Hello and welcome to a brand new dev log. First off we wanted to apologize for the lack of updates. Rest assured we’re hard at work on Alterborn; our main focus is to deliver a high quality, polished game into your hands as soon as possible and at times that will come at the cost of staying under the radar for a while.
With that out of the way, today we’ll be briefly talking about Alterborn’s IP meaning the game’s setting and storytelling.
All of us at the studio are engrossed by pop culture and various sci-fi/fantasy works. Suffice to say, we’re deeply passionate about crafting memorable, thought provoking experiences in all types of media.
While our development philosophy has always been to first and foremost get the gameplay right, we also believe in a holistic approach when developing games, which is why we pay great attention to detail when it comes to all aspects of Alterborn, including the narrative.
Worldbuilding is a complex process; when designing specific characters we always try to envision what caused them to be the way they are, what motivates them and so forth, usually via storyboards.
Crafting an engaging story is not some abstract, elusive notion that happens by chance. It is a skill that can be learned and that requires one to analyze what came before, to understand nuances of human psychology. After all, the most memorable stories are those that we can relate to on some level, that make us wonder about the world we live in while at the same time immersing us in something else entirely.
We try to invoke such experiences in Alterborn which is set in a grim, lawless world of no heroes, just various entities with conflicting desires and moral ambiguity (after all, morality is just a social construct that is very relative). At the same time, we intertwine drama with comedy, steeping the diegetic world in dark humor. Whenever we experience something in the real world which alters our paradigm or even causes trauma, we tend to brush it off as a joke simply as a coping mechanism.
We want the characters of Alterborn to be memorable and somewhat exaggerated if you will, much as is the case with games like Borderlands or Hades, taking a step back from the epic poetry style that most soulslike games seem to follow. Some of the grandeur is still there, we don’t want to take away from the fundamentals that made all the From Software games a worldwide cultural phenomenon but at the same time we don’t mind playing loosely within the narrative framework we set up, slightly innovating on the formula, hopefully in an interesting manner. We do feel confident about the creative direction we’re taking.
A BLEAK FATE
The world of Alterborn was ravaged by a mysterious, otherworldly force. Some call it a plague, others consider it a gift, outright worshiping it. In the end, no one really knows what caused this force to awaken from its slumber and what exactly is its nature.
Corruption can take its toll on the host, transforming those affected beyond any recognition or imagining into vile abominations.
Suffice to say, all living things are inevitably changed by it.
AN ALTERBORN
It began with utter chaos. First it was flora, then fauna, then civilization itself. Countless lives were lost, becoming mere lifeless husks, hosts for… something else. Others hid, struggling to survive within a crazed, unstable world. Then there were some who fought off the host, managing to elude death but not without cost. Their tales are shared by few in hushed tones, the common folk branded them as ALTERBORN.
Unspeakable horrors from beyond await those that dare enter The Altered State. These horrors, once human perhaps, were consumed by the power within...
...there are also those who were able to tap into that power and embrace it. While unlike Alterborn, their old self was lost, they wield considerable power and managed to regain their wit.
It is said that Alterborn are capable of entering different realms of reality at a whim or manipulating untold energy, causing ripples through the very fabric of time and space. They tell of the mad, mystical fire that burns in their eyes. Whether these things are true is anyone’s guess.
A NOBLE GOAL
Many tried to learn more about the force that overtook their world, the world they once knew, perhaps hoping to stop the ever spreading corruption or seize its power for themselves. And many have perished in their futile quest.
As fate would have it, you, one of the Alterborn, are thrown into a whirlwind of events which cause you to embark on a dangerous journey, roaming a vast, bizarre wasteland.
When traversing the Shattered Lands, you either adapt and survive or die. Most survivors utilize whatever scrap they can get their hands on to craft tools that let them overcome countless deadly challenges.
You stumble upon other survivors, a bunch of misfits, with a seemingly noble goal no less; reaching the source from which the force, or a plague, whatever it may be, originated and ending it once and for all.
Next week we’ll be sharing a short story entitled ‘Taste of Power‘ set within the Alterborn IP that will explore the backstory of multiple characters which you will encounter in the actual game! We’re really excited to share this very first, more in-depth look at the world of Alterborn with you; so stay tuned and be sure to keep an eye out on our social media channels.