Daniel Hudson's Very Own Story Pitch

Name: Daniel Hudson 

Position: Design Team 

Star Sign: it’d be funny if it was Aquarius but it's not :( 

Authors Note 

Music to listen to while reading this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lNNAFU45do

I wanted to focus on overall structure, but already I'm seeing places I would adjust to allow for more gameplay. Overall however I feel this paper gets across my ideas for how the game could play out. 

Summary 

Three divers are sent to investigate and repair an underwater facility after communications were damaged in an underwater earthquake. Once they arrive, they find the welcome area has been evacuated, and since their way back to the surface has been damaged & no contact to the surface is possible. They choose to forge on into the facility for clues. Within they find untold horrors, freakish beauty, as well as hints of something terrifying at play just beyond the horizon. Follow as the MC searches for a way to reach the surface, whilst being chased deeper & deeper into the proverbial flytrap that is this facility. 

Setting 

Initially a small base was set up in order to study a series of anomalous tremors on the seafloor, as well as recover a wreck 

Eventually, A series of researchers are given the opportunity to study ruins and strange flora/fauna that were uncovered in one of these enormous tremors. 

For a while, steady research advancements have been made, some of which are the echo gun and biomechanical camo suit. But these advancements are still withheld from the general public for some unknown reason, likely as disclosure of such a sensitive topic as (relatively harmless) megafauna & sunken ruins might lead to sabotage and spelunking. 

Characters & Entities 

Diving crew: Consisting of the Player, Lead diver, & Buddy; All three are part of a group that was sent to act as recon on creatures found in unearthed section of the hadal zone 

Marshal & Waits company: Company that owns the facility. 

Imposter diver or “Weaver” 

Was the last survivor of the divers working for the base. 

Has heavily mutated into a fish person 

Is a follower of -Redacted-

Story Rough Draft 

0.5 Intro (3 minutes) 

The game begins with three or more people in a bathysphere. A conversation ensues wherein the lead diver is debriefing the goal of this trip. 

The crew is here to add to the facilities diving personnel, and is also bringing back tools & supplies to repair communications. 

We find out that the Main character is mute due to vocal damage but can use sign language, body language & grunts to communicate. This is explained by your buddy, the other diver who is friendly enough to cover for you. The lead diver then tutorialized the echo gun, allowing for viewing of the coral outside the descending craft. Eventually the Bathysphere lands, and the crew exits. 

As you are admiring the ocean around you, you hear a loud snap & notice that the chord that acts as an elevator for the bathysphere falls limp behind you. After attempting to call the surface, you all realize it is a moot point as none of you have equipment strong enough to call the surface. 

You all decide to continue your sea walk towards the facility. As you approach the building, you can’t help but be reminded of beached whale bones tragically bleached by the sun on the shore line. Or perhaps they remind you of the intimidating sculpture of a mosasaur ready to snap. 

The cast eventually climbs/swims into the moon pool and enter the sunlight zone 

1.0 Calm before the Storm (5 minutes) 

Once they enter the base, we find the place is desolate, with only a light mess and some semi-rotted food in the mess hall, scattered papers, and slight hints of something going wrong. This area is more of a lodge, and is not directly connected to the main research segment for safety purposes. In order to progress, two keys must be found that can unlock the elevator/ tram area that leads to the main section base. Your two companions offer to split up and search for a key each, and the player must choose which character to follow. The expedition lead will take you to the overseers office whilst your diving buddy will search the residential area. 

Hidden encounter Possibility: Show that the imposter is monitoring the group, and since they’ve fully mutated into their suit, they fade into nothingness, their glowing eye(s) soon afterwards.

1.2A Overseers Office (2 minutes) 

Loads of memorabilia from the site, illegally kept here, as well as a bunch of lovecraft references imported by the overseer. 

Key to the room is hidden in a hidden object puzzle and can be found using the echo gun. Explain how the echo gun will highlight an object's general location as well as crouching And going prone. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Wbu_WNEoYs 

1.2B Living quarters (2 minutes) 

Lore in journals that are mandated by the onboard psychologist 

Here we find that the pressure of working so far from civilization is causing both mental suffering & physical stress. 

One is hinted at being a corporate spy or russian spy if we go Cold War but subtly One is that of the previous diving crew 

One is a rather unhinged one, detailing someone who doesn’t quite fit in normally, and has been secretly keeping notes obsessing over their nightmares concerning an enormous creature in the darkness of the sea. 

One of these holds hints at where in the room the key can be found. 

Explain how the echo gun will highlight an object's general location as well as crouching And going prone. 

1.5 Separation, monster zone 1 (5 minutes) 

We transition into a much more gruesome area deeper into the complex. Our two npcs are separated from our main character & we are forced to hide/run for our lives. 

A cutscene shows players using their hand device to turn on active camo, and gives a tutorial on how it works in media res. 

2.0 Monster zone 2 (5 minutes) 

Next portion with different enemy types. 

Within this portion we reunite with the npc we didn't follow in the earlier section. They are at a control center behind glass, and are using comms to guide you through the level. This portion could more specifically explain how you can use the echo gun to hack into devices to set them off, or cameras for fixed perspectives of different rooms. 

At the end you reconvene in front of the bullet proof glass only to have the npc get dragged away by the false diver into the darkness. 

2.5 Electric zone (5 minutes) 

This zone is cinematic and very much focuses on bio electric enemies

The Key focus is an angler fish monster, and its hideous brood. They are feeding off the power so the lights are flickering & access to the rest of the facility is cut off. 

This section focuses on using the echo gun to reroute power in order to get to the third portion of the building. Through the level the angler is a looming threat, choosing to lure and harass you by propping up one of your crewmates from earlier in the game and speaking with their voice. (the person being used as a lure changes based on which route you picked earlier on) We also get more direct confrontation with the false diver. Once the powers successfully rerouted the level becomes a chase scene, wherein a pissed off angler fish is charging at you in the dark down corridors lit up by bioluminescent sea slugs leading towards the exit. Once you successfully escaped the mama angler, it’s out of the frying pan and into the fire 

3.0 Cave civilization zone (5 minutes) 

Finally you reach the end of the man made facility, and enter what appears to be ruins of a long lost civilization. 

This portion would include more lethal gameplay as enemies of a more cursed variety appear and in larger numbers. 

You duck and weave down eroded pathways eventually coming upon an impossibly huge underwater lake. 

4.0 ending (2 minutes) 

The Imposter reveals themself, speaking a line to you whilst using sign language (perhaps hinting at a possible history), and reveals their true form 

From behind them as their music swells an enormous form emerges from the darkest part of the cave water. 

This can only be a god in living form. Once the monster is about to enter the light the game ends. 

Authors Post-Notes 

Total current runtime: 33 Minutes 

Admittedly this came together rather rushed due to school and family problems (Hurricanes woooooooooooo) though I’m still pretty proud of it. Hope this gets my concepts across & thank you for taking the time to read my work!