Akumangel: The Madhouse Swing is a short (2-3 hours long) detective story about the fight between heaven and hell, jazz, cigarettes and mysterious disappearances.
Synopsis:
The year is 1947, and New York City is crawling between stifling secrets and rabid hellish forces trying to take over the town. A series of powerful people from high society are disappearing, leaving the police without a clue and the public without gossip to talk about. That's when Julia Maine, a young private eye without a dime in her pockets, decides to dig between her late father's notes to find a solution to the mystery lurking in the city and consequently, to find something to eat.
Her plan doesn't seem to turn out so well, since she finds herself imprisoned in a prestigious asylum just like her father did. There she will find new friends, new allies and a whole lot of trouble when her new inmates entangle her in a murder case and in a conspiracy that seems to extend beyond the boundary of what is strictly human...
Her plan doesn't seem to turn out so well, since she finds herself imprisoned in a prestigious asylum just like her father did. There she will find new friends, new allies and a whole lot of trouble when her new inmates entangle her in a murder case and in a conspiracy that seems to extend beyond the boundary of what is strictly human...
Gameplay:
The game follows a mostly linear story seen through the eyes of the protagonist, Julia Maine. As the plot unfolds between demonic omens and unexplainable events, the player will be able to choose how to progress with Julia's investigation. Being too incautious can lead to a disastrous outcome, but it's necessary to risk something to uncover some clues. Once enough clues are gathered, the path to a better conclusion can be achieved, but don't just expect a good ending to come into your hands! After all, it will be the player's responsibility to point their fingers to the true culprit in the end...
Characters:
The main character. Julia is a young detective, striving to find the truth behind any wall no matter how tall. Her eccentric pesonality got many times in the way of her investigations, but also helped her fighting the not-so-exciting parts of her work. Naturally skeptical, she thinks everything should be looked at twice, even what we consider our trivial reality. She loves writing and thinks television will be a flop.
Rachel is an introvert lady who hates to be alone. She likes to be comfortable and has learned to not care about what other people think of her. She always tries to rationalize when confronted with the idea of demons and angels, but knows very well that the truth might be something we can't fully comprehend.
Ortensia is a young girl with a lot of dreams but a lazy and melancholic attitude. She wanted to be a movie star but life decided otherwise. Now she consoles herself with nihilism and drawing, the medium that lets her recreate a universe beyond ours, and other fantasies like angels and demons.
Amber is a determined lady coming from an unstable family. She has already experienced too many hardships for her young age, but she is prepared to fight to live her life to the fullest to matter what. She has a small passion for the fashion wolrd, which she's inclined to hide fearing to be considered shallow.
She has seen many demons and once had an encounter with an angel.
She has seen many demons and once had an encounter with an angel.
Claire is a nurse that doesn't like attention.
Screenshots:
The game sprites. Their eyes move, so they're a little magical.
The game main menu. Don't worry, you can give her back her colors after you've discovered the true culprit.
A game CG.
Progress:
Writing: 100%
Translation: 3%
Art: 85%
Programming: 70%
Music: 100%
Embarrassment for opening a thread for the first time: 250%
Translation: 3%
Art: 85%
Programming: 70%
Music: 100%
Embarrassment for opening a thread for the first time: 250%
About:
This is a project I worked on with a couple of good friends for the last months. It's really difficult to match our schedules and make things work in our spare time, so we're excited to see that things are moving along!
I'd be really happy to hear what you think about this, and hopefully hear your feedback on the upcoming English translation. I've been struggling and having loads of fun with hardboiled detective slang, but since English is not my mother language, it would be really nice to have a native speaker who could give me their opinion. I really don't want the text to sound unintentionally parodic! Not too much, at least.
We also have a website! http://akumangeltms.blogspot.it! Don't forget to check it for updates and further info, and thank you so much for reading!
I'd be really happy to hear what you think about this, and hopefully hear your feedback on the upcoming English translation. I've been struggling and having loads of fun with hardboiled detective slang, but since English is not my mother language, it would be really nice to have a native speaker who could give me their opinion. I really don't want the text to sound unintentionally parodic! Not too much, at least.
We also have a website! http://akumangeltms.blogspot.it! Don't forget to check it for updates and further info, and thank you so much for reading!