Aeon's Echo Concept Devlog

KIT109 Assignment 2 - Game Concept Devlog

• Working Title

My current title is “Aeon’s Echo”, a purposefully vague title largely inspired by cosmic horror.

• Concept Statement

In Aeon’s Echo, players face strange creatures and unearthly entities in a realm shaped by the echoes of bygone eras. Engage in weighty combat, wielding weapons, tools, and abilities to contend with formidable opposition. Upon your path, even failure reveals something inexplicable, a force that clings to the protagonist, a lifeline from the unknown. As the boundary between the tangible and elusive blurs, embrace the unsettling journey that lies ahead.

• Genre

It will likely be a 2D top-down action game, as it will feature a top-down perspective and an emphasis on combat.

• Concept Creation Process

In this section, I will summarize how I designed the concept for Aeon’s Echo, discussing how my creative influences and methodology have guided development of the gameplay and narrative I intend to portray.

While deciding the direction for my game’s development, I was drawn to the prospect of adapting key aspects from the Soulsborne (FromSoftware, 2009-2022) games, which is a genre with which I’m deeply familiar. The elements I intend to adapt aren't necessarily the legendary challenges or the intricate worldbuilding, but the impactful sense of weight and physicality present in every aspect of gameplay, which in my eyes is an essential part of what makes a good Souls-like.

I was largely undecided on how I would present the game (mostly the character art and animation), so I went through some 2D top-down and isometric games I own to find useful references. This included Baldur’s Gate 2 (Bioware, 2000), Diablo 2 (Blizzard, 2000), Hotline Miami (Dennaton, 2012), and Enter the Gungeon (Dodge Roll, 2016). With more time I would likely go full isometric, but because I need a large range of rotation I believe an animation setup similar to Hotline Miami will allow me to easily create readable visuals in the time available.

Regarding narrative, I decided to go with cosmic horror inspired by Bloodborne (FromSoftware, 2015) and Lovecraftian (H.P. Lovecraft) fiction. This is in part because I’m a fan of the style, but mostly it allows me to easily justify mechanics and scenarios which don’t make logical sense. Importantly, this allows me to develop the game with a basic premise, then scale the narrative if I have time later.

I won’t decide on a final soundtrack until the gameplay starts to come together. Regardless, I’ll likely reference the soundtracks of Half-Life (Valve, 1998), Noita (Nolla, 2020), Hades (Supergiant, 2020), Rimworld (Ludeon, 2018), Metro 2033 (4A, 2010), and Soulsborne soundtracks. These have a pattern of generally dark, atmospheric moods, with some grander tracks for the right occasions.

• Audience and Competitive Analysis

The ideal audience for Aeon’s Echo are people who are looking for a more deliberate, and consequently dynamic interpretation of the Soulsborne formula in a 2D environment. Also, to a lesser degree, it appeals to fans of cosmic horror, similar to Bloodborne and Lovecraftian fiction.

While Aeon’s Echo will retain accessibility through its familiar style and gameplay for the genre, the game's mechanics will undergo minor adjustments to align with my goal for weighty and physical gameplay. This approach may include mechanics like poise and committing to actions, which contributes to a more hardcore experience, depending how development and testing proceed. 

The target age ranges are young adults and older, and potentially teenagers depending on the final product. There will likely be a skew towards a male audience due to the genre, but nevertheless Aeon’s Echo should appeal to players of all genders.

In the world of top-down 2D games that draw inspiration from the Soulsborne formula, Titan Souls stands as a notable example. Titan Souls challenged players with its minimalistic combat approach, emphasizing precise timing and strategic movement. Aeon’s Echo sets itself apart through an emphasis on more personal and deliberate gameplay. This is to provide an alternative translation of Soulsborne elements, as other “souls-likes” often include simpler base mechanics, easy trash mobs, gimmick based bosses, and faster gameplay indicative of other 2D games (all to varying degrees depending on their goals). Provided the full development of Aeon’s Echo, its appeal may be unique compared to similar titles.

• Game Treatment

The rest of this document will provide an in-depth view into the design goals of Aeon’s Echo, as they are at this early stage. In this section I will offer insights into the it’s gameplay, narrative, art style, UI, and sound. This should create a deeper understanding of what I aim to create as part of this assignment.

My primary focus during development will be on creating and refining the combat. The game will feature basic 360 movement (8-way with WASD) and sight (mouse or stick), plus attacks. Beyond that I’ll test mechanics such as different attacks, rolling, poise, dual wielding, abilities, items, ect. as I continue, but I don’t want to promise specific actions that might not translate well in practice. As an indication that the combat is designed as intended, I should be able to create an enemy designed with functionality similar to the player, and the result should be a somewhat engaging fight. This is an idea to reference regarding the player design, and its relation to the whole experience.

All enemies in Aeon’s Echo will have similar basic functionality as the player, such as movement (when applicable) and attacks/abilities. However, the majority of the time the opposition should provide unique challenges due to their capabilities and behavior. A comparison could be a stumbling peasant rushing at the player, as opposed to an experienced knight that attempts to punish the player's mistakes. Additionally, the cosmic horror theme allows me to make more unique challenges if need be. Given the central role of these encounters, likely a significant portion of development time will be dedicated to refining them.

As stated earlier, the cosmic horror theme was largely to give freedom in how far I wish to explore narrative elements. At the very least, there will be context given to the protagonist’s situation and goals. The possibility for additional story relies on the time available and/or the need for it in the game. Also, I may add NPCs to host progression systems (if applicable), or other purposes if time allows.

Regarding the environments of Aeon’s Echo, visually they’ll be dark and decrepit, maybe with strange alterations (e.g. Half-Life’s alien flora) befitting the cosmic horror theme. I intend to place the camera somewhat close to make engagement more personal, which also allows me to create more immersive and claustrophobic spaces, zooming out as needed to convey grandeur. Any objects in the scenes will likely be purely visual, unless I find obstacles genuinely benefit gameplay.

The visuals will be mostly, if not solely pixel art, which I’ll create in Aseprite (Igara, 2014). For the gameplay to work well, it needs relevant actions and objects to be readable, making the art and animation crucial. As previously mentioned, I’m using Hotline Miami as a core reference for character animation and proportions. 

I intend to design a minimalistic user interface, as bloated UI can create a disconnect from the physical space behind it. The in-game UI will consist of basic resources (health, stamina, ect.) and any additional elements for items or equipment that I find necessary to gameplay. A menu will be available for relevant management and basic game functions such as quitting and settings. I intend to experiment with types of indicators and markers to use in the physical space, as the with the 2D presentation it may be worth giving players extra indication for the sake of readability, though I don’t want to detract from the physical presence of characters.

It’s crucial that gameplay, particularly combat, is accompanied with appropriate sound effects, as audio along with visual cues ensure gameplay feels fair and fluid. I’ll likely find some free effects, but I am able to record good audio if I require something specific. Additionally, I intend to produce a small soundtrack, inspired by the soundtracks I mentioned earlier, which I’ll develop stylistically as the gameplay comes together. This should be a fun addition, while taking little effort on my part.

In closing, Aeon’s Echo aims to deliver a compelling gaming experience by meticulously focusing on personal combat, diverse encounters, and an intuitive user experience. This project seeks to meld a pixel art aesthetic with a curated soundtrack to immerse players in a dark and mysterious world. With an emphasis on these core elements, Aeon’s Echo endeavors to offer an engaging journey into the realm of cosmic horror.

• References

FromSoftware. (2009-2022). Soulsborne [Video game series]. Bandai Namco.

BioWare. (2000). Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn [Video game]. Black Isle Studios.

Dennaton Games. (2012). Hotline Miami [Video game]. Devolver Digital.

Dodge Roll. (2016). Enter the Gungeon [Video game]. Devolver Digital.

Valve. (1998). Half-Life [Video game]. Sierra Studios.

Nolla Games. (2020). Noita [Video game].

Supergiant Games. (2020). Hades [Video game].

Ludeon. (2018). Rimworld [Video game].

4A Games. (2010). Metro 2033 [Video game]. THQ.