So, first the good news: The base implementation of one of the new sections of the game is in place. Lighting/shadows/water, in other words. I probably won't reveal the finished product, but you can check out the screenshots on ModDB or right here:
Now, the not-great-but-not-bad-either news is that I've had to backtrack a bit in terms of level creation. The pacing felt really off in the beginning of the game during testing, so I'm re-writing the first sequence and creating a new area. It's going to be a much better introduction to the game I think, and paced immensely better than it was before, so while it does hurt the production schedule, it's definitely worth it!
After all, it's an indie game, I can take as long as I want to make it the best I possibly can, right?
Thanks everyone, remember to follow the game for regular updates on progress! I'm not going anywhere anytime soon :P