Teddy's exploration of his grandfather Henry's life spans both childhood and adulthood, not only exposing the harrowing impact of dementia, but contrasting the complexity of Henry's later years with the simplistic beauty of his formative ones.
Answering the question of how the player would transition between these two eras was a definite challenge, and we chose to approach it without compromise, crafting an emotional sequence in which the player is able to experience the exact moment at which Henry is forced to leave childhood behind.
Because narrative drives the majority of our design decisions, it's imperative that we have a deep understanding of our characters, their motives, and the themes and metaphors we choose to explore. Henry's rich history offered many opportunities for variety, but it was important that we worked to unify the overall experience so that everything felt distinctly "Henry."
To create a sense of progression, we not only evolved the abilities of the player through the orb throw, retrieval, super kick, and "ground pound," but also through the introduction of "control points," which we'll document in detail in a forthcoming post.
The ongoing narrative is supported through Beacons, points of interest, Henry's paintings, and his raw inner thoughts. Some of these elements are unique to Henry, yet echo the narrative counterpoints discoverable in other family stories.
Henry's tale is not only the first of the three Teddy will explore during his journey through the mind, it's also the most expansive.
When playing Always in Mind, we hope you enjoy re-living Henry's incredible saga, and witnessing the parallels between him and his grandson. Our intention is to deliver an adventure that is bigger than life; and a story that is genuinely authentic.
Stay tuned for more on what makes Henry's story unique, the "control point" mechanic, and insights into how we chose to portray his adult years.
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