Immersive Sim Expansion

Immersive Shock Studies

For our second week of the ideation phase, I put my full attention on the third of our ideas: The Immersive Sim. The key challenge with this game is the vastness of its interior spaces, and the act of creating a narrative and setting that is simultaneously engaging and within scope. The setting also had to conform to a selection of other standards that allow for an intertwining of gameplay elements, narrative and location. The list of possible settings went from 25 to 2, and it was on for these two that the connecting was done.

Lost City

The first idea we had was a lost city that the player is exploring. This allowed for a variety of gameplay ideas regarding both level design and mechanic justifications. The big challenge here was coming up with a distinct architectural style that read as "ancient" but still felt vaguely advanced and mysterious.

Abandoned Hotel

Our other idea, which holds the most promise, was that of a long-abandoned hotel, "lost to the ages". Inspired by a combination of twilight zone episodes and the eerie, 1920's ghosts of The Shining. This offered particular fun chances to explore unique, foreboding architecture that felt grand and, perhaps, somewhat otherworldly. I wanted to get the feeling of a place that was once a crown jewel in its own right, now forgotten and shrouded in mystery.