This 3D visual novel presents important choices…just not the way you think
It has become a kind of metaphor associated with the game’s interactive narrative. Perhaps for them to be good, every decision the player makes should have a fundamental effect on the story itself. and does not lead to a satisfying experience.We thought a lot about it when we designed shipwreck, I decided to try something a little more subtle if I could.
The conflict we had to resolve was as follows. On the one hand, I wanted to tell a particular story, one of resilience, redemption, and flowering, where a character who started out in the worst possible situation works her way toward a well-deserved solace. But we also wanted to create a video game that reacts to player input, answers player questions, and convinces players that they have a role to play in the story.
The first tool we used was to give the player access to the thoughts of the protagonist, Junon. Whenever something crosses her mind, her thoughts are displayed on the screen for you to read. Better: When she’s faced with a dilemma, for example, when she doesn’t know how to react to her sudden serious tone in her sister Diane’s tone, you choose her strategy on her behalf and tell her face the consequences of
These “thinking choices” are insignificant in the sense that they do not completely redefine the story. The best-case scenario is to shed light on aspects of Junon’s personality that have been kept secret until that moment. and she thinks what you want her to think, so you gradually become attached to her and become involved in her destiny.
Players also influence Junon’s conversations with NPCs in the game, as influencing Junon to think about something opens up new dialogue options to choose from.There shipwreck‘s narrative becomes non-linear. Each encounter consists of several different sequences of dialogue, but I’ve written them in a way that is flexible enough to be encountered in different orders. Once you’ve completed your NPC encounters, it’s important to get the impression that your influence on Junon is real and direct, while making sure you’ve got all the information you need to unfold the entire story. can.
Look at these flowcharts. The story structure becomes progressively more complex as Junon advances through the game’s “levels”. Yet to the player, it feels fluid and linear, as if there’s no other way to reach the game’s inevitable ending. Of course, this design choice is risky. Because some people complain that the choices they make don’t seem to have enough impact. But for the majority of players, we hope that this concern is less important compared to her strong bond with Junon and the desire to know how her story of redemption ends. .
For every thought the player plants in Junon’s mind, they are rewarded with new nuggets of information. Through your choices, you commit to your relationship with her and help her redefine her entire relationship with her mother. When you’re finally able to remember the important — and dark — parts of her story, you know her well enough to help her redefine her entire relationship with her mother. choice. The only thing that really matters.
This ultimate choice will lead you to three completely different endings. shipwreck completely. Usually when a game does that it can feel a little awkward. There are “canon” endings that feel natural and “inferior” endings that you might regret ending up with. we wanted to avoid that. So this final choice is not how the story ends, in fact the story ends just before it.
In fact, this choice, this final commitment by you, the player, is about what Junon will do with everything that happens to her. Define what kind of woman you want to be. Invent a new Junon ready to start life again as soon as you turn off your console. And it’s possible because you invested in getting to know her.shipwreck is available today on Xbox Series S|X, Xbox One S and X.
shipwreck
pixel hunt
$19.99
36-year-old Junon’s life is in pieces. Her career has stalled, she has become emotionally numb and her personal life is falling apart. Her affairs come to a head when she is called to the ER to confirm that her estranged mother is in critical condition. Today is Junon’s most important day in her life, and if nothing changes, it could be her last.Relive her past. Experience Junon’s memories and piece together the story of her past with the tragic secret at its heart. change the current Use Junon’s understanding of trauma to change how Junon navigates her day, unlock new dialogue options for her, and mend her broken relationships. embrace the future When she’s at rock bottom, she has no choice but to climb up. Help Junon find peace with herself and discover the humor, beauty and hope that lie even on the darkest days of her life.
