Written 28.11.2008 - Uploaded 09.05.2009 - PDF (contains entire design document)
This game synopsis, along with other parts of the design document, was written for a course project at the university. This design was ultimately turned into a prototype, implemented as a Half-Life 2 mod. I have no idea about the mods availability, but we got pretty high marks from the course (4 out of 5). Remnants of Reality is a horror game that focuses around sound.
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“They come out of nowhere, these creatures that bleed light, suddenly, twisting reality as they appear, and they feed on us. Creatures invisible to the naked eye, yet somehow I can sense them – a feeling that terrifies me but somehow, at the same time, fascinates me in ways alien to the human mind. Will I be able to stop them? No, I don't think so. You see, I'm driven by simple curiosity and this perverse desire of having to be there when it happens. So don't look so scared or surprised now, this gun in my hand will solve your problems forever. You'll never dream of them again.”
-- Vincent Harris
Imagine you are in a dark room. You can sense you're not alone but you cannot see. Fear. Lights are turned on, the sensation remains. You know they are in there with you, but even in light, you cannot see them. Panic. Remnants of Reality is built around this uncertainty. The game's main character, Vincent Harris, suddenly becomes the only person in the world able to sense otherworldly creatures – not by sight, but by a strange extra-sensory power of perception which is as disturbing as the creatures themselves. Driven on by a strange fascination, Vincent tries to unravel the secrets of these invisible predators. Where do they come from, how, and why?
Gameplay
Remnants of Reality focuses around the concept of detecting the unseen. Vincent's method for this is his noise sense; a kind of an extra-sensory perception that induces disturbing noise inside his head whenever monsters are near. Since the game will require the player to look around carefully, it's best done as a first-person adventure / shooter, where the shooting part will be kept to minimum and up to the player as much as possible. Afer all, Vincent is by no means an experienced fighter: he knows how to point a gun and pull the trigger but that's about it, so usually he's better off avoiding his enemies.
In a more specific level the game lends a lot from the survival horror genre although more focus will be put to knowing where the monsters are and figuring out the best way to avoid confronting them. The noise sense works in two ways: as an ambient proximity warning signal and a directional microphone -like pulse signal which Vincent can use to locate the monsters more accurately. Once detected, monsters can be marked by wounding them; wounds in their bodies bleed rays of light which will give away their locations. These two detection techniques are at the game's core, making it a unique horror experience.
Target audience & competition
The game is aimed at players who look for intense emotional experiences and suspense in horror games. It is yet another answer to how we may avoid typical problems in horror games and while it doesn't innovate much, it works its way around usual pitfalls by taking a new approach: the player will simply never know what he really is up against, thus preying on the powerful fear of the unknown. In this sense Remnants of Reality differs greatly even from its closest competitors; whereas avoidance is hardly a new innovation in horror games, keeping the veil of the unknown up infinitely is.
Production
The game will be produced in several stages. The first stage will be a prototype demonstrating how the game's two special aspects work, as well as some of the game's atmosphere. The prototype will be produced as a mod for Half-Life 2 using its Hammer-editor and will be done inside the production team as a proof of concept. This will be done in two months after which the concept will be demosntrated to possible publishers. If the project gets financed, it will be made into its own game in order to get an engine that better responds to requirements set by the game. The project is clearly doable on any current platform and larger challenges will remain in plotwriting, directing and level design, all very essential to make an enjoyable horror game.
Key ideas
- Invisible enemies to invoke fear of the unknown
- Noise-based ESP mechanic to make detecting enemies a unique experience
- Film Noir style detective story delving deep into the unknown
- Atmospheric, haunted environments twisted by the merging of two dimensions