Defining and re-imagining the game.

The key elements of Adventure / Zork are:

> Player having a sense of control through the choices available therefore becoming immersed in the world.

> Following a set story line similar to games like Dungeon and Dragons as well as J/RPGs such as Tales of Symphonia, Final Fantasy X-2 where there are multiple endings possible depending on actions and choices the player has made during the course of the game. Even more so with the Way of the Samurai games; players having the same level of choice to fight.

> Puzzle/Problem solving. For example, finding out how to get out of the maze or moving the dam gates (none of which I managed).

> Discovery. Looking through other text based adventure games on http://www.textadventures.co.uk/ I noticed at lot of the games revolved around the player discovering a world, why someone is missing, why someone is dead, finding a way home. Unlike RPGs, the drive of the story is not to defeat an evil.

Initial Ideas

As I see this style of game more suited to a Teen+ audience and I want to try and appeal to the western FPS market as well as the RPG market my first idea for re-imagining this game is survival in a post-apocalyptic city. Looking at TV adverts and in-store promotions, the most notable games are FPS set in war torn and decayed civilisations so I'm choosing this kind of environment to create a setting FPS players would be familiar in. However, my target audience would still predominantly be RPG players. It should have a similar sense to the Fallout series.

The hero (possibly called Zork, or the city/planet/location is named Zork) would wake up in a similar manner to Faye Valentine and Toole in the Japanese animes Cowboy Bebop and Origin: Spirits of the Past where the characters wake up after being cryogenically frozen. However, they would not have supporting characters helping them along.

Faye in her cryogenic chamber which she lay in suspended animation for 54 years.
Image sourced from animegalleries.

I've beta played ThatGameStudio's Journey and have been inspired a little by that along with the game Fist of the North Star and Lost in Blue

Journey (PS3): The player starts a top a sand dune and looks out across a desert with a few of what I assume to be graves plotted about. The player has no idea why they are there, they're simply the being that they are. The player moves about and discovers actions they are able to do and the game clearly hints that touching the red floating talismans is beneficial to the player. The player soon comes across a larger ruin and finds some of the talismans caged. There are also hidden items that further supports the player. It become evident that the player needs the talismans to further themselves in the game.

For the few levels I played, there is no narrative but there is a spiritual being that appears at the end of each level who displays pictures of what happens, uncovering the story of the world to the player. There are also other assets that do this but aren't vital to find in order to further the game.

However, the game seems rather linear as, from what I've experienced, there is only one route (although the levels seem rather expansive and there's a lot to explore).

The sense of motive/direction in the game is through the massive mountain in the far distance with a beacon of light at the top. There are also different shaped talismans that guide you a little and a star falls (sometimes throwing you of course to a dead end).

The 2nd level in Journey. In the background you can see the mountain.
Image sourced from ThatGameCompany.

Fist of the North Star: The Japanese comic, animation and game is based in a post-apocalyptic world where food and water is sparse. Brutal groups capture weaker people and use them as slaves as well as take over/pillage establishing societies trying to survive. It takes place if different locations from ruined, modern city to mountains. Although this story has a "defeat the tyrant" plot to it, it also has people trying to find ways to survive by making use of what they have and hunting for new resources.

Stages from the Game (as in the manga).
Images sourced from KoeiWarriors.

Lost in Blue (DS): For the first play through of this game, the player takes the role of a young boy who has survived a storm at sea and found himself washed up on shore. Their first task is to seek out food, water and shelter as should the players hunger/thirst/stamina gages reach 0%, they can no longer operate and need to recover before their health reaches 0% and they die. As the player progresses they meet another character and discover things about the unknown and seemingly abandoned island. Depending on their actions the player can either find ways off of the island and back home or make the Island their new home. there are plenty of resources about the island such as animals, fish, safe drinking water, fruits, wood and vines. The player actually has to complete actions themselves. eg. If they want to cook, they have to gather and choose the ingredients themselves and then using the stylus, go through each step of the cooking process such as cutting, frying and stirring.

The players stats screen is usually on the top screen of the DS unless map is up (if chose to help the girl, her stats will also be on there). The player hunts, having to aim for themselves with a bow & arrow they made. Using the shoulder buttons and mic, the player has to start a fire in order to cook food and have a good nights rest.
Images sourced from Digital Entertainment News and Nintendo Spin.