Unto the End Passive Run Update Allows Players to Complete the Game Without Killing a Single Enemy

Unto the End is a brutal-yet-rewarding 2D platformer set in a gorgeous Viking-era world of caves and mountaintops. The real selling point for the game is the excruciatingly designed combat, which takes a great deal of skill but is immensely satisfying to finally get the hang of.

However, there are plenty of players who want to play the entire game as a pacifist, not killing a single enemy. The original version of the game didn’t allow that, though — while some encounters had pacifist solutions, there were some instances where killing an enemy simply couldn’t be avoided.

That changes today with Unto the End‘s Passive Run Update. According to the patch notes:

You can now make it home without killing a single opponent. You will need to run, steal, trade, use items, interact with the environment, help those in need, and leave some innocents to fend for themselves.

Here’s a video that illustrates just a few of the new passive options:

That’s not all that’s changed, though; there have also been some tweaks and bug fixes that should make the game a much more… well, not pleasant experience, exactly, but a more satisfying and rewarding one, I would say.

Here are the full patch notes:

Combat and Damage

Combat Speed > Assist now has 3 settings: 100%, 75%, 50%.
You no longer take extra damage based on vulnerability. However, all opponents still do.
- Previously the father took extra damage when facing away, blocking-opposite, attacking, jumping, dodging, faking, ducking or off-balance. This often led to getting “one shot”.

You now have invincibility frames (iframes) when rolling around AND away from an attack.
- Previously you only had iframes when rolling around an attack.
When hit after biting on a fake, Krilt will be knocked off their feet, allowing you to follow up with an attack.
- Subsequently, landing a hit after a fake again does +1 damage.
- Also includes general improvements to faking AI, react animations and general logic.
Smoothed out the difficulty ramp to make it more gradual, the first 4 required encounters are now easier.

AI tuned for opponent blocking and dodging.
Poise adjusted on opponents in some fights.
Wind up times for attacks adjusted on some opponents.

Once Woad have learned your shoulder attack, they will sometimes duck under it, causing you to fall over them.
The one unblockable attack is now blockable and it’s damage is reduced slightly.
Added 7 more frames to the shoulder check attack.

Tuned some opponent hit boxes.
Camera zooms in a bit more during 1v1 fights.

Items

Herbs now heal a small amount of health, and STOP bleeding, rather than just slowing it. If you eat too many herbs you still puke.

General Gameplay

Arabic language issues corrected.
Reload crossfade after death is now twice as fast.
Several rooms in the opening area are brighter.

It’s now easier to navigate dark areas if you’ve lost your torch.
- The brightness and duration of the “light flash” (that appears when hitting rocky ground or a rock wall with your sword) has been increased by 50%.
Bleed to death duration doubled.

Foreground adjusted in various rooms with fights.
Chromatic Aberration removed.
Added 3 spear pickup locations, to teach spear usage before later fights.

Attacking the end wall automatically causes you to shoulder check it, even if you input a low or high attack.

Bug Fixes

Hitting the Trolls after they are dead no longer causes them to remain standing.
Attack pattern loop for “cheesing” the last fight has been removed.

Floating spear, which sometimes appeared in the last fight, has been corrected.
Fixed a few issues with combat speed not turning off after a fight.
Fixed a few incremental scene loading issues caused by moving up and down on a ladder in between loading zones.

Fixed a few save issues which in rare cases would cause you to respawn without a torch or dagger.
Attacking the first Troll while he runs away no longer has him freeze.
Throwing a dagger at the Krilt Shaman while far away now correctly causes him to engage.

Walking to the wall, past the Woad that offers you the Old Key, no longer breaks the offering encounter. You can now correctly grab the key after it’s offered.
Eating a 3rd herb, which causes puking, no longer slows bleeding.
Fixed an issue where an early lift would crash down and then on reload reappear upon dropping down the hole it fell through.