Welcome back,

Now we have a direction for the narrative, we can use this to influence the world and marketing materials. I had two directions in mind, so let’s break them down…

Realism

With realism, comes a degree of uniformity.

Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture

Tomb Raider

This can be used to create a sense of familiarity with the player, which helps to immerse them in the world. Some drawbacks of this approach mean it’s a lot harder to get right, is less visually interesting and ages quickly as technology improves.

Stylized

A stylised approach affords more freedom and creativity as there are no rules to follow.

Journey

Little Nightmares II

It enables me to create a surreal world which is engaging and fun to be a part of. Another benefit is that stylised games are much slower to age.

Making a choice

With both options outlined, I set about making a decision. It wasn’t long before I decided against realism. The setting didn’t need to be realistic because it defies convention. I wanted the world to be vibrant and brimming. It also contrasts nicely with the underlying narrative themes.

Because I would be producing much of this on my own, it needed to be something achievable, and this ended up being the route I would take.

Did I make the right choice?, share your thoughts.