There are a few things missing from this document due to a word limit of 1500 word. I will resume and fully detail the plot some point in the future, and even maybe write a short novel before deciding on the game itself.
This will be a fairly long read but I feel the need to publish it and receive criticism.
Without further ado, here is the Design Document:
Design method Assignment 2
For this assignment, my brief was to create a 30 minute
‘side quest’ gaming experience, focusing on the narrative arc of the ‘side
quest’
Plot
For the actual story section of this assignment, I’ll be
splitting it up into three segments; The Beginning, The Encounter and The
Conclusion. As the main vision of the game, this will follow just like an
episode from an anime.
The Beginning
The game starts out with a scene of the Main Character
moving boxes from his room, out into the balcony. Inside, you can see what appear
to be a black trench coat and three distinguishable plastic/toy weapons; A Scythe,
a Sniper Rifle and a pair of short swords. As the Main Character moves these
boxes outside, he looks out over the town as the sun sets above the buildings. As
the Main Character moves back into his room, you see Haruka Shimizu in the
shadows around the corner, looking at him, before moving away.
The next scene opens with the Main Character waking up from
bed and getting dressed to go to University. He goes outside to find that the
box of attire missing.
Touching briefly on the game play, it is an open-world game
where the Player can roam freely around Sakura Town
From there, a new scene happens.
The Main Character is in the class room, filled with
students. He sits down and begins talking to a few of his friends, when the
door opens.
Entering is Haruka Shimizu. She walks past the Main
character through the many desks, dropping something on the ground as she
passes his desk.
The Main character picks up the picture, which is a picture
of him and his brother when they were younger. Shocked, the Main character
looks back to Haruka, who isn’t paying attention to him at all, and as is about
to get up from his seat before the lecturer enters the room and begins his
class.
The Main character looks at the picture and a flashback is
shown, with him and his brother as young children, play fighting in the
backyard. The player takes control of the Main Character as a tutorial level to
learn the basics of combat. During this tutorial level, the player is fighting demons
in his backyard with his brother. Once the monsters are destroyed, a new scene
follows.
After the Tutorial, the Main Character snaps back to present
day in shock. He turns his head to look at Haruka, who is absorbed in a book,
listening to the lecturer. He turns back, working out how she got a hold of
this picture. This thought is interrupted by the Lecturer asking the Main
Character a question. He is taken aback by this and answers it incorrectly,
prominently making a fool of himself. He decides to not think about this until
the end of class.
At the end of the class, the Main Character gets up and
gathers his things, after putting on his bag; he turns round to look for
Haruka, but finds she has already gone. The Main Character looks around the
room for her, but is stopped by one of his fellow classmates where he wanted to
go for lunch. He turns to them saying anywhere is fine.
The Encounter
The player now has control over the Main Character, and can
go wherever they like. All paths however will lead to a cut scene outside of a
Café. As the Main Character and his friends walk past the Café, he sees Haruka
inside at a table. The Main Character tells his friends that he’ll catch up
with them at University later and walks into the Café. He walks over to
Haruka’s table, takes out the picture of him and his brother and puts it on the
table in front of her. He asks how she got this picture. She doesn’t say
anything which prompts the Main Character to sit down opposite her and ask her
again. She looks at him and says: ‘Obsidian Flame; Wielder of the Three’. The
Main character is shocked and demands how she knows about that. She answers
back saying that she knows everything about the Main Character, and how he used
to slay the demons of people’s emotions in the past. The Main Character retorts
with his bewilderment that all of that was not real and imaginary. Haruka
explains that it was actually real and he is well known for what he has done in
the past. She also explains that she will be helping him defend the town of Sakura from these demons.
The Main Character says that this is childish and he has no time for games as
he needs to get good grades from University.
The Main Character gets up and leaves the Café, leaving
Haruka behind.
The player now has control over the Main Character. The
player must now go back to the University to finish afternoon class. As the player
goes back to the University, they can see that the general area has grown a bit
darker than before, and can often see dark figures with faint red eyes moving
in the alley ways of streets and under cars.
A scene begins when the Main Character reaches the
University. He goes to his desk and sits down, a bit shaken and disturbed at
what he has heard. Haruka walks past his desk again without giving him a single
look. After this, the Lecturer walks in and begins his teaching. The Main
Character has trouble concentrating as his mind is going over what happened
earlier that day in the Café. At the end of class, everyone gets up to go back
to their accommodations. The Main Character hastily gathers his things and
walks quickly out of the class.
The player now has control over the Main Character and the
end goal is to get back to his accommodations.
Once the player reaches back to his apartment, a scene
starts.
The Main Character is sitting down on his bed, staring at
the ground, with many thought running through his mind. It is late evening
outside and the sun is just setting over the city buildings. The Main
Character’s deep thought is interrupted by a knock on his door. He looks up
sharply and asks who is there. Another knock responds, and the Main Character gets
up and opens the door. Standing there is Haruka. She asks the Main Character to
follow her to the park. He is taken aback by this request, but is unable to
answer as she has already left to the park. The Main Character, somewhat angry,
follows suit.
The Conclusion
The player now controls the Main Character as he follows
Haruka to the park. The sun has now set and street lights turn on as they make
their way to the park. When the player gets to the park, a scene starts.
The Main Character finally catches up to Haruka and demands
answers. Haruka turns around and points to one of the Cherry Blossom trees.
Underneath, is a swarm of shadow demons, amassing together and forming into one
entity; a large canine greater shadow demon. The shadow demon looks around and
spots Haruka and the Main Character. It howls and charges straight at them.
Haruka dodges the charge with ease. The Main Character, however, gets clipped
and knocked over while the shadow demon continues in a straight line. Haruka
stands over the Main Character and explains that the demon will stop at nothing
until he is dead. She extends her hand and tells him that he must defeat it,
not only to save his life, but also the lives of the town.
The Main Character hesitates as the demon wheels around for
another charge. Time is running out as the demon charges as he touches Haruka’s
hand. A blast of blue light engulfs both of them as the Main Character
transforms into his combat form: Obsidian Flame; Wielder of the Three, while
the demon is blasted back. The scene ends with Haruka handing the Main
Character his weapons and trench coat she had taken this morning. The player
now has control over the Main Character as the combat starts to slay the demon.
When the player kills the demon the final scene starts.
The Greater Shadow Demon has been slain, the Main Character
turns away with heavy breathe. The demon suddenly gets up and lunges at him
when it is cut down midair by Haruka in her Combat Form. The Main Character is
astonished at this and asks why she didn’t help him with the demon. She
explains that she needed to test his strength before starting to leave the
park. The Main Character asks what for and she replies that she knows where his
brother is. The scene ends with the Main Character completely shocked.
