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Immanence: Unterschied zwischen den Versionen

10.280 Bytes hinzugefügt ,  16. März 2023
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== Motivation ==
== Motivation ==
The first thing that appealed to us was the description of the game as a 2D psychological lovecraftian blend of religion and technology. That and the sound design made the game very interesting.


=== What´s special about it? ===
=== What´s special about it? ===
 
The game in itself is surprisingly difficult, as many of the minigames can´t seem to be solved purely with logical thinking. This has the potential to be quite frustrating - but even that seems to be rooted in the story the game wants to tell and makes all the more sense in retrospect, after the game has been finished. The story is the main focus of the game, at its end there are many questions left unanswered...but that just makes it even more intriguing. It's incredibly fascinating to think back to the beginning after finishing the game, to the different dimensions and what everything means. The description of the game detailing something about "religion" provides exiting context clues. Additionally, the sound design is incredibly immersive and fits perfectly with the visual style of the game.
=== Are similar games available? ===


== Theme ==
== Theme ==


=== What is the theme of the game? ===
=== What is the theme of the game? ===
Immanence is a 2D psychological Lovecraftian blend of religion and technology with surreal puzzles. It has a dark atmosphere and is very thriller-like, the mood is mysterious and dystopian. The puzzles often refer to some sort of cryptic technology and don´t seem to be rooted in logic (which makes sense only after completing the storyline). The pixel art style as well as the sound design really support the overall mood.
(tracks created by the artists Nyctophiliac, Gouldenberg, Круги под глазами).


=== How is the theme communicated to the player? ===
=== How is the theme communicated to the player? ===
 
The theme is mainly expressed through the storyline and the visual style, although there are certain limitations such as the theme only being truly apparent when the game is completed. Everything before that acts more like puzzle pieces to the greater picture. The player first gets introduced into a seemingly relatively normal world, dystopian elements only gradually being introduced through sound design and occasional story pieces. Equally as important as the dystopian and futuristic references to a post-apocalyptic world is the psychological element of the game ; the player witnesses the protagonist´s descent into madness and guides him through it. Neither the protagonist nor the player know what´s really going on, both are trapped within the mind of the main character.
=== Are there any references to other media concerning the theme? ===


== Player Experience ==
== Player Experience ==
The game builds a lot upon mystery and technology. At the beginning the player is thrown into an unknown reality with little to no information about place, time or the situation they´re in. The player can’t pinpoint what is coming next which contributes to the thriller/horror mood of the game. The mystery about what happened in that place has to be unraveled throughout the entire game.


=== What does the player feel? ===
=== What does the player feel? Does the experience change during the game? ===
The beginning of the game is rather slow, with soft and calming sound design, making it seem like a rather bland story based game. Only as the story gradually gets introduced and the general setting of the game is defined does the game get more interesting. The first minigames are relatively easy to solve, although there is always a certain element of uneasiness and uncertainty because of the nature of the game and/or story ; no one tells the player what to do, what´s supposed to happen next to progress the story. As the minigames get harder, it becomes more and more frustrating to figure out how to solve the puzzles (such as when to switch between the R, G & B dimensions and what to interact with). The sound design gets gradually more intense, the player gets more immersed. Towards the end, the story and puzzles get less dense, bringing back the uncertainty from the early stages of the game. With about an hour of playtime but no signs as to when exactly the game ends, the player gets increasingly inpatient. The story then progresses rather quickly to the ending, bringing satisfaction to the player.


=== What elements contribute to the experience? ===
=== What elements contribute to the experience? ===
 
Mainly the sound and level design: both are incredibly dystopian.
=== Does the experience change during the game? ===


== Story==
== Story==


=== What is the main story? ===
=== What is the main story? ===
The true story behind the game is never explicitly told. Objectively, the protagonist starts out as "normal" . Towards the end, he, his actions and the environment become increasingly bizarre. Based on the keyword "religion" in the official game description, we assume that the player accompanies the protagonist as he falls prey to madness. Thus, it's not a real (post-)apocalyptic, dystopian world where an invention called "IGME" makes people fall ill with "stigmata", but the invented, confused world of a madman. This is also reflected in the minigames (dimensions R, G, B), which cannot be solved with normal logic. We as players see the world through the eyes of the protagonist. However, there also seem to be real events: the main character goes to the doctor on the advice of a friend, which you only learn about at the end of the game. In his mind, however, a series of bizarre minigames must be solved until he finally gets to the doctor. The words of this friend of the protagonist at the end screen mark the end of the game.


=== Games of emergence and games of progression ===
=== Games of emergence and games of progression ===
 
Immanence is a game of progression, with a clearly defined storyline that the player must follow in order to finish the game.
=== How is the story communicated? ===
=== How is the story communicated? ===
Mainly through interactions with objects. Everytime the protagonist looks at something, text appears at the bottom of the screen. The protagonist also has a phone, conversing with his doctor who tells him and the player what to do.


== Setting ==
== Setting ==
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=== What is the main goal of the game? ===
=== What is the main goal of the game? ===
The game does not communicate any goals to the player, but it builds intrigue so that ideally the player wants to find out more about the world and continue their progression while the story unfolds.


=== Does the game include any sub goals? ===
=== Does the game include any sub goals? ===
Many parts of the map are not initially accessible, solving puzzles to reach them is required.
Later on you also encounter big red creatures, which reset part of your progress if they touch you. Avoiding, and shooting them is the only way to continue.


== Procedures ==
== Procedures ==


=== How can the player carry out actions in the game? ===
=== How can the player carry out actions in the game? ===
Via point and click by mouse most of the time. There’s one sequence that is controlled with the arrow keys. The mouse will change its visuals based on interactions with the objects you’re hovering over.
You can also change your environment with your smartphone.
The only actions the character can take is, walk, inspect, interact/pick up and shoot.


=== How can the character be controlled? ===
=== How can the character be controlled? ===
The left mouse button and the arrow keys.


== Basic Resources ==
== Basic Resources ==


=== What are the basic resources in the game? ===
=== What are the basic resources in the game? ===
The overall story of the game does not require any resources to progress. Each
resource found in the game is needed to solve a specific passage or puzzle and can
only be used during this event.
''cell phone:'' Early in the game the player finds a phone that enables interdimensional
travel. Other than that, it also provides exposition and hints via text messages and
has a playable mini game on it.
''top-down puzzle'': In the beginning of one passage the player is given five lives
which would decrease with each enemy attack. A sword and a shield can be
acquired for better protection as well as healthpacks to restore lives.
''gun'': during the final passage, the player has to defeat enemies with a gun.
''keys/objects/furniture'': The apartment complex is old and empty. Most rooms have
furniture and items in them but not many can actually be interacted with. The most
frequently found items are keys. Most apartment doors are locked, some of them
can be unlocked by finding and using keys.


=== What is the relations between the resources? ===
=== What is the relation between the resources? ===
''cell phone and keys'': sometimes objects and keys needed in one dimension are
found in another dimension. The player needs to use the travel functions on the cell
phone in order to find the objects.
''top-down puzzle'': Initially, the player has 5 lives. Enemy attacks cost 1-2 lives, it
takes about 2-3 lives to defeat one enemy. A healthpack replenishes lives and adds
an additional life. Swords and shields provide protection which decreases the
amount of lives taken by an enemy attack.


=== What is the nature of the resources? ===
=== What is the nature of the resources? ===
 
''cell phone'': The phone is accessible the whole time but not always useful. Though
=== examples for resources: ===
the battery icon in the upper corner is red, the battery never dies or needs to be
charged otherwise.
Game analysis 2
''top-down puzzle'': The resources can only be used in this puzzle. Each enemy
attack costs lives, healthpacks can restore and give additional lives. You can get
about 8-10 lives.
''gun'': Once the player finds the gun, it is permanently in your possession. The gun’s
ammunition is infinite.


== Conflict ==
== Conflict ==


=== Does the game provide any conflicts? ===
=== Does the game provide any conflicts? ===
The most common obstacles are locked doors or incomplete objects. In the top
down passage and at the end of the game there are also enemies blocking the
player’s path or chasing you.


=== What is the nature of these conficts? ===
=== What is the nature of these conficts? ===
The doors are locked because the apartment complex is old and empty. Some
objects are only available in different dimensions because they no longer exist in the
player’s home world, like flowers. It is also possible to flee to another dimension
because enemies might be after you in your home world.
The enemies in the top-down puzzle serve a role as guards.
The most prominent opponents are the mutated monsters chasing you at the end of
the game. They are the only enemies actively trying to defeat you and are probably
after you because the player is one of the last existing humans.


=== How can the player resolve the conflicts? ===
=== How can the player resolve the conflicts? ===
Some doors can be unlocked using keys. These, as well as other objects, are found
in different dimensions accessible through your phone.
Not all top-down puzzle enemies need to be defeated in order to complete this
passage. The player can walk by and ignore those who are not blocking any ways
because they will not strike first.
The first mutated monster, that the player encounters, cannot be defeated. You need
to run away and travel to another dimension before it gets too close. Later, the player
finds a gun and can then shoot the monsters. It takes 3 shots to take a monster
down.


== Outcome ==
== Outcome ==


=== What are the results of the game? ===
=== What are the results of the game? ===
As this game is very story-driven there aren´t any quantifiable results other than completing the minigames in order to finish the storyline and catch up on the lore of the game world.


=== What are the victory conditiions? ===
=== What are the victory conditiions? ===
This game doesn´t really have winning or losing - you can either finish the story or do nothing and enjoy listening to the game music. In the minigames, "winning" would be successfully completing a puzzle and/or jumping inbetween the R, G & B dimensions in order to advance the story.


=== What are the defeat conditions? ===
=== What are the defeat conditions? ===
There doesn´t seem to be any consequences for not finishing the story. Near the end of the game, the protagonist goes down several hallways and is chased by monsters - if one of those monsters catches up to him, he seems to respawn in another hallway ; "losing" would mean restarting that particular game section, although the character seems to have unlimited attempts at trying with no punishment mechanism.


== Visual Style ==
== Visual Style ==


=== What is the visual style of the game? ===
=== What is the visual style of the game? ===
2d pixel art.


=== Are other games referenced? ===
=== Are other games referenced? ===
It doesn´t seem like it.


=== Is the art style inspired by real life? ===
=== Is the art style inspired by real life? ===
No, it is heavily stylized.


[[Kategorie:Spielanalyse]]
[[Kategorie:Spielanalyse]]
[[Kategorie:Spielanalyse im SS 2023]]
[[Kategorie:Spielanalyse im SS 2023]]
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