4.2.2 The physical world ‐ Key locations & environment

Tribe

The first location which the player finds themselves in is an underground tribe, the home of the main character. The tribe is in a terrible state as all the members are dying from the lack of resources. The tribe consists of slum structures built around a smaller temple of the ancient civilisation. The temple and other buildings are built into shallow holes in the walls of the cave. The tribe members cultivate scarce fruit trees and have a cemetery. The player only explores the outskirts of the tribe's base. Between the slum buildings, which are made from the regime’s scrap materials they scavenged, the sickly tribe members sit and lay.

Dungeon

After the player leaves the tribe, they step out into the dungeon. It is not a world tailored to the main character, as it is cold and hostile. The vegetation, the NPCs and every single tile could exist without the interference of the main character, and so they do. Not everything in the depths of the dungeon is meant to be seen. The cave walls are cold and made from cobblestone. The rooms are narrow and give a suffocating feeling. The vegetation is scant, consisting mostly of moss, fern and vines. Every so often there are also some roots from trees, of which no one undoubtedly knows where they grow. The native creatures of the cave are bizarre and some are ill disposed towards the player. Once the player poses as helpful to them, they might change their attitude and give some information.

Soldier camps

Disturbing the peace of the dungeon are the soldier’s camps, filled with hefty housing, utensils, crates, generators and other futuristic objects. Sometimes abandoned buildings which are used by the soldiers of the regime as lodging and for storing resources and tools. The camps also include some larger tools for extracting resources from the depths of the dungeon. Those buildings and tools are clunky, monotone and sci-fi inspired.

The surface

The surface is where the tribe believes their god (the sun) reins as it is the only place which his beams (sunbeams) touch. It is, however, actually a breeding ground for oppression. A barren wasteland where the soldiers, former laborers, watch over the enslaved inhabitants as they work themselves to death. The only thing keeping them alive is the sunberry, an addictive substance, the one the player can use as a temporary power-up. They only get to see the temple and nothing more of the surface. Hence why the environment for the surface is not of importance.

Ancient temple

Once the player reaches the boss fight, they reach the surface. The fight takes place in a long deserted temple of the old civilisation, sunbeams streaming through the pillars. The temple is inspired by aztec architecture, the stone pillars and floors made from bright stone, standing in stark contrast to the previous levels. The temple is used by the home planet overseer (angel) as his private residence. The player walks in on the angel enjoying a feast. Surprised, the angel clears the space in front of him and the fight begins.