Howdy and hello, fellow agents! Nicky Silber here, one of the narrative designers on Section 13. I’m very excited to talk to you today about some of the juicy (and heart-wrenching) story that’s in store for you with Section 13’s full release.
For those who don’t know, the game takes place at the eponymous Section 13, a secret facility belonging to an even secret-er agency known as S2P. Equal parts X-Files and Area 51, S2P are the unscrupulous men-in-black who not only abduct the things that go bump in the night but then perform unethical experiments on them. Now, one of their high-risk test facilities has gone into lockdown without explanation. You play as an agent (or agents) sent to investigate what caused the lockdown and clear the threat. But nothing is ever quite that simple when you’re dealing with fourth-dimensional anomalies and brain-dead former office workers.
If you've been playing the Early Access build of Section 13, you’ll be more than familiar with this story, but what you won’t know is that this only scratches the surface of what you can expect in the full release.
When it comes to designing the narrative on S13, we decided to take an old-school visual novel approach that would utilize the fantastic artwork of our agents and the incredible voice acting of our cast. There were quite a few hurdles to overcome when implementing these visual novel segments into Unreal Engine 5, where S13 was built. For one, creating variables was a difficult process as we could only use booleans, so a simple branching scene could quickly get out of hand, like this brain-melter:
[Good luck untangling this spaghetti, Unreal]
Next, when discussing how to flesh out the world of Section 13, we decided the best approach would be to use supplemental narrative through unlockable media, as it would be the least obtrusive way to supply players with a vast amount of world-building content that would be cost-effective to develop.
In between bouts of butt-kicking (both giving and receiving), you’ll find yourself back at the hub, Section 13’s pivotal command center where you can perform upgrades and get to know your fellow agents. Here, you can use the collectible USB currency to unlock the mysterious Agent Casefiles. These aren’t just neat little extras (though I am a big fan of neat extras). No, these are whole swathes of story content so juicy they’re practically oozing.
[The Case Files screen, where you can spend your hard-earned USBs for tasty story snacks.]
Each agent has their own unique story arc to be unlocked, and the full extent of content won’t be fully accessible until you’ve recruited all four agents, giving you further incentive to explore the base. These story arcs dive deep into the agents’ backstories and not only flesh out the characters but the mythos of S2P and our game’s universe as a whole. How and why was S2P founded? Who trigger the Blackout Protocol at Section 13, and why? What doesn’t S2P want you to know?
[A sneak peek at Boy Scout’s case files 🤫]
By unlocking these casefiles you’ll discover how Boy Scout came to be psychically linked to an otherworldly being, why Beaker is so determined to reverse memory loss, where Scalpel’s vendetta against S2P comes from, and how Red’s mom went missing… if she really IS missing…
Through a series of de-classified documents, recorded phone calls, laboratory audio logs, and data-mined emails, the agents will learn about various characters that occupied Section 13 long before they ever came along – including Kimber Delahunt, the ruthlessly efficient Deputy Director of the base, who was responsible for initiating the blackout alert… and who Scalpel has a history with.
[Kimber Delahunt AKA Corporate Conspiracy Barbie]
But that’s just one thread of many in the glorious tapestry of S13’s newly fleshed out narrative.
It took our team months to weave together those threads, then months of recording to have an extremely talented (and star-studded) voice cast bring those stories to life.
Honestly, between this and our other Early Access project, Lost Eidolons: Veil of the Witch, we have worked with some of the most remarkable voice talent I’ve ever had the privilege of working with. While we’re not allowed to name drop just yet, I guarantee you will hear some familiar voices.
We had so many wonderful moments in the studio, I wish I could share them all with you. We spent half the time cracking up and the rest of the time wiping away tears. Our voice director gushed several times that this was one of his favorite game he’s worked on. Seriously, folks: These performances are going to blow you away.
We here at ODS can’t wait for everyone to experience the incredible content that’s coming your way with the full release. Get your tissues ready, everyone, because only those of you who are dead inside won’t shed at least a tear or two.
Thanks for staying up to date with all things Section 13 and we can’t wait to see you at launch!
Enigmatically yours,
~Nicky Silber, Narrative Designer