more mind to how they follow the story, especially how the characters respond to each other based on the choices.
It's a boss battle with approx. 30 cutscene frames! It will go by quicker than you think, you better watch what you say or you'll have to retry this scene from the top, like the other battles. 💀
I've got a much better idea for Araphel's true form; in lieu of that artwork, here is a revised version Araphel's human form concept art:
