Aegis: The Wounded Armour

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Game gist

With genres such as Action, Adventure, Puzzle, RPG and Psychology, from an eagle eye view, this game could be broken down into a simple game of Maze, where the protagonist is trying to find a route across the maze while solving various puzzles on his way. 

The upscale is that the maze represents his own mind and consciousness that has entrapped him while the puzzles represent him solving the tangled thoughts and feelings inside him, the enemies or the inner demons are personifications of the challenge an introspection poses.

Backstory

The year is 800 CE, most parts of the Northern Isles are war ridden and raided. A place so beautiful and yet so barren, where a moment of peace is a distant bliss, where the Wrath of God is the only explanation for every disaster, mishap and disease. The story takes place nearing the end of a long war, but its after effects are yet everywhere, as if an external war ended but the internal one is still raging. Like many others, our protagonist, a war hero, is back home with his own internal war.

The inner war finds its way out when the antagonist makes an appearance and abducts the protagonist’s wife, scatters the pieces of her soul across the land and declares a war on him. She exclaims that in order to get his wife back he needs to clear the trials set by her. 

Game Aesthetics

The game takes the players to an old Viking setting which is inspired by the Vikings era, it is set in an environment similar to Northern Isles of Shetland and Orkney.  The game closely follows the Viking theme which is also reflected in the sound choice for theme, enemies etc.

Gameplay

Objectives

Solve Puzzles presented in every level and collect the key element unique to that level to progress further in game and story. Apart from the puzzles, the players need to clear the combat scenarios as well, defeating a set of enemies present in the level to proceed further.

Game Progression

The game is divided into 6 levels including the Prologue and Epilogue that takes the player from one point in the story to the next revealing different aspects related to the protagonist and granting new abilities at the same time.

Play Flow

The game has a default difficulty setting that eases in the newcomers and at the same time poses a progressive challenge for the experienced players as the game transitions into further levels

Mission / Challenge Structure

• The missions or the challenges in the game are structured to transition the player from one point in the story to another where completion of each mission paves a way for the next challenge or mission.
• Each mission or the challenge consists of a set of enemies to be defeated, a puzzle to be solved and a key element to be acquired to mark the clearing of the same.

Puzzle Structure

• The puzzles present in the game have riddle based solutions.
• The answer to every riddle reveals a way to solve the puzzle.
• The riddles start taking more intrinsic form once the abilities are unlocked. They point towards the ability that needs to be used to solve the specific puzzle.

Game Mechanics

The game has a variety of mechanics that can be categorised in the following manner:

RPG

• Movement (Sprint, Dodge)
• Is progressive and linear, does not count points

Combat

• Melee Combat
• Supernatural Abilities (Super Strength, Pyrokinesis)
• Health/Damage System: This system determines the health and damage. Has a set amount of health points, and each time they take damage, their health decreases. When health reaches zero, it’s a game over.
• Weapons and Attacks: Use weapons and attacks to deal damage to their opponents. These range from swords to special abilities.
• Combo System: Has a combo system, where players can chain together multiple attacks to create a more powerful and effective attack.
• AI Behaviour: The AI behaviour of enemies and allies can greatly impact the gameplay of combat. The AI can be programmed to act in different ways, such as attacking in groups, using flanking manoeuvres, or prioritising the player character.

Puzzle

• Riddle based puzzles
• Solutions of the riddle points to a key element.
• Puzzles associated with the abilities
• To be solved with the abilities gained.

Characters

Aegis

The Protagonist, Aegis is a fierce Viking warrior who suffers from a rare and unique disorder called IHD or Impulsive Hallucination Disorder. This makes him act on a wide variety of impulses that he refers to as his inner ghosts. These impulses materialise into physical characteristics that look like superpowers.

Appearance

• A rugged brute with a well built and battle hardened body.
• Hair tied in a warrior braids style and long moustaches that complements his Viking personality.
• Has war tattoos that depict his glorious victories.
• Wields a Skeggøx, a traditional Viking axe.

Abilities

• Initially possesses no unique abilities.
• Has exceptional combat skills
• As the story progresses, he gains various abilities which are materialisation of his disorders.
  • Super Strength
  • Pyrokinesis
  • Clone
  • Wave of Despair

Calista

Aegis’s wife and a firm believer of ‘GOD’, she is truly the most beautiful thing that ever happened to him. She shares an unbreakable bond with Aegis and Aegis would do anything to preserve it. 

Appearance

• Long hair tied into a knot on the back of the head.
• Wearing a strap dress she kept a small hunting knife close that suggests her being capable of flight and fight.
• Fair skinned like a maiden yet rugged on the edges that suggest a personality that doesn’t step back from a conflict.

Apate

The goddess of deceit and a powerful deity that has the power to control illusions and commands a fierce force of dark beings called Ra’ak. She dresses in a full plate armour that looks ancient and divine yet oozes a corrupt aura. 

Appearance

• Dressed in auspicious and traditional warrior clothing that oozes dread.
• Tempered armour pieces and helm that boasts the strength of a goddess. 
• Surrounded by an aura of deceit, she appears as the dominant queen.

Abilities

• Possesses powers to control illusions that are intense enough to fool the minds of everyone.
• Has unwavering command on her minions, the Ra’ak.
• Has the divinity of a goddess.

Ra’ak

Once humans who lost their ability to think against Apate, now serve her eternally. The henchmen of Apate know nothing but to follow the command of their mistress.

Appearance

• Skinless floating dreads.
• Deformed human figure that has no hair or any other distinctive feature.
• Burned and scratched visible inner skin.

Abilities

• Powerful melee attacks
• Have floating ability.

Levels

The game is divided into 6 levels including the Prologue and Epilogue. Each level conveys a certain psychological and philosophical barrier that the protagonist goes through and is aimed at closely portraying the same realistic scenario that one may go through while fighting against a dire condition.

The levels are as followed:

• Taka – The Beginning 
• Megin – The Trial of Strength
• Logi – The Trial of Fire
• Doppelganger – The Trial of Self
• Dwale – The Trial of Despair
• Endri – The End

Objects/ Collectibles

The collectibles in the game include pieces of his or his wife’s old belongings that invoke philosophical meaning and motive of the level.

• Kitten – given to new brides
• Jar of dye – colour any difficulty in any colour that you want.
• Skeggøx – Symbol of battle and work, and be capable of both
• Jade Necklace – the gentleness and harmony in life, even in dark times.

Controls

Vision and Conclusion

This game is a journey, a journey towards regaining oneself, a story of human resilience, one of the ways people handle a loss, last but not least, the very realness of the ICDs and a portrayal of how people suffering, see the world around them. 
This is the story of a man called Aegis!… Name of the Game… Aegis: The Wounded Armour.