Occultus Vitae – Major Update 0.2 is LIVE

The wait is over.

Hey everyone,

it has been far too long since our last update – and we know it. But we didn't spend that time sleeping. Over the past months we have taken the Introduction chapter apart piece by piece and rebuilt it from the ground up.

Major Update 0.2 is by far the biggest update Occultus Vitae has ever received – and the first real step into Jason's story.

⭐ Highlights

• A completely new opening – wake up in the house, haunted by a dream you can't quite shake.

• Story – a phone conversation with Dr. Brinkmann, traces of Toby, and rewritten documents.

• Objectives, inventory & survival – find your flashlight, manage batteries, keys and medicine.

• Save system – three slots and typewriters that work only once.

• New scares – the forest is no longer a safe place.

• New main menu, full settings menu and our own original soundtrack.

• 5 languages – English, German, Polish, French and Spanish.

📜 Full Patch Notes

🌑 A Completely New Opening

• The old intro videos have been replaced by a new text-based one with our own original soundtrack.

• You now wake up in the house – disoriented, haunted by a dream you can't quite shake.

• New loading screens with cryptic hints… that may only make sense much later.

📱 Story & Documents

• A new phone conversation with Dr. Brinkmann sheds first light on what Jason is really doing in these woods.

• Toby has left traces behind. Follow them… and listen closely.

• All documents have been rewritten for better language, meaning and readability. New notes have been added.

• Long documents can now be scrolled.

🎯 Objectives

• A new main and optional objective system shows you what to do next – without breaking immersion.

• Press [TAB] to view all current, optional and completed objectives.

• Explore the woods and keep track of how many notes you've found

🔦 Inventory & Survival

• The flashlight must now be found first. Batteries drain over time – the light dims and starts to flicker. Press [R] to replace the battery.

• New inventory screen [TAB] with item descriptions: bmore.

• Some doors are locked and require the right key.

• New stamina system for sprinting and jumping, plus fall damage and a subtle damage effect.

💾 Save System

• Three save slots with Continue from the main menu.

• Save your progress at old typewriters scattered throughout the world – but be careful: each typewriter works only once. Choose wisely.

👻 New Scares

• Several new scare sequences have been added throughout the chapter – including one in a certain hut you might want to avoid…

• The old corridor jumpscare has been completely reworked.

🌲 Atmosphere & Visuals

• New night sky with moon, stars, drifting clouds and fog.

• Reworked forest vegetation and lighting.

• New forest ambience with wind and subtle sounds in the distance.

• Lamps now actually glow – and go dark when the lights go out.

🏚️ New Main Menu

• A completely new, atmospheric main menu – with a storm outside, a desk lamp and music playing from an old radio.

• Early Access info with direct links to our Discord and website.

• A "What's New" window shows you the latest changes – reopenb] button.

• New credits sequence at the end of the chapter.

⚙️ Settings Overhaul

• Audio: separate volume for master, music, sound effects, voices, ambience and menu.

• Video: display mode, resolution, graphics quality, frame rate limit, VSync, brightness, motion blur and FPS counter.

• Controls: mouse sensitivity, invert Y-axis, field of view and full key rebinding.

• All settings are now saved between sessions.

🌍 Languages

• Occultus Vitae is now available in English, German, Polish, French and Spanish – selectable in the settings menu.

🔢 Combination Lock (for real this time)

• The lock now has its own light while you use it, and the selected wheel is highlighted without covering the numbers.

🚀 Performance & Fixes

• Improved performance, especially inside the starting house.

• The interaction prompt on doors now moves with the door.

• Many smaller bug fixes and polish throughout the chapter.

🔮 What's Next?

The Introduction chapter is only the beginning. Jason's story continues beyond these woods – new places, new fears and the truth behind his past are already in the works. We'll keep you posted.

❤️ Thank You

This update is the result of many months of work – and of all your feedback. Thank you for your patience, for every bug report and for sticking with us.

If you run into any problems or want to share your thoughts, join us on Discord. And if you enjoy the game, a review on Steam helps us more than you might think.

See you in the dark.

– Place2Start Studio 💀