Little Devil Inside is fundamentally an exploration focused survival action RPG game. Although it sounds elaborate, it all makes perfect sense to us.
Compared to some other games of this genre in the past, the game focuses more on ordinary everyday life. As in real life, where a hard week's work is rewarded by a relaxing or refreshing weekend, we wanted to create a world and provide elements within it where you can return back to town (or your home) after an adventurous mission to regather and reequip - a definite environmental contrast. Unlike some other survival games, there will be a home town or city to return to and rest and prepare for your next mission. The town itself will have its own set of events and elements to interact with.
Work to achieve your missions
The game will not be about entering dungeons, killing at a monster as quickly as you can and returning to town to obtain rewards.
The pace of the game will be like a long journey.
You will need to prepare for any unexpected encounters with the weather, have the necessary intel about the region, equip your gear as you see fit, get on a vehicle and react to unexpected events that arise during your journey. Depending on how you prepare for the mission and how you react and respond to events will determine how easily or hard you can achieve the missions.
Know your enemy
One of the most important things to do when preparing for your mission is of course, knowing as much as you can about the enemy that lie ahead. Each monster or creature or enemy will have different characteristics and stats hence different habits and behaviors so it will be advantageous to you to equip yourselves with the right weapons and protective gear before embarking.
Faculty Management
The basic setting is this. You are hired by a Professor who is investigating and studying unusual, concerning activities in the outside world to develop new technologies. As a member of his faculty, you are hired to go on risky missions (he may tag along on some) to investigate and bring back bits of information and/or artifacts for further study and analysis.
More than that, you can manage your own team as part of the Faculty. You can interview and hire new team members and send them on missions that match their specialties.
Encounter events while travelling through the world map
There will be public transportation as well as vehicles you can control, maintain and upgrade yourself.
Using transportation doesn't necessarily mean taking a short cut to your missions. However, it'll be faster than legging it! Even on public transportation (such as a train) you will be within a scene (such as sitting and looking out the window) during the time to your destination and unexpected events may arise.
Events may be good or bad - you may run into another character that side spins off to a mini mission or offer help with your current mission, the train may come under attack and you may have to get out and fight etc.
We are planning to include as many unique events as possible to give you a more engaging and unique experience in your missions.
Dynamic movement
All non-combat animations whether controlled or not will also be smooth and dynamic with all the usual movements - walk, run, sneak, climb, slide, jump, dive, sit etc. There will be natural motion blending between character animation sets.
This all blends in and becomes pretty much a part of the art and design concept.
Hybrid targeting system
Players will able to toggle between auto target and single target. The auto target will be useful when confronting a group or a hoard of enemies.
When confronted with an elite enemy or monster for a 1 vs 1 duel. the single target will enable a more focused combat position.
Gears
Graft science & technolgy with supernatural powers and artifacts gained from killing demons, monsters and creatures to upgrade your steampunky weapons and armor. You can also upgrade your vehicles for better performance and durability.
Immersive UI Design
Consistent with the game's design concept (being minimalism), the game's UI will also be kept minimal. This means minimizing the number of keys the player has to remember and rather, blending much of the UI into the game environment itself. In doing so, we hope that the user stays more immersed in the game. We wish to build a UI that is very much a part of the game play and not be a separate "tool".
The focus of what we are trying to achieve is not the mission itself but all the minor details during the journey that accumulate to give that immersive experience that remain as reminiscences in the player's minds.
To try and achieve the challenge we have, the UI can design we wish to achieve has two purposes:
1. Emotional Purpose
If you've played action adventure games before then all the basic direct actions such as movements, attack, duck, roll, climb block etc. will mapped on standard key settings.
The HUD (heads-up display) that normally displays character status however, we hope to keep minimal and remove from the screen as much as possible. We wish to create an environment that draws the user in emotionally closer to the protagonist he is controlling. For example, if the character is hungry, sick, cold or scared, the user will notice this through actual animation visuals and/or simple icons that appear above the character as if the character is actually wanting to communicate. Of course, the user will always have the freedom to check the character's status at any time.
2. Simple
A universal Interaction Key will be assigned that triggers a common menu to appear that shows the available interactive actions specific to the object.
For example, clicking on a character will trigger a menu to appear that shows the status, items etc and clicking on objects such as a chair will show a menu listing actions the character can perform (sit, lie, kick etc.). On occasions, the menu may include unexpected things that you can do. This element of uncertainly we hope, will add to the immersive experience and create the need for awareness and to explore the character's immediate surroundings - "Hmm... I wonder if there is anything I can do with that rock".
With such a design, much of the objects that are found within the game are not just for looks and although they may not directly affect game play, each have a purpose. Collectively, we are certain they will assist in achieving to create the world we set out to create - providing players with the necessary environment and letting players themselves fill and make their own recollections of their journey and adventure.
All keys with the exception of a few preset keys, will be made customizable for you to map to your preferences (PC & Mac only).
Multiplayer
Friend invite (like Borderland)
Co-op mission with friends
Random encounter with other players within the game.
