Stained with Magic: Chasing Whispers [Magic, Drama, Sci-Fi]

[tnm6]

Stained with Magic: Chasing Whispers

A Game by Hikage Studios
Genre(s): Science Fiction; Magic; Drama; Action; Mystery; Psychological; Romance
Type: Visual Novel (1st of a Trilogy)
Game Status: Currently in development

Development Team:

Kiyoshi: Lead Designer & Programmer
Terracottapie: Composer
Toby Maddox: Writer & Editor
Katie Marsel: Writer
YourGeekGoddess: Writer
Ariel Pond: Writer
Gukupu: Character Artist
Enrique Carmena: Character Artist
Shiroisalva5: Background Artist & Website Designer
Duskylli: Background Artist


Completion Percentages (11/17/13):
Script: 85%
Editing: 50%
Sprites: 40%
Coding: 30%
Music: 80%
Backgrounds: 35%
CG: 0%
Voice Acting: 0%
Audio: 20%

Game Features:

>Immersive gameplay and story-based interactive decisions
>Three alternate endings
> Interactive Quick-Time-Event Combat
>Interactive ‘debates’ that influence the player’s attributes and influence relationships
>Numerous locations within the city of Tokyo
>Digitally produced backgrounds featuring hidden items
>An in-game social networking feature that allows dynamic interaction with characters
>Various achievements to be unlocked during gameplay
>Two playable characters: Ryota Fukuda & Sophia Belleamie


Game Synopsis:

“Whether bound by fate or chance, a man will always fight to regain his will.”—Unknown

In the year 2036, human civilization has reached a new scientific era: technological innovation is widespread and industrialization is at its zenith. Conversely, the societies of the occult have been pushed to the brink of extinction. As their numbers dwindle, mages find themselves pushed further into the shadows—forced to retreat from annihilation at the hands of criminal syndicates.

For most, the machinations of the underworld are relegated to myth and legend. People live in ignorant bliss, contented with the technological advancement that has eased their burdens. In Tokyo, the nexus of industrial power, Fukuda Ryota remains unaware of the clandestine conflicts that plague the city. But a fateful encounter with the enigmatic Sophia Belleamie will change his life forever, plunging him into the depths of a world he never dreamed existed.

With his destiny now intertwined with this mysterious girl, an “Executor” of the Russian Church, Ryota finds himself on the run from the nefarious magi hunter—the Whispering Shadow—and pursued by the infamous criminal organization, The Silent Workers. But as he explores the dark world of magic, he realizes that his life, and the future, will be changed forever.


Main Cast:

The following are key characters featured in the game. Character concept art will be released at a later date.

Ryota Fukuda:

"The greatest wisdom lies within the shadows."

A nineteen-year-old male attending his first year in university, Ryota is a calm, introspective individual who trusts his intellect above all else. Extremely analytical, he prefers studying the inner workings of human nature rather than immersing himself in society. Possessing an independent and self-reliant nature, his thirst for knowledge is insatiable. By chance, he becomes involved in the search for the Whispering Shadow, and is consequently thrust into the world of magic and the occult.




Sophia Belleamie:

“Light shines brightest in those with strength.”

A victim of the devastating Euro Zone War, Sophia escaped a ravaged France as a young child. She spent months wandering the countryside, her personality hardening as the chaos of war engulfed the continent. She eventually made her way into Russia, where her developing lethality drew the attention of the Russian Orthodox Church. Recruited into the Church’s “Executor” program, Sophia has subsequently risen through the ranks to become one of its deadliest agents.
In recent months, Sophia has been sent to Japan to investigate the string of deaths surrounding the Whispering Shadow, working with her handler Ivan to discover the truth behind the grizzly murders.

Sophia is a combat and magical prodigy, excelling in Russian Style Holy Magic and Creationism while displaying advanced martial proficiency. However, despite her ruthless professionalism, Sophia exhibits a surprising playfulness to her friends, perhaps a lingering remnant of the innocent child she once was.




Alexa Sanders:

“The chains of the past will always bind us.”

In the midst of the Euro Zone War, Alexa was abandoned by her family as they desperately fled across the continent. Taken in by the Silent Workers, she was trained as a child soldier and molded into the perfect killer.

The subsequent years of psychological torture and physical abuse wore on Alexa, and she is now nothing more than a shell of the person she once was. Distrustful of everyone and embittered at the callousness of humanity, she currently follows the Silent Workers in quiet servitude.




The Whispering Shadow:

“If humankind is crafted in God’s image, then the Shadow is truly the reflection of hell.”

A being of unmatched power and devastating magical proficiency, the Whispering Shadow has come to be feared by all. With its identity concealed, the only true knowledge the world has on this strange creature is that is an adept practitioner of a dark, unknown magic. Leaving a wake of destruction and chaos across the world, the Shadow has recently come to Tokyo, though the reasons for its arrival in the city are a mystery to all.




The Listener

“The will of men is easily broken.”

Cold, ruthless, calculating—the Listener is the embodiment of the Silent Worker ideal. And for those who brave the underworld of Tokyo, he has come to be the manifestation of fear. With a keen intellect and unmatched strategic prowess, the Listener rose quickly in the Silent Worker ranks, swiftly becoming one of the syndicate’s most trusted lieutenants. Having been delegated substantial authority, the Listener has become an invaluable asset, and the Silent Workers have become a formidable force under his cruel leadership. However, his true talents lie in the realm of information gathering, and horrifying stories of his sadistic treatment of captives have unnerved even his closest allies.


Background Art:

The background artwork is still in a pre-alpha state. Sample images of the assets will be added once the development process is further along.


Soundtrack Samples:

Coalescence

Dance Among Wolves


Advice from other developers:

We’d love to hear your feedback and opinion of our game with respect to the following elements:

1. What are your thoughts about the game’s story and narrative?
2. Do the main characters interest you?
3. How do you feel about the game’s artwork?
4. Are there any additional gameplay elements you think would benefit the game’s appeal?

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for future updates!

-Toby Maddox

[tnm6]

All:

I apologize for the "double-post," but Hikage Studios found it in our best interest to explain why we have created a new WIP thread for our game.

In essence, the decision was made that-due to the immense nature of the Stained with Magic narrative-the game, the development team, and future players would be better served if the game were broken into a trilogy format. This would enable us to better augment the characters' personalities and the lore of the game without trying to cut crucial content and art assets to fit the story into a 'manageable' length for a singular visual novel.

We thank you for your patience as we underwent this transformative process, and please let us know if you have any additional comments or inquiries.

Edit (11/18/13): Additionally, we will formally begin the voice-acting auditioning process for the game this coming week. Stain tuned for more information on the Recruitment Forum.

-Toby

[Ferdokki]

In response to some of your questions:

1. I think the story is interesting, and I am especially interested to see how you imagine the world to be in 2036 (only 23 years from now!). I'm hoping that there won't be a drastic difference in reality of how you perceive the world will be like compared to what it would actually be like (I'm thinking about either "Mission Impossible" or one of Arnold Whatshisnagger's movies while writing this. I can't remember which one, but their interpretation for the world we live in today was a little too far-fetched, so it seems kinda comedic now).
In regards to the narrative, I'm sure a lot of people will dig this writing style. For me, personally, it's a little too wordy, but that's also because I talk the way I write, kinda casual and super chill, so you can see that my style contrasts yours quite a bit. Regardless, I'm still sure that people will like your narrative. Your talent for descriptive writing is really great, and I love the way you can play up the most simple sentences to become something that sounds really grand.

2. The main characters do interest me. They all have their own likable qualities. For the person who enjoys rational thinking and intelligence, there's Ryota. For the person who enjoys a bit more mystery, there's Sophia. Etc. etc. It's a really nice array of characters.

3. I do like the artwork; it's very clean and nicely rendered. I especially like the character design for Alexa. For Sophia, is the posted image a rough draft? Also, is the Whispering Shadow wearing a mask, or is his face supposed to be concealed by the shadow of his hoodie?

4. The only suggestions I have for gameplay have already been mentioned in the features. The ones I wanted to mention were having some object-finding (but not hidden object, those are kinda irritating sometimes), like finding a certain item at a certain location will trigger a dialogue or event or something; and having quick-time events.

Way to go, seems like you've got this game figured out!

Best of luck on development. I'm pretty sure I'll be one of the people downloading it when it is released!