I was thinking of some monsters that I think would fit the game world very well. The one monster that is there now is scary, but its more of a shock value. I think some one mentioned it looked like a bat dolphin, which is scary in its own sense.
I have two ideas for things to scare the shit out of you. They both run with one theme that I think fits with the game, facelessness.
The first, A Shadow. Just a shadow, it can maneuver in low light area and can attack when ever the player and the entity and touching the same surface. It travels nearly silently and makes a recognizable scream when fended off. The flash light can be used to fight against it and drive it away, while the glow stick will cast an area of protection around the player. Flares will create a safe zone or a barrier that will stop it from traveling through a small area such as a door way.
Possible way to kill it, lead it into a area with flood lights and run out trapping it inside with a flare in the doorway. Restore power to the lights and watch him burn from out side the room.
Second, a blob. Who knows where it came from, maybe a small animal came in contact with something toxic and it lost its shape. What it is now is a small grayish black sack of goo no more then a foot around, swiftly roaming the corridors looking for food. Squeaking as it chases you nothing seems to stop it. It just absorbs the blasts from the dynamite, and slips under any door you throw in its.... face. You notice that it twist and screeches when it runs into a puddle of watter from a over head watter pipe.
Possible ways to kill it, take a can of gasoline pore it on a pile of scrap wood in the work show. Drop a flare into and the fire will set off the sprinklers dousing the amorphous blob dissolving it into nothing more then a puddle on the concrete floor.
Any one else have any ideas for possible monsters to roam the halls of Penumbra.
Wow, this is crazy. I have been trying to think of ideas of monsters that would be scary... and I have a creative block. Maybe I'll ponder this and Give a better answer.
Anyways I don't think that a blob or a shadow would scare me... but good ideas non the less. If you want to see a game that utilizes shadows as an enemy, check out Nosferatu: The Wrath of Malachi. It's a FPS set in a Castle in Transylvania... and loosely based on the old Vampire movies. Good game though.
I'll come back with some ideas in a bit!
Well, I've come across some basis for ideas. Since the story takes place in Greenland, I've been researching some Greenland myths and Ghost Stories. They are mostly Native Inuit based. Stuff maybe like Wendigo, which is like a flesh eating humanoid that gains power by eating human flesh. Maybe some ghosts of the facility operators. Maybe base a ghost off of the story of Tears. Loosely that is, Perhaps it's an old facility worker that is dead... but when you come across him, he is dripping blood or black liquid from the eye area with no white eyes. Just a black spot?? I don't know... maybe my ideas are too far out there. But I think it would be good to base it on some sort of northen story. Could even add in a nod to resident evil with a dog like creature that is a possessed wolf from the arctic.
More update(s) to come.
Yeah, I like that real world back story.
I also think it would be cool to help tell the story through ghostly flashbacks like in System Shock. Maybe it would happen during times when your sight goes red.
IE. When your site goes red when you in the game your by those busted pipes. You could maybe watch as a worker is attacked by a monster and the pipes are broken in the attack.
I think my eyedea (play on words) would be cool. If it was presented as such: You walk into the bathroom and look in the mirror to see a person behind you with eyes dripping with blood or black liquid. As soon as you see this... the lights go out. You frantically look for the door... and soon find it's locked from the outside. Now you have to go about finding away out of the bathroom. Should you wait, and try to break the door down? Should you venture into the ventshaft? It's up to you. The creature or spectre could be through anyone of those exits... waiting for you. Psychology and not knowing whats lurking is the part of the game that got my heart pumping. The monster scenes were good... but once you knew what it was it wasn't such a big problem. I really like the idea of messing with the players head. Since this would be more an adventure game then a fps... I feel it should take these approaches. But this is all my opinion... I'm not trying to tell you devs how to make your game.
KageOni Wrote:You could maybe watch as a worker is attacked by a monster and the pipes are broken in the attack.
This sounds alot like the appiritions in Ss2.
The only problem I could see with this, is possibly a story conflict. Seeing an appirition of the past. Would mean your character is psychicly capable. The hole would begin with the fact that you are drawn by an unknown urge to come to this place. Not knowing would kind of kill the psychic theory.
Maybe the character is psychic? Who knows, I guess that's up to the dev team.
Imagine walking around and hearing deep breathing behind you... like its coming down your neck... only to turn and see nothing. Fear is the greatest part of horror. Not shock. Alteast that's what I've found.
Yeah, I can see it now.
But to go with you bleeding eye dude, you need that screech that goes with that kinda shit. Like from the G4 commercial where the deer makes every one you love go away.
No one else has any ideas for Monsters???
I guess it's just you and me KageOni bouncing ideas off one another, ha.
Yeah visual and audible scares are the best. As I stated earlier in topic... I'm not really into shock. Although I gotta admit, when you come into that room with the blood and the jacket... that was pretty gory and minimal to the point it wasn't overdone.
I think there should be this slinky creature that can travel through the vents. At some instances he will poke his head down and just look at you, then go up and leave. This should happen continuasly through the game because it gives another sense of fear, knowing something is following you but not know what it wants.
I think the idea of a goo creature could work, particularly if it looked rather fleshy, and perhaps could crawl up walls and ceilings. This is the kind of creature I could see being afraid of light (though the shadow creature is a pretty damn good idea), and as it tries to get away from your flashlight, it squishes down and slides under doors or something like that. You wouldn't know for certain whether or not you've really trapped it because it could go through the vents.
Also, you would have to run like hell after you had trapped it, because it could also come back out as soon as you run out of flashlight batteries.
Another thing with the shadow monster, you could put it in like really long, dark hallways... cause that way, the glowstick will not see to the end, (But will keep you safe from the shadow) and the flashlight, which will have more distance, will not be able to protect all sides of you. I dunno about you guys, but walking down a long dark hallway.. hearing those sounds.... it just freaks me out. especially when you can only see like a foot in front of you with the glowstick.
I cant really think of any creatures right now.. but if there is any water in the game, there needs to be something in there.. cause Water stuff scares the hell out of me.