FuturLab’s Velocity series of semi-PlayStation exclusive shooters is taking a leap forward with Velocity 2X, the next game in the series. What do the devs think will set it apart? Lens flares.

Like staring into a white dwarf crossed with a Twilight vampire.

In truth, the team behind Velocity 2X have a lot more in mind for their upcoming title than just lens flares. Then again, the team has put a massive amount of work into perfecting the effect for their upcoming vertical/platforming hybrid shooter, and even have a pet name for the effect, which Futurlab has taken to affectionately referring to as Jbraamz.

Actually we were so inspired by J.J. Abrams’ style of lens flares that we started talking about them all the time.

After many months of this, the inevitable abbreviations began, and what started as “J.J.Abrams style lens flares” soon became “J.J. Abrams flares” then “JAbramzFlares” and finally settled as “JBraamz”.

JBraamz is now part of our codebase:

The Velocity series has met with some success in the past. The original Velocity made a splash on PlayStation consoles when it first appeared as part of the PSN Minis line of downloadable titles, and the game’s expanded remaster/revamp Velocity Ultra saw even more positive reception with both PlayStation console and PC audiences. Audiences have responded well to the game’s unique teleportation mechanic, and what problems fans have had with the games the team at Futurlab have been working furiously to correct and improve in Velocity 2X.

At least when they’re not working on their lens flares code.

For more behind-the-scenes looks at Velocity 2X’s development, the game’s tech director Hussein Sheikh has been keeping an active blog about the game’s various tech features over on Futurlab’s official site, where he discusses everything from lighting to physics, all the way down to the animation system used in the game. If the tech side of the gaming industry interests you, the blog has a lot of interesting insights into the game’s development process, and further proves the emotional investment the team has put into the game so far.

Velocity 2X will be available on the PS4 and PS Vita on September 2, 2014. As of this time there are no plans from Futurlab to bring the title to any other platform.