The Last Trial

BCT15021A

9/08/2015

Platform: PS4 Exclusive

Overview: The player's character will wake up in a strange land that is stricken with grief, war, tyrants and despair. The player will have to find their way in this land and make decisions that can put them in a better position or go out of your way to help another. As the player plays through this game they will begin to notice somethings aren't quite right, their character will be plagued by illusive visions and will ultimately be able to interact in those visions and alter what is happening. It is only towards the end of the game that the player and character will come to realise that their character has died and is now in purgatory, undergoing the last trial of purification before they can be admitted into heaven.

"Purgatory, according to Catholic Church doctrine, is an intermediate state after physical death in which those destined for heaven "undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven".^[1] Only those who die in the state of grace but have not in life reached a sufficient level of holiness can be in Purgatory, and therefore no one in Purgatory will remain forever in that state or go to hell." (Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purgatory)

The player will learn that in life their character was a good and bad person and they have entered purgatory and will remain there until they can gain enough "holiness" (do some good) so that they may reach heaven. This game idea comes about with the intention of the player to undergo an emotional experience and they will be steered towards characters that they will/can come to care for in this world. Players will be placed in dire situations where they will try to protect the ones they love from harm and put into positions where they will be tempted by evil and can betray or even be betrayed by others. Unlike in the real concept of Purgatory, God is unsure of the character and is the first to be placed into this orchestrated intermediate state where the player can be sent to hell at the end of the game if they are evil and fall to corruption.

Aim: The aim of the game is to provide players with a rich narrative experience that will grip them emotionally and test their decision making skills. The multiple dialogue options will provide players with a sense of freedom to direct the narrative in the way they want to go while abiding to the confines of the greater story and game world but still having influence over the plot, characters and ending.

Mechanics/Features

. RPG: The Last Trial is a dynamic RPG with a gripping story and gruelling combat. Player's actions and decisions will influence the game world and the final outcome.

. Stunning Visuals and Open-World Environment: The world that players will explore will be atmospheric, dark and still beautiful in its own right. The setting will have a medieval type era to it combined with magic and fantasy elements as well.

. Interesting & Responsive NPC: NPC's will have a large part to play in this game as it will be very dialogue heavy. Each encounter with NPCs should feel meaningful in its own right and people will share their views with player influencing how you react to them and how they react to you.

. Dynamic Combat: Combat in this game will be brutal and players should not expect to be able to cleave through enemies right from the get go. Players will have to be tactful how they approach combat and their companions (if they have any) might not be so eager to get into scuffles if there is another way to get round obstacles. Players will have the potential of their companions being killed in combat. Such events will tie into the narrative and can in turn influence the player's motives/actions for future events and interactions.

Painting by: Frans Francken the Younger
Allegory of Man's Choice between Virtue and Vice
ca. 1635

Image Link: http://www.dorotheum.com/uploads/pics/100421FranckenII.jpg