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

Thaumaturgy

BCT15021A 27/07/2015

Platform: PS4 Exclusive

Overview: Thaumaturgy is a dark, third person, open world RPG. The game begins with the player's character, a seemingly mundane person, just having moved into the city and is now moving into an old home that has been unoccupied for decades. As the player's character begins shifting boxes into the attic of the house, they will notice a loose and peculiar looking floorboard with an odd symbol carved into it, which would otherwise be unnoticeable if it hadn't originally drawn the characters interest by making such a large creaking noise when the player walked over it. Upon further investigation players will find an odd dusty old tome that is rather thick, the character will open the book and this is where magic begins!

From this point, players will pick from an array of classes and assign stats to their characters build, depending on the players choice of class will define what the contents of the Tome contains. This is essentially the point in the game where players will begin their journey into a world of different magic's and their characters life as an ordinary person will be a thing of the past. In this narrative rich game players will have to keep their new found power and knowledge a secret from the outside world as they begin to train themselves in the art of magic and attempt to live a double life.

The character will exist in a game world that bounces between our world and other various planes of existence that will broaden their knowledge, test their ability to make decisions and question their morality.

Aim: The goal of this game is to complete various quests and progress through the dark and twisting narrative while becoming more powerful in your magical capabilities.

Mechanics/Features

. Third Person RPG: Players will pick their gender and design their character at the start of the game.

. Open-World: This is an open world game where players will have a vast world to explore with many quests to undertake, secrets of society to uncover and interesting NPC's to interact with.

. Character customization: Players will be able to customise the look of their character at the start of the game and during it. They will be able to equip various weapons, armours and spells to suit their characters build.

. Moral Alignment: The decisions and actions of players will affect their moral alignment. This influences how NPC's will react to the player.

. Multi-choice dialogue options: Players will interact with NPC's through a multi-choice dialogue mechanic. Things players say to NPC's can be beneficial or detrimental to them. Choices made can affect their player's moral alignment.

. Crafting/Alchemy System: Players can use the junk they find in the game world and craft it into useful items such as staffs, armours, healing salves, potions etc. that can help them survive in this world of magic.

. Level up: Just like in Fallout, players will be able to gain experience from completing quests, learning new things and killing enemies etc. Once players gain enough EXP, they will be able to level up and improve their stats.

. Skill Tree: Players skills will also be a mechanic that will have its own progress like the levelling system. Upon improving skills such as spells, brewing potions etc. the player will be able to unlock new skills in the skill tree some which improve pre-existing skills and others that will give the player new abilities.

Summoning, Rituals & Possession: In Thaumaturgy players will be able to gather ingredients to perform rituals to some creatures or entities from various planes of existence. For example, if a player is skilled in demonology they will be able to summon demons and form pacts with them. Doing so presents risks as poorly made summoning circles will free the demon and unbound an demon in the normal world will wreak havoc and draw attention to the player and the supernatural world which will have massive consequences to players as agents from various organizations will be sent to eliminate potential risks and rival mages will want to steal your knowledge. Some creatures, depending on their nature will attempt to influence the player as they essentially work as companions. Demons will obviously try to tempt the player with enticing offers of power and knowledge, in some cases even attempting to possess players. Possession will be one of the biggest risks of summoning, performing rituals and pacts. Only entities that have a somewhat evil nature will attempt possession, if successful they will change the player's moral alignment and limit or even prevent players from making some decisions. In event of such circumstances players will be able to exorcise whatever entity is possessing them by performing rituals but will need to prepare for a hard fight as the longer the entity remains inside the player, the more control it will have over their actions and decisions. Players will also be able to wilfully subject themselves to possession as doing so will give them otherwise unobtainable abilities.

. Blending into Society: In order to survive in this game, players will need to keep their magical abilities a secret from society, as performing actions that aren't deemed ordinary will cause dire consequences such as media attention and the wrath of secret societies and organizations that wish to keep the magical realm a secret from society. Players will also have to protect their home or base of operations from rival mages as they will attempt to kill you for your knowledge and eliminate competition. Players can place wards, and cast spells that will allow them to perform magical actions which would otherwise attract attention to the player as other mages can sense where magic is being used.

. Gaining new spells: Players will need to find new spells/pages for their Tome in order to gain new abilities. Theirs multiple ways for players to do this, hunt rival mages and steal their knowledge, become an apprentice to a mage or an entity that you have summoned and have formed a pact with or allow yourself to be possessed imbuing you with different skills that might otherwise be unobtainable.

Image Link:

http://www.desktopwallpapers4.me/fantasy/mage-warrior-26550/

Into the Void: The Devil's Triangle

BCT15021A26/07/2015

Platform: PS4 Exclusive

Overview: This game idea has drawn inspiration from Fallout 3 gameplay and was inspired by the mysteries surrounding the Bermuda Triangle. To those who don't know, The Bermuda Triangle is a stretch of ocean located off the South-Eastern coast of the United States and in the Atlantic Ocean. The three corners of the triangle are: Miami (in Florida); San Juan (in Puerto Rico); and Bermuda (a north-Atlantic island).

More info can be found here: http://www.bermuda-attractions.com/bermuda2_00004e.htm

The game begins with the player's character on a leisurely cruise on their Yacht and it's a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Suddenly a thick fog seems to rise out from the ocean, eventually engulfing their ship and causing the temperature to drop. The calm see will become violent and players will find themselves trying their hardest to stop the ship from being destroyed by this freak storm. Ultimately once the storm has passed, players will find themselves surrounded by an array of ruined vessel's and aircraft that show they are from different times of history. The player's ship will have taken a beating from the storm and they will be forced to dock their vessel in this graveyard of ships and aircrafts. The sky which was once blue and cloudless is now foggy and dark and players will begin to notice the architecture of some crashed vessels will be alien to them, indicating that they were not made by humans, suggesting that player is no longer on earth.

Aim: The goal of this game is to survive in this strange open-world and uncover the mysteries surrounding this place and try to discover if there is a way to get back home.

Mechanics/Features

. Third Person RPG: Players will pick their gender and design their characters at the start of the game before the storm that lands you in the graveyard of ships.

. Open-World: This is an open world game much like Fallout 3, players with have a vast world to explore with many quests to undertake, secrets to uncover and interesting NPC's to interact with.

. Character customization: Players will be able to customise the look of their character at the start of the game and during it. They will be able to equip various weapons and armour to suit their characters build.

. Moral Alignment: The decisions and actions of players will affect their moral alignment. This influences how NPC's will react to the player.

. Multi-choice dialogue options: Players will interact with NPC's through a multi-choice dialogue mechanic. Things players say to NPC's can be beneficial or detrimental to them. Choices made can affect their player's moral alignment.

. Crafting System: Players can use the junk they find in the game world and craft it into useful items such as weapons, armours, healing salves, cooking contraptions etc. that can help them survive in this strange and dark land.

. Upgrade System: Players can improve their weapons, armour and machinery at work benches they find throughout the game world.

. Level up/Perk System: Just like in Fallout, players will be able to gain experience from completing quests, learning new things and killing enemies etc. Once players gain enough EXP, they will be able to level up and improve their stats and also pick new perks that will suit their playstyle.

. Skills: Players skills will also be a mechanic that will have its own progress like the levelling system. The difference is skills can only be improved by using actions that require that skill. For example, players will need to find food and drink in the game world in order to survive. By cooking their food, players will be able to eat food that's better for their characters health and mental health. Cooking is a skill that can be improved allowing for better meals to be made, new recipes to be learned and less ingredients required to make meals, all of which are things that will give players the edge to survive in this harsh land.

. THE GAME IS NOT AFRAID TO LET YOU SUCK! : That's right, players who have low skill in certain areas will suck at performing actions that require the skills it uses. If the player is not good with handguns, then don't expect to be the next best gunslinger in town as they will likely miss their targets and be slow at reloading their weapon. This applies to all attributes, low charisma will make players terrible at social interactions and will have limited dialogue options in such circumstances. On the other hand being extremely skilled in certain areas will allow players to do what others may believe impossible. Being extremely skilled with pistols can give players the perk of Gunslinger, making you shoot faster than the average-joe and also increase the accuracy of your shots to vital areas on your enemies.

. Horror & Survival Elements: This strange and alien land that's shrouded in mystery is very dark and players will feel a sense of foreboding as they traverse the twisted landscape. Players need not travel alone though, and will be able to various brave NPC's willing to venture into the unknown for their own reasons. Unlike in Fallout games, players will need to eat, sleep and drink, neglecting these things will have serious consequences for players depending on how long they go without these things. On the plus side, maintaining a healthy cycle of these things will provide various boons for their character such as gaining bonus EXP, having a higher chance of being successful at persuading NPC's, etc. Being tired on the other hand will decrease accuracy of weapons, less effective in conversations/ NPC interactions and generally just make your character less efficient.

. Uncover the Mysteries: Find out what happened to missing ships and crews as you explore the world and come across real life vessel that disappeared and that have puzzled the world since they occurred. Some examples of mysteries you can encounter are Flight 441, a Super Constellation Naval Airliner that disappeared in October 1954. Also discover the fates of USS Cyclops, a carrier ship that disappeared and has been one of the greatest mysteries of the sea.

The USS Scorpion (SSN-589) which was a Nuclear powered submarine of United States Navy that disappeared in Bermuda Triangle area in May 1968.

Project: Horizon

BCT15021A25/07/2015

Overview: This game idea has drawn inspiration from Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth, Crusader Kings II, Total War and Sins of a Solar Empire. Project: Horizon works as a slow-paced RPG strategy game that will have players take on the role of a ruler on an alien world, who has just begun their journey on founding an empire that will last through the ages. The factions in this game have fled their home worlds in a state of panic for various reasons and consequently have lost their prior knowledge of technology and have only their sense of culture remaining intact. Players will have various races to choose from and play as one of their direct descendants (their Sons or daughters) upon their current characters death. Players will experience many trials and tribulations as they battle to ensure that their civilization and dynasty prosper on this alien planet they hope to call home.

Aim: The goal of this game is to build a civilization and dynasty that can withstand the test of time. The player will attempt to ensure that their empire is the dominant force on the planet. The player will also have to maintain their dominance over other races and their civilization once it has been established for a certain amount of time in order to win the game. When all of the characters direct descendants are killed or are a dead (the sons or daughters) it will be game over. Even if your empire is destroyed as long as one of your children lives you will be able to continue playing as them. This can be achieved through careful diplomatic marriages that will allow you to play as one of your sons or daughters that lives in another empire. In such occurrences you can have your character scheme to re-establish your original empire or you can just try to make the empire you married into stronger. Essentially, dynasty is everything.

Mechanics/Features

. Strategic Turn-Based RPG: Players will pick their Faction/Race at the start of the game, they will have a lot of choice on how they want to play the game, whether it be through clever diplomacy or conquering through war, it will be up to the player to decide.

. Technology Progression: Technological progression will enable players to improve the technology of their empire. Players will invest time and resources researching new technology in order to build and upgrade their empire. The technology web will have various paths to choose from that will cater to the players play style.

. Player Designed City: Players will be able to choose the placement of buildings, roads, walls and various other objects as they build and expand their empire. This allows players to create their own unique looking cities. Architecture will also be unique to every race/faction.

. Adaptable Environments & Cities: The game world's environment will change depending on what's being done to it. War-torn land will be scarred, cities under siege or going through riots/mutiny will show signs of unrest. Empires or large settlements that get destroyed or are abandoned will turn into ruins overtime, which will add to the world's aesthetic appeal as well as provide the player with the choice to send scouts/troops to explore ruins and uncover artefacts, treasure or something much more sinister.

. Different World Types and Terrains: Players will be able build their empire in different Terrain types depending on their races capabilities and technology. For example some races will be aquatic and will exist under sea, some races can survive the harsh cold or the scorching deserts. Players will be able to choose the world size before starting a game and also create worlds so they can play in worlds with Terrain types of their choosing.

. Character customization: Players will be able to customise the look of their character at the start of the game and during it. They will be able to pick their characters race, giving various bonuses depending on that races strengths and weaknesses.

. Character Traits: In Project: Horizon player characters and NPC's all have various traits. Traits determine what characters are good at and how they are likely to behave. Some traits can be debilitating to your character and some can be extremely beneficial. Through carefully planned marriages players can have some semblance of control over how their children or heirs will turn out as traits are based upon a bit of chance and how they are educated or interacted with.

. Marriages: Apart of the players job as a ruler will be arranging suitable marriages for the heirs much like in crusader kings II. Marriages can be used to solidify alliances with other empires and increase your social standing within your empire and the world. Your characters worth and your heir's worth as suitable partners is dependent on how powerful your empire is and how good your relationship is with that empire.

. Culture: Every race/faction has their own culture or religion that they build the foundations of their perspective on. In essence, culture is the faction's way of life.For example, some factions or races are war orientated and their culture revels in battle so that means civilians are likely to be ok with warring with other empires whereas some races are more diplomatic and won't look too fondly on open conflict. Cultures can be changed due to another race or empires influence. If players are open-minded when interacting with other factions of different cultures, then there is potential for them to convert to another's culture or vice versa. Changing culture is a massive change in society, and civilians won't take kindly to such occurrences. Propaganda and other tools of subterfuge can be employed to alter the mind-sets of civilians. Sharing the same culture as other races helps with diplomacy as having the same perspectives on life is a way of better understanding one another. Other empires/factions will be more open to trade and forge alliances if the same culture is shared.

. Moral Alignment: The decisions and actions of players will affect their moral alignment. This influences how people will react to the player and can alter their citizen's perspective of the player and other races. This can be good and bad in the sense that if the player's actions as a ruler anger the people, then mutiny can occur, inciting civil war to occur. If the players moral alignment coincides with the general populace, then more decisions are likely to be available that will have low chance of angering the people. Moral alignment generally coincides with culture.

. Multi-choice dialogue options: Players will interact with NPC's (Such as other rulers and Nobility) through a multi-choice dialogue mechanic. Things players say to NPC's can be beneficial or detrimental to them. Choices made can affect their player's moral alignment.

. Combat Mechanics: In Project: Horizon, combat or battles will play as they do in Total war games. Players will assemble their army on the battlefield and can use formations depending on the circumstance to give them an advantage.

Platforms: PS4/PC