Cursed Angel

3D Hack & Slash Platformer with Reactive Environment Combat

🎮 Play Demo • 📖 Documentation • 🐛 Report Bug • 💬 Discussions

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📖 Table of Contents

• About
• Features
• Quick Start
• Gameplay
• Development
• Contributing
• License

🎯 About

Cursed Angel is a 3D hack and slash platformer prototype that combines environmental interaction, companion AI, and transformation mechanics. Drawing inspiration from Ratchet & Clank's gadget-based exploration and Devil May Cry's stylish combat, the game features a unique "Source Code" narrative where players debug reality anomalies.

🎭 Story

Players control Ripley, a human with an angel's soul, accompanied by Frank, a fox with an angel's soul who is immune to curses. Both characters have been granted access to Yahweh's Source Code and tasked with debugging reality anomalies while maintaining secrecy from mortal authorities.

✨ Features

🌍 Reactive Environment System Curse weapons interact with environmental elements Dynamic platform extension and barrier creation Hazard activation and environmental puzzles Real-time world state changes	🦊 Intelligent Companion AI Frank the fox provides utility support Telepathic communication system Witty personality with helpful abilities Autonomous utility station activation
⚡ Cursed Angel Transformation Devil Trigger-inspired ultimate ability Data point accumulation system Speed, damage, and fluidity bonuses Stunning visual effects and audio	🏟️ Arena Combat System Wave-based progression Environmental integration per wave Multiple enemy types with AI Progressive difficulty scaling

🚀 Quick Start

Prerequisites

# Required Software
- Unreal Engine 5.5+
- Visual Studio 2022 (C++ workload)
- Git with Git LFS
- Windows 10/11 (64-bit)

Installation

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/cursed-angel.git
   cd cursed-angel

2. Setup Git LFS

   git lfs install
   git lfs pull

3. Generate project files

   # Right-click CursedAngel.uproject → "Generate Visual Studio project files"

4. Open and compile

   # Open CursedAngel.sln in Visual Studio
   # Build → Build Solution (Ctrl+Shift+B)
   # Open CursedAngel.uproject in Unreal Engine

🎮 First Play

1. Launch Unreal Engine and open the project
2. Press Play or open the ArenaDemo level
3. Use the controls below to start playing!

🎮 Gameplay

🎯 Controls

Input	Action	Input	Action
WASD	Movement	Mouse	Camera Look
Space	Jump	Left Click	Fire Curse Weapon
Right Click	Heavy Attack	123	Switch Curse Weapons
Q	Cursed Angel Transform	E	Request Frank Utility

⚔️ Curse Weapons

Weapon	Key	Effect	Environmental Interaction
Corruption Rail	1	High damage piercing shot	Extends platforms for traversal
Fragment Needles	2	Rapid-fire sticky projectiles	Activates hazard traps
Void Mines	3	Area denial explosives	Creates protective barriers

🛠️ Frank's Utilities

Utility	Effect	Duration	Cooldown
Curse Amplifier	2x weapon damage	10s	15s
Element Highlighter	Shows interactive elements	8s	12s
Emergency Shield	50% damage reduction	8s	20s

🏗️ Development

📁 Project Structure

CursedAngel/
├── 📁 Content/
│   ├── 📁 Characters/           # Player and companion assets
│   │   ├── 📁 Ripley/          # Player character
│   │   └── 📁 Frank/           # Companion fox
│   ├── 📁 CurseWeapons/        # Weapon blueprints and effects
│   ├── 📁 Environment/         # Arena and reactive elements
│   ├── 📁 UI/                  # HUD and interface
│   └── 📁 Audio/               # Sound effects and music
├── 📁 Source/CursedAngel/      # C++ source code
│   ├── 📄 CurseWeaponComponent.*
│   ├── 📄 CursedAngelComponent.*
│   ├── 📄 FrankAI.*
│   ├── 📄 FrankAIController.*
│   └── 📄 ReactiveArenaElement.*
├── 📁 Config/                  # Engine configuration
└── 📁 Plugins/                 # Third-party plugins

🔧 Key Systems

🌍 Reactive Environment System

UCLASS(BlueprintType, Blueprintable)
class CURSEDANGEL_API AReactiveArenaElement : public AActor
{
    GENERATED_BODY()

public:
    UPROPERTY(EditAnywhere, BlueprintReadWrite, Category = "Reactive")
    ECurseWeaponType ReactsToWeapon;
    
    UPROPERTY(EditAnywhere, BlueprintReadWrite, Category = "Reactive")
    EReactionType ReactionBehavior;
    
    UFUNCTION(BlueprintCallable, Category = "Reactive")
    void TriggerReaction(ECurseWeaponType CurseType, FVector ImpactLocation);
};

🦊 Frank AI Controller

UCLASS(BlueprintType, Blueprintable)
class CURSEDANGEL_API AFrankAIController : public AAIController
{
    GENERATED_BODY()

public:
    UFUNCTION(BlueprintCallable, Category = "Frank AI")
    void SetAIState(EFrankAIState NewState);
    
    UFUNCTION(BlueprintCallable, Category = "Frank AI")
    void ActivateNearestUtility();

private:
    void UpdateFollowBehavior(float DeltaTime);
    void UpdateUtilityDetection();
};

⚡ Cursed Angel Transformation

UCLASS(BlueprintType, Blueprintable)
class CURSEDANGEL_API UCursedAngelComponent : public UActorComponent
{
    GENERATED_BODY()

public:
    UPROPERTY(EditAnywhere, BlueprintReadWrite, Category = "Cursed Angel")
    float DataPoints = 0.0f;
    
    UPROPERTY(EditAnywhere, BlueprintReadWrite, Category = "Cursed Angel")
    float SpeedMultiplier = 1.5f;
    
    UFUNCTION(BlueprintCallable, Category = "Cursed Angel")
    void ActivateTransformation();
};

🔨 Building from Source

Development Build

1. Prerequisites

   # Install Visual Studio 2022 with C++ workload
   # Install Unreal Engine 5.5
   # Ensure Git LFS is configured

2. Compile C++ Classes

   # Method 1: Visual Studio
   Open CursedAngel.sln → Build → Build Solution
   
   # Method 2: Unreal Engine
   Open project → Compile button in toolbar

3. Package for Distribution

   # In Unreal Editor
   File → Package Project → Windows (64-bit)
   # Select output directory
   # Wait for packaging to complete

📊 Performance Targets

Metric	Target	Current
Frame Rate	60 FPS	✅ 60+ FPS
Memory Usage	< 4GB RAM	✅ ~3.2GB
Loading Time	< 10s	✅ ~7s
Package Size	< 2GB	✅ ~1.8GB

🗺️ Roadmap

✅ Completed (v0.1.0 - Prototype)

• Core curse weapon system with environmental interactions
• Frank companion AI with utility support
• Cursed Angel transformation with visual effects
• Arena combat with wave-based progression
• Complete UI system with HUD and feedback

🚧 In Progress (v0.2.0)

• Enhanced Frank personality system with more dialogue
• Additional curse weapon types and combinations
• Advanced enemy AI with varied behaviors
• Performance optimizations and bug fixes

📅 Planned (v0.3.0+)

• Story mode with narrative progression
• Multiple arena environments with unique mechanics
• Save system and progression tracking
• Steam integration and achievements

🤝 Contributing

We welcome contributions from the community! Please read our Contributing Guidelines before getting started.

🚀 How to Contribute

1. 🍴 Fork the repository
2. 🌿 Create a feature branch

   git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature

3. 💻 Make your changes
4. 🧪 Test thoroughly
5. 📝 Commit with clear messages

   git commit -m 'feat: add amazing feature'

6. 📤 Push to your branch

   git push origin feature/amazing-feature

7. 🔄 Open a Pull Request

📋 Development Guidelines

• Follow Unreal Engine C++ Coding Standards
• Use meaningful commit messages (Conventional Commits)
• Test all changes in both Editor and packaged builds
• Update documentation for new features

🐛 Known Issues

Current Known Issues

Issue	Severity	Status
Frank occasionally gets stuck on complex geometry	Low	🔍 Investigating
Transformation effects may persist after death	Medium	🔧 In Progress
Audio cues can overlap during rapid weapon switching	Low	📋 Planned
UI scaling issues on ultrawide monitors	Low	📋 Planned

See our Issue Tracker for the complete list and to report new bugs.

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

🎨 Third-Party Assets

Asset Acknowledgments

Asset Pack	Usage	License
StylishCombatStarterKit	Melee combat foundation	Asset Store License
Cat Girl Character Pack	Player character mesh	Asset Store License
Weapon Asset Packs	Railgun, Needler, ProximityMineLauncher	Asset Store License
Unreal Engine Starter Content	Environmental assets	Epic Games License

🙏 Acknowledgments

🎮 Inspiration

• Ratchet & Clank - Gadget-based environmental interaction
• Devil May Cry - Stylish combat and transformation mechanics
• .hack franchise - Digital reality narrative themes
• MASH (1970) - Character personality and dialogue tone

👥 Special Thanks

• Epic Games for Unreal Engine 5
• The Unreal Engine community for tutorials and support
• Asset creators for high-quality content packs

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📞 Support & Community

📈 Project Stats

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"Flippin' amazing."