Research: Existing Games

 The Order 1886

I thought it would be interesting to look at the upcoming game The Order 1886, to look at concept development for a Victorian steampunk horror game.

While the game is not yet released there is some concept art to reveal what it will look like. The developers have taken existing elements of Victorian life and enhanced them with more modern features, such as the neon signs, and skyscrapers. This adds an extra dimension to the environment by challenging the players initial perception of what they consider a Victorian setting.

The differing height levels are useful in spreading out the focal points within the artwork, and allow for much more variety of buildings to be shown in one viewpoint. I feel this would be a nice feature to include within my factory environment, as it would help to make sure every part of the scene is interesting and engaging with the player.

Dishonored

 Dishonored has a similar theme to what I am producing for BA8, with a Victorian industrial area called the flooded district. The area has very tall buildings which give the player an impression of how imposing the city can be. The architecture is similar to real life Victorian factories, with large amounts of repetition including windows and arches.

 The environment is designed to be abandoned, and is run-down with large amounts of deterioration found within the entire level. This adds a sense of foreboding, leading the player to suspect something dangerous could be amongst the ruins.

 To add to this sense of unease, the lighting is cold, with much of the interior of one building being lit from below, increasing the ominous feeling.

The machinery within the factories is often cluttered and seemingly treated with disregard for it's visual condition, adding a sense of narrative within the environment itself. This also has the added effect of creating an unwelcoming atmosphere, making the player eager to escape.