Era Shift

1. Introduction

Project Title: Era Shift : Echoes of History

Project Overview:

1. Concept: "Era Shift : Echoes of History" is an interactive narrative-driven video game that combines elements of time travel, change of historical events, and ethical decision-making. Set in a pre-apocalyptic past (1930s), players assume the role of Nami, a brilliant heroine determined to alter a pivotal moment in history of saving her country from Atomic bomb attack.

2. Genre:

Genre: Action-Adventure, Time Travel, Narrative-driven

Platform: PC

3. Target Audience:

Primary Target: Mature gamers (ages 16-45) interested in thought-provoking narratives, historical settings, and immersive gameplay.

Secondary Target: Fans of interactive storytelling, ethical dilemmas.

1.3 Game Setting

Pre-apocalyptic past (1930s):

The game begins in a rebuilding phase of the past where the world is reeling from the aftermath of World War I. The environment is characterized by a mix of creation of mass destruction weapons and nature reclaiming spaces.

The atmosphere is sober, with a sense of claiming peace. Factions vie for power and resources, and society is marked by a collective resolve to rebuild. The player's home base is a hidden bunker in a tunnel, filled with advanced temporal technology, research equipment, and a central hub for planning missions.

The game is precisely set on the day before the attack and so is short of time to defuse the energy nodes of the bomb and encounter with the mastermind behind this all destructive plan.

2. Core Concepts

Narrative Branching and Player Choices:

Concept: The game presents a non-linear narrative structure with branching story paths.

Gameplay Impact: Player decisions have significant consequences, influencing the outcome of the game and leading to another possible ending.

Historical Authenticity:

Concept: The game aims for a mid level of accuracy in recreating the historical settings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.

Gameplay Impact: Detailed environments, landmarks, and cultural elements provide an immersive experience, allowing players to interact with a faithful representation of the past in an enclosed boundary.

3. Gameplay

Stealth Concept:

Stealth gameplay emphasizes subtlety, evasion, and strategic thinking.

Silent Takedowns:

Players have the option to perform stealth takedowns on enemies from behind, incapacitating them without alerting others.

Distractions and Diversions:

Players can use objects in the environment to create distractions, diverting the attention of enemies away from their location.

Sneak and Listen:

Players can observe enemy behavior, listen for conversations, and gather information without revealing their presence.

Stealth-based Objectives:

Some missions or objectives may require players to complete tasks without raising alarms, encouraging a stealthy approach.

Stealth Movement:

Players can move quietly, avoiding line of sight.

Action Concept:

Action gameplay focuses on direct confrontation, combat, and overcoming obstacles through force.

Combat Abilities:

Players have access to combat skills and weapons that allow them to engage enemies directly, providing a more aggressive approach.

Melee and Ranged Attacks:

Players can engage in hand-to-hand combat or use firearms and other weapons to deal with threats.

4. Controls* (Subject to change)

Movement:

W, A, S, D: Move Forward, Left, Backward, Right

Ctrl: Crouch

Interaction:

E: Interact/Use Object

F: Perform Action (e.g., pick up item, open door)

K: to activate the key card

Combat (Action Mode):

Left Mouse Button: Drone Attack

Right Mouse Button: Secondary Attack/Block

R: Reload (if applicable)

Inventory and Equipment:

Tab: Open Inventory

Number Keys (1-9): Quick-select Items or Weapons

Menu and UI:

Esc: Pause/Menu

M: Open Map

I: Open Inventory Screen

Navigating Time Travel:

T: Activate Time Travel Device

Arrow Keys: Navigate Time Period Selection (Past/Future)

Navigating Dialogue/Choices:

Spacebar: Advance Dialogue/Select Option

Esc: Skip Dialogue

4. Start of Game

Scene: The Darkened and dusty tunnel/cave

As the game begins, the screen fades in from black, revealing a dimly lit and dusty old styled Japanese tunnel. And the camera slowly moved towards a bunker in that tunnel.

The Sci-Fi bunker and Introduction of Nami

The camera pans to focus on Nami, the protagonist. Nami is seen wearing some Sci-Fi clothing, working on her drone pet. The expression on Nami's face conveys a mix of determination and weariness.

Opening Monologue

A voiceover, delivered in Nami's voice, narrates the initial hurriness. Nami speaks of the moment, “The time has come.. ‘Do or die’ ….there’s no way I can fail …there’s no option” . Nami's voice carries heavy feelings as she knows the future and is here to save her people from the atomic bomb attack.

Introduction of the City's Contrasts

Atomic power plant and the township can be seen nearby but no one has any idea about the “thought factory” being a weaponry plant

First Encounter: Hira

Nami stumbles upon a park within the village/town, near the tunnel. Here, players are introduced to Hira(The old self of Nami), a 12 years old child. Ava's presence exudes a mixture of innocence and joyness. She can be seen playing with her other friends in the park. Another moment, their gazes met each other, they felt a linkage of fate with each other. Hira throws the ball and starts following Nami. She follows Nami inside the tunnel and Nami suddenly comes from behind and covers Hira’s mouth from screaming.

Nami's Call to Action

As much as Hira is surprised to see the insides of the bunker, Nami tries to calm Hira down and explains to her the actual situation and future happening. Hira didn’t believe Nami till she showed her the future in her Sci-Fi PC/TV system. And so she calls for the support of everyone to change the fate of humankind. And so Hira informs everything to other people and with everyone’s support…..the action begins.

Gameplay Tutorial

The scene transitions seamlessly into gameplay, introducing the player to basic controls, stealth mechanics, and the importance of scavenging for resources.

5. The After Scene

Confrontations at the barrier:

Nami encounters some security personnel at the barrier and after defeating them she hides behind the wagons to lose the sight of other security people.

Puzzle-Solving and Resource Gathering and action scenes

Nami has to defeat the warehouse guard and procure the key to the warehouse. The warehouse presents various environmental puzzles, requiring Nami to leverage their knowledge of both retro and futuristic technology. She informs her support people to pick up the weapons and attack. These challenges may involve reactivating ancient machinery, deciphering cryptic codes, or finding hidden caches of vintage resources…….[Taking Body Suit, sam turret, weapons, ammo, sticky/water bombs, molotov]. The stakes are raised, and confrontations become more intense, requiring advanced tactics and strategic thinking. [Busting the nearby TNT boxes to defeat masses etc]

Infiltrating High-Security Zones:

Nami faces increasingly challenging fights that require infiltrating heavily guarded areas, at the entrance of the atomic bomb plant.

Diffusion of the bomb and intense fight with the Lt. General and the death of Hira:

Nami delinks the energy nodes off the atom bomb and after that she fights with the mastermind behind this attack, a Lt. General. While Nami can be seen fighting, another security personnel tries to attack her from the back and that is when Hira blocks it and gets killed. From here onwards, Nami goes mad over the loss of her old self Hira and kills Lt. General brutally. Here a major twist was that the Lt. General was also from the future and so he has access to robotic technology. In the last few heart beats of General, he can be seen taking out an old mythological summoning paper, by which a robotic demon gets summoned in the forest behind the atomic bomb plant.

6. Game climax

Setting the Stage:

The player, controlling Nami, enters into a fight with the robotic monster in the forest.

Epic Battle Sequence:

The player engages in a high-stakes battle against the robotic monster's formidable defenses. Nami must utilize a combination of weapons, gadgets, and tactical maneuvers to overcome the AI's counterattacks.

Final Showdown:

The climax builds to a heart-pounding showdown, where Nami puts every effort to defeat that robotic monster accompanied by her drone pet she made in the bunker.

Resolution and Liberation:

With the robotic monster getting defeated, the city undergoes a transformation and Nami can be seen turning into shiny ashes as a result of Hira not being alive but she's happy that she was able to save humankind from the evil.