Complex
Start date: Mar 25, 2014,
End date: Sep 24, 2017
PROJECT
FINISHED
Complex starts out in a blank, empty world. The player plays from a first person perspective. By exploring this vast empty space, the player can erect huge valleys and constructions by giving the right input. The right input can vary from simply pressing the right button, to visiting a series of locations. These valleys and constructions (which we like to call “dungeons”) can be entered by the player and will consist of a series of puzzles and platform sequences the player needs to overcome. The player controls a robot that wants to become human, and at the end of each dungeon the player will find a human (body) part. Then there is ‘the Eye’. The Eye is a small flying camera drone, which accompanies the robot throughout the game. The camera feed of the Eye can be seen picture-in-picture in the player’s first-person view. At all times the eye shows another take on the player and his actions. It helps the player by giving a good overview of the puzzle, but at times it will also confuse the player because it doesn’t always show the same as what the robot sees in 1st person...Complex’s story is one about self-identity, and perception vs. reality. Finding a human body part and a mirror at the end of each dungeon is a structural opportunity for the narrative and its plot events to progress. The game uses these moments to deliver the narrative.The robot sees his transformation into a human perfectly when looking in a mirror, but the Eye shows that the transformation to human is not perfect at all: The robot is a horribly deformed and disfigured being. The depictions of the transformation into a human will constantly differ between the robot and the Eye.Throughout the game, these realities shift back and forth. By constantly changing the two depictions and intentionally showing conflicting images of the robot when looking in mirrors in 1st person perspective, and when seen via the 2nd camera, Complex confuses the player in not knowing what the real form of the robot is.
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