Game Idea #8: Bloodshed

High Concept: The player moves through different levels, fighting fantasy monsters. The game is a 3D fighting game and often times the player is asked to shed blood in order to complete a goal, but the game pushes and asks the player how far they'd go.

Platform: PC Title, really small Indie Game

Why it needs to be made: Violence appears in a lot of games and a whole lot of real life. Most people can be considered pacifists in real life, but who doesn't like playing GTA and driving on the sidewalk for a few moments? This game gives the violence, but asks the player if they want to go through with it.

Description: Bloodshed starts the player at a village under attack by orcs. You get some backstory about how this attack probably happened: resources the orcs want and now they're taking it. The town is burning and the anguished screams can be heard in the background.  It asks the player if fighting them is ok. If the player answers no, they are given a story about the orcs pillaging and finally burning the village and are taken back to the menu. If they click yes, they engage in bloody, fun combat.

The game progresses like this, but the situations become a little more morally grey. Before every new level the player gets backstory about what they are killing and why. They are given the same choices, continue to go forward or return to the main menu after being treated to an epilogue. Occasionally I want the set up story to just be a little wrong. Perhaps the when the player is asked to raid an orc town they discover that humans are in fact dragging them away to be slaves, but the story doesn't say that. These things would need to be found in game.

The game is meant to be one about morals, stories and questioning. I don't want a clear bad and good "ending" that most games provide, but I want the player to think about the decisions they make. It might actually be more beneficial to instead allow the player continue to the next level after an epilogue instead of restarting.

Why it will be fun: Violence is fun! So are minor moral dilemmas.

Final Notes: GDC has taken it out of me and my laptop got a virus. This post was half done before it crashed my computer. Thats why its just a touch late.