For my game, I am looking to create a dystopian city where you will be playing an assassin called Dexa. Dexa lost both of her parents and was forced into the streets to fend for herself. On the brink of hunger, she was offered a dark, misty elixir from an old merchant which molded her body into a shadow. After honing the ability to transform her right hand into a blade of darkness, she now rules over the dark alleyways, hunting those who prey on the weak.
The player will be exploring multiple alleyways as they swiftly eliminate enemies from the shadows. Beware though! The streets may be dimly light but watch out for the rays of light that shine down from illuminated signs and streetlights. They soak up your dark power, but not to worry! In the depths of the shadows lay blobs of fear that empower Dexa to enhance her killing potential. Eliminate all the enemies on the street. Explore each nook and cranny of the streets, and you might just discover a secret about her past life.
I want the game to be set in a futuristic city with lots of colorful neon signs glowing against dark, concrete expansive walls. The scene for this game will take place near the ‘home’ of Dexa; an alleyway enclosed by various entertainment spots such as casinos, stores, and arcades. I want it to feel as though it is a mix between times square and Tokyo. The enemies will be yakuza-esque thugs looking to prey on the weak (depending on if I have time to model both Dexa and them.)
The intended audience for the game will shift more towards teens and young adults who are looking to enjoy the cinematic experience of nighttime in the city backstreets. The game will revolve around the player moving around the shadows while executing NPCs. It will also include having to enter the light to pass some places and enter back into the darkness to ‘heal’. They will also be rewarded for collecting dark essence in hidden away corners that will boost the damage they do.
Mood board:
This type of modern, neon, alleyway setting is my all time favourite type of setting, so I love seeing you use it. I think it could be super fun to design and have a really cool outcome! My question is, with so much neon and bright colours, how much darkness will there be to hide in?
I am still tinkering around with how much light I want in the world, but I am thinking that the neon lights would have a humble glow to them while the windows and streetlights would be the main sources of light onto the alleyway. Maybe the neon lights would provide more visual stimulation than gameplay effects.
The neon Tokyo aesthetic is super cool and I think your concept fits well within that idea. I was wondering what your specific art style for this will be if it’s low-poly, realistic, or what game would best fit what you are trying to emulate.
It will probably be realistic, which means that I will have to focus a lot on buildings and the environment. It is also the reason why I made Dexa a shadow entity, because I have WAY less experience drawing figure and more with buildings.
I’m a sucker for cyberpunk-neon, so this concept is going to be awesome to see fully lit up.my one question is where is this set? Cyberpunk with Japanese themes is kind of a trope, so are you looking to have it set elsewhere, or if it is with Japanese influence, how will you set it apart from other art within this genre?
I am still brainstorming where to place the world, but I definitely want to place it in a world where the words and stuff look ‘cool’ for neon boards. I want to move from the tropes like Japan and the US since as you said it would not feel unique. I might even make my own world with its own text.
I really like this concept and I can see this game being great in an alleyway setting. Have you thought about if there would be NPCs that had the same ability as Dexa? I think it would be a cool concept that a new power provided new weaknesses.
I have thought of that but I also think it may be too much for my scope since I don’t want to overpopulate the world. I also think the more random variables I add with NPCs, the more unnecessary bugs I might run into in Unity.
I really appreciate the contrast between the neon city and dark shadows that lurk in the city itself- such a cool take on environmental storytelling. Since you’re focusing more on a cinematic feel, do you think you’re going to include any ambient soundscapes or music to play in the background? Or if you have any inspiration for music aesthetic?
I would love to have audio in the game, so I am hoping maybe I can grab an audio partner to help me with that. If not, I can always try add some ambient music that is non-copyright.
Very much vibing with the neon cyberpunk style for the game and would love to see the scene fully assembled. Given that this game involved killing enemies, how gory are you planning to make it? Would there be blood involved and such.
It will probably not be gory since I have like absolutely no idea how blood animations work and stuff. I will probably not touch on it much since I will be focusing on what each building will display and such.
I love the gameplay idea! It seems really cool and creative. Not to mention fun to play. I’m wondering, will the game take place in the 3rd person where the player is able to see Dexas shadowy form, or will it bee in the first person?