In Project 4 the aim was to create a 2.5D platformer in the UDK game engine but before the actual creating I needed to make sure I had a good concept so each member of the group was asked to create a game document so that we could each show our game idea and why its unique so that one could be picked as the final idea to go forward with and start creating. The following is my completed concept document:
“High Concept Document
So the overall idea for the game would be that it is ‘metroidvania’ style, so lots of
backtracking and acquiring new items/ weapons that will allow you to visit areas previously
inaccessible to the player. Since this we have limited time for this project I believe that
rather than having the player is given tons of different items that we could change an
element of the characters main weapon or something for the most part. In a similar vein to
the Metroid prime games where you are given new ‘beams’ that technically are the same
weapon but add some variation to its effect, animation and overall the way it works.
The setting I would like is a rise to power kind of story, rather than the character starting out
as someone with immense power who then gets it taken away and must reclaim it which I
feel is a bad way to start a game, as much as that gives the player some kind of motivation
and a power they want to gain it does feel very cheap for the player and slows the gameplay
down a lot when you’re moving slower, attacking slower and doing less damage to enemies
you were previously wiping the floor with are now a huge threat to you.
High Concept Statement
Set in a distant future, after the world has been overthrown by robots and the human
population for a number of years has now be enslaved. You are a human who has been born
into this future and does not know of a more peaceful time until one day after running into
trouble and flee for your life you come across a cyborg artefact that will give the player the
strength to fight back from the robots but at the same time will possibly make him lose his
humanity in the process.
Features
– Fast paced combat system.
– Metroidvania game structure.
– Upgrade system through equipment.
– Character appearance changes throughout the game depending on players actions.
– Light stealth mechanics.
– Simple platforming based puzzles.
– Open game progression, can fight through certain areas in the order you choose.
– Platforming a big part of the combat.
Overview
So believe that the main motivation for the player in this game will be to defeat the bosses
since they will gain new cybernetic implants or equipment for defeating them making the
player also slightly relate to the main characters feelings of a lust for power in a way. Also
I hope the combat will be a reason to keep the player going as I hope for the combat to be
fast and fluid with some platforming elements involved such as dash attacks and such, the
upgrades and equipment should help keep this fresh to the player.
The genre for the game is a metroidvania action platformer that I will admit does lean more
towards the action portion but I don’t want to completely abandon traditional platformer
elements and want there to be some platforming puzzles and such.
The target market for this game will be fans of older videogames like Megaman, Strider,
Metroid and also teenagers since the indie game scene has been helping to bring
platformers back into the limelight so I believe it may have another audience and lastly for
those who are fans of hard games since it will be a fairly challenging game.
The competition will be the few other current 2D platformers like the recent Strider reboot
and Dust An Elysian Tale that are focused around combat and both of which are highly rated,
other platformers like Super Meat Boy and Cloudberry Kingdom will also be competition but
not at all as directly as the others mentioned.
Some unique selling points for the game include:
• Character appearance changes over the course of the game.
• Platforming based action.
• Open game progression.
The target hardware will be for the PC and my main design goal for this game will be to
create a fun and fluid combat system as well as trying to make the character movement
feel very responsive so that the game actually feels like good platformer that feels great to
control.”
Jack England - Portfolio 