Overview
A Road Untravelled follows the adventure of the photographer, Stephen Harvey, as he boards the mysterious Medusa, an elderly cruise liner, heading for Honduras. The story that follows catapults Harvey into a series of events that expose more and more of a sinister plot. Designed for this next generation of gaming, this deep narrative is married with a satisfying RPG element to create a game that leaves players always hungering for more.
Core Mechanics
Untravelled is presented from a 3rd Person Perspective, with the player taking control of Harvey as he travels and then experiences his adventures in Honduras. Armed (for a lot of the time) with only his camera, Harvey has a significantly harder time defending himself than most action heroes. Harvey is able to use a variety of equipment, depending on what the player chooses to train him in, but he will never become unstoppable. Untravelled is intended to put players in the shoes of an ordinary man in extraordinary circumstances. A nonlinear questing system serves to deliver the story of Untravelled, and players can choose to pursue the main story or choose from a number of alternative questlines. When it comes to combat, all of the fighting in the game can be avoided, depending on the choices that Harvey makes in quests. Using information, including notes and photographs, Harvey can subtly avoid combat through dialogue. Sneaking sections with heightened risk also serve as one of the several ways that players can avoid combat entirely.
Narrative
Untravelled takes cues from novels like Heart of Darkness and Mosquito Coast. Thrusting players into a dangerous environment where enemies and main characters alike go insane, the story quickly delves into chaos. Rather than only dealing with enemies, the main character also experiences sections where he is overcome with grief or despair. The narrative is also designed in a way that forces the player to make decisions that affect both the other characters and the world as a whole. With one decision, an entire group of people may be killed, or just one that the player knows well. Untravelled is a game based on the idea that every action has a consequence, something the player will learn very quickly.
Image of Far Cry 2, a First Person game heavily inspired by similar literary works.
