During the production I was mainly Narrative designer. Having previously established the stories, the Lore and the characters, I had to find ways to convey them through the game. For this, several tools were set:
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The cutscenes
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Environmental staging
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Some Game Design mechanics
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The notes
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The stelae
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Grand father
Cutscenes
The cutscenes both conceal the loading time and introduce the player to the Lore and the story. If this is not the most subtle way to tell a story, it can quickly put the player in the mood and initiate the link between the hero, Marc, and his grandfather, the cornerstone of the storytelling. .
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Example: end's cutscene
Papi's hut
In the story, the main character (Marc) has the ability to enlarge or shrink objects thanks to an amulet given to him by Grandpa. The two lived together in this cabin. The first thing Marc does is use his power over the cabin to carry it as a backpack and take his home and his grandfather, with him. This hut is Marc's resting place. The player can rest there without any danger and it is here that he will have access to all the settings and customizable elements.
The environment
Each visual element aims to express something, each shot and composition is rich in meaning. The goal is for the player to let his curiosity guide him and by himself discover the whole story.
The environment being very natural, the elements manufactured by the man contrast with the whole. They are underlined, their goal is to express the stories of the island and the past of the grandfather.
This scene at the start of the game is in the area of the island where the hero grew up. Then, we have to feel that a young boy lived here. This little nut that we throw between the woodsticks illustrates this idea.
The player, if he pays enough attention, has elements available to understand the full depth of the story. In the cabin where Marc and Grandfather live, you can see a sailor's outfit. Outfit that can be found during the adventure, attributed to the former pirates who landed on the island in search of the amulet that Marc has. These elements are very evocative of the past of the grandfather who was one of these sailors.
Other, more independent compositions are rich in narration that the player is free to interpret.
Narrative tools
The grandfather is a central element of the story. He serves as a mentor and guides the player around the world in addition to creating a strong relationship between the two, which will make the end scene more moving. The grandfather speaks when the player crosses specific areas of the level.
The notes scattered around tell the story of the sailors who stranded and perished on the island. The captain's diary recounts the mutiny and the fate of the sailors who landed on the island (it reveals that the grandfather were their captain), and the diaries of a castaway explain Marc's origins and the reasons for his presence on the island. These are puzzle pieces allowing the player to build the past of the characters, while being very optional to end the adventure.
The stelae offer verses presenting in an abstract way the origins of the island, the people who lived there and the power of the medallion. They are very different from the notes in style and shape. To understand all the lore, the player must find all these stelae.