Techno-philosophical Detective Walking Sim
Level, Narrative, Sound Designer, Programming, Art
The game explores techno-philosophical topics such as Artificial Intelligence, consciousness, free will, post-humanism, technological determinism, simulation theory, surveillance systems, and more.
I was the creator of the project, serving as its producer, designer, system designer, narrative designer, level designer, writer, lighting artist, and developer.
My duties include:
- Designed enclosed level layouts, game pacing, and cinematic effects to enhance the dramatic tension within levels.
- Assimilated and blended contemporary and classical art elements into 3D spatial designs using UE5’s Lumen feature
- Collaborated with character designer to conceptualize characters
- Curated sound effects and music from multiple genres to establish a unique atmosphere that is futuristic and ambient
Me: Level/Narrative/Sound Design/Environment Art/Programming
Jingyuan Zhang: Character Design
I believe that space itself is a powerful tool for storytelling and constructing specific feelings. I incorporate the art I've seen in museums into games to create connections between reality and the constructed experiences within the game.
The Dark Room
- I placed two of René Magritte's paintings on the wall, as his work aligns with the game's theme of questioning the boundaries between reality and representation.
- The 'Menaced Assassin' painting positioned on the left sets the surreal tone of the game and implies that the story revolves around a murder.
- The 'False Mirror' gazes at the player, creating a sense of being under surveillance.
- The table reflects the eye, further intensifying the mysterious ambiance.
The Church-like Office
- I think technology influences the world like a religion, so I decided to create a scene based on a church. This was inspired by Tadao Ando's Church of the Light.
- I defamiliarize it by making it an office, transforming the characters within these offices into figures resembling clergies.
- The use of concrete material makes the scene feel rational and cold.
- The spiral staircase is designed as a double helix, mirroring the structure of DNA, serving as a metaphor suggesting that human beings are evolving into a digital form of existence.
- How will people interact with each other fifty years later?
- The headsets will enable people to live in a cyberspace that is almost like a second real world. People will go to Internet cafes more oftenas a means to escape from reality.
The Hallway
- I designed it to resemble prisons of the future, where people are alienating themselves from reality and others.
- The light in the tunnel turns white after the player discovers the corpse. Prior to this, it resembled club lighting, designed to make the space ‘a space of otherness’.
- Inspired by American artist James Turrell’s art work and the film Blade Runner 2049.
- I placed Magritte’s 'Golconda' on the wall to lend a surreal and mysterious feeling.
- The absence of windows in this room further contributes to its resemblance to a modern cell.
- The orange light contributes to a gloomy and meditative ambiance.
- The texture of the furniture and concrete materials makes the room feel cold, and the orange light and blood make the room warm.
- The room is cold and warm at the same time, creating a very special space of otherness.
In my approach to an AI assistant, I diverged from the common trend of highly personifying AI in creative works. Instead, I chose a more machine-like approach. This choice adds a meta aspect to the game, revealing a potential future of a society shaped by Artificial Intelligence.
Oli - The Future Tech Elite Man
Choosing to make him a powerful black man serves as a form of resistance against the white supremacy prevalent in many industries.
Engineer - The Dead Man
Inspired by the crucifixion and death of Jesus. This religious iconography not only proposes a metaphor of technology elites, it also proposes a question about the duality of these figures and technology: are they good or evil to human beings and our world?
Jiang - The Camp Artist
I intend to design a character who will unveil the secrets of the contemporary art world, exposing the power dynamics and predatory culture in high society.
Ronaldo - Omnipresent
In this future, gender is no longer a defining factor. I intend to create a powerful character who makes players forget traditional concepts of gender.
I intend to create new and uniqueexperiences that will stay with players for a long time.I draw inspiration from various forms of media, transforming them into content no one has seen before.
Wolrdview Design
Find a big idea or theme and construct the world based on it. God, Human, Animal, Machine inspired me to think about what will our world really be like in 50 years and make the game Spiritual Machine.
Characters as means to tell stories
Characters serve as a visual representation of refined ideas. Their interactions reveal the conflicts between differing ideologies. I enjoy the process of researching and determining the semiotics and symbols that define these characters.
Story Design
To pique players' curiosity about the story, I focused on constantly creating tension. It's a process of building up and then releasing tension to maintain player engagement.
Music
I enjoy blending diverse music genres, ranging from metal and experimental to classical and jazz, to create juxtapositions that serve as powerful tools for storytelling.