Group Project Concept

Story Genre: Dystopian Cyberpunk

The initial idea was Neon-Noir. Neon being the 80s cyberpunk dystopian world and Noir being the style of how the story is going to unfold.

The game will showcase a Cyberpunk narrative set in a dystopian future. It also features film noir elements. The noir elements will be present in the form of lighting, shots and tone to compliment the world that the game it is set in.

Cyberpunk and noir work together really well because cyberpunk narratives reflect the nuclear anxiety of the 60s-80s during the cold war. Nuclear anxiety caused social unrest during that time and this gave rise to neo noir narratives similar to how the post war and depression era gave rise to noir narratives.

Refrences include Robocop, Akira, Bladerunner, Cyber City Oedo 808, Snowpiercer

Story Theme/s: Capitalism, Greed, Corruption, Poverty, Crime, Mystery/Conspiracy, Hierarchy/Caste System, Utopia/Dystopia equilibrium

The themes that the story would be about will reflect in how the world looks rather than explicitly telling the state of the world through NPC interaction. They could exist as micro narrative elements that could tell something about the bigger world without explicitly showing/narrating the things that are going on. These could be clues in the form of posters, ads, or tv-screens.

The film Robocop (1987) did this really well through the satirical news and advertisements that provide exposition for the world that they live in. Often the news hint at the nuclear anxiety that the world is experiencing. The film itself just shows one aspect of the world which is a city in a state of unrest and plagued with crime to which the only solution was....Robocop!

Game Genre: Puzzle, Action

The game features a fictional alternative power source called "Neon" which is central to both the story and the mechanics of the game.

Why is Neon important?

After the war, people suffered the effects of nuclear fallout. But thanks to the advancement in technology, dysfunctional body parts can now be replaced by artificial ones. These artificial body parts have become a common commodity given the state of the world. But the only power source that can power these parts is Neon. Neon not only powers these parts but also reduces the rate of degeneration caused by radiation poisoning.

Neon was at first a radical solution. But the corrupt capitalists and government exploited this power source to keep themselves rich. But through the years, the effect of the fallout declined steadily. The corrupt government needed an alternative so that they could stay on top and keep on controlling the hierarchy of the society.

The level would take place in a shady storage where an alleged stolen crate of neon is being kept which turns out to be a black market den. This would be the level wherein the protagonist first encounters Noir. The protagonist will have to use Noir in order to progress and continue his investigation because some areas can only be accessed by using Noir. Neon and Noir will be used interchangeably to access different sections of this black market den.

Traps may exist in the form of traps set by the leader of the gang as he appears on the screen showing his control over the place. Or they could be environment traps animated as gang members hiding behind walls that the main character has to deactivate. Basically environment traps that are set to look like a shootout.

Setting: 80s vision of the future, New Lodz

New Lodz is a city divided into the upper and lower class. The game level will mostly feature the lower class portion of the city. It is a polluted and cramped space full of man made structures. Features of the well structured upper class areas can be seen throughout these areas to hint of what people hope to accomplish but it is but a hopeless dream in this tired world of theirs.

Aesthetic: Stylized

Music: 80s Synth

References include Kavinsky, Daft Punk, Noir Deco

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