This document's purpose is to describe in detail how we want the game to feel like, encompassing all areas: Art, Sound, and Gameplay, aligning our creative and technical work.
The world is shaped by the remnants of a powerful past—artifacts that once held unimaginable power but are now corrupted, fractured, and scattered. The feeling of the game is one of mystery, and discovery. The world is both awe-inspiring and dangerous, filled with echoes of Artis’ vision and the terrifying consequences of his madness.
As for each run, players gradually discover new enemies, new artifacts, and new characters to join their party and grow stronger, the game will feel free and unique every session.
The gameplay should bring a sense of danger mixed with expectation, where the player anticipates the reward, but at the risk of failure, while encountering the traces of the lost past.
"Adventure into the unknown, in search of ancient powers" - The trials, as by the Lore, are ever-changing mazes, which highlights this "unknown" feeling. And the player gradually builds powers as they conquer each level.
Adventurous, mysterious but bright, and with a sense of looming danger.
The world looks as though it is healing from past scars, while the scars fight back — ancient ruins overgrown by twisted flora, creatures both majestic and terrifying, once fallen kingdoms now occupied by bright lively fauna. The art style should reflect this healing and mysterious world, giving the game a sense of timelessness and myth.
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- Late Medieval cities adapted to the use of newly rediscovered arcane powers of Artifacts.
- Castle Ruins covered by deep snow and filled with highly adapted creatures.
- Remnants of ancient technology, contrasted by vibrant but slightly mutated wildlife.
Primary colors should be Muted reds, golden browns and silver, to represent the new evolving technology in a late medieval setting. Accents contrast with hits of purples and turquoise blues to evoke the ancient arcane world magic. Sickly yellows could be characteristic of the mutated elements.
The music should reinforce the feeling of exploring a world touched by a powerful but decaying magic.
Up-tempo but subtle, creating a sense of urgency without overwhelming the player. The music should emphasize the fast pace and active battle mechanics, using rhythmic percussion and light string elements. The environment may be faint, but there could be occasional, distant roars or echoes to hint at looming dangers.
A heavier, more intense composition with dramatic, pulsing beats and haunting choirs. The theme should build as the player faces the area boss, reflecting the increase in challenge and importance. Layer in deeper drums and ominous strings to make the player feel the weight of the encounter.
Grand and epic, with a sense of finality. Using orchestral and choral elements to enhance the trial boss battle’s stakes. The music should be dynamic, responding to the boss's phases or key moments (e.g., escalating when the boss enters its final stage)
As it is a break from the combat, but the player does not know what he will encounter, music should be calm with elements of restlessness. Here the ambience will have the greater focus, with more natural sounds.
A more playful light tune, with a whimsical and mysterious feeling around the merchant.
A metallic melody with sharp elements and ethereal tones. Should evoke the feel of arcane and industrial, indicating the fusion of ancient magic and modern crafting.
Inspired on the Artiforge music, but as an unsettling, distorted version, with moments of noise or unexpected pauses to heighten the corruption.
Calm and reverent music with choral harmonies and tones, giving the player a sense of relief and rejuvenation. The music can have a slow build to emphasize the characters are embodying a powerful ancient magic.
Renaissance-inspired, incorporating strings, lutes, and harpsichords. The city’s theme should feel lively yet peaceful, with a sense of industry and magic. The track should loop seamlessly, but with enough variation that it doesn’t feel repetitive.
Attacking should feel deliberate and impactful, specially for the Super Actions. As the player gets stronger throughout the game, some effects such as camera shake and explosions could be heightened. For critical strikes, extra particles can be emitted.
Landed hits on enemies must have a visual cue, as well as missed hits.
Both enemies and allies with status effects should be visually indicated (e.g., Fire for burning enemy, ice for frozen, swirls for stunned).
The effect of getting the character attacked is supposed to be present, but not much impactful because it how often it will happen, with the exception when the character is at low HP.
There's a high energy moment when a player unlocks a new skill point for a character, due to its importance in the game progression. The same goes for equipping strong artifacts, and upgrading them at the Artiforge. The stronger the artifact, the greater the energy.