Perpetua
A game by Miles Kennedy
This site contains all the concepts behind the game Perpetua. If by the time you are reading this the game actually exists, spoiler warning I guess.
An Introduction
For my senior project I wondered, "How can I design a Metroidvania game?"
I wanted to create a world which players wanted to explore, with a story that players wanted to uncover. This site contains all the progress I made toward that goal, starting with an introduction to the world, then the gameplay, and ending with an explanation for my design choices.
Perpetua
The world is ending. Split apart until nothing but primordial elements remain, cosmic lines connect the remaining solid mass, forming an archipelago of realms in space.
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An ancient order who once harnessed the primordial elements is now in ruin. The explosive power of raw elements caused a schism, with those who sought power being consumed by it, and those who sought order being banished or killed.
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At the center of it all lies Darkrax, the leader of the Axian Order and Allfather of the lands. As the universe began to collapse, Darkrax retreated into their castle to find a means to prevent the end. Once they entered, no one ever saw them again. Some say they went mad. Other say they will return with our salvation. But the power hungry knew this: Darkrax had abandoned them. Abandoned their own children. And now the realms were theirs to defend.
An Axian Myth
At the end of time, the wellspring of life will become the font of death, and the world will begin anew.
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As the heart of the universe beats, all sorrows will drown, and order will rise.
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None may defy death, save for death itself.
While the meaning of this scripture has been lost to time, this mention of a "wellspring of life" has been the subject of many theories and studies throughout the ages. Some say it is physical, the core of the universe itself. Others say it is intangible, an essence that surrounds us. While none know for certain, hints and clues lie throughout the realms, and perceptive individuals may have already discovered the truth.
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Of course, this scripture contains more to unpack. How much of it is literal, or figurative? Metaphorical? Truth, or lies? The power hungry reject the scripture, seeking to defy death with the power of the raw elements. The banished ones, however, still cling to the scripture, seeking comfort in the inevitability of death.
Explore Collapsing Worlds
Perpetua takes place in a collection of island-like landmasses in space.
Most of them have collided with each other due to the energy being released.
Pictured above is an example of the amalgamation of nature, earth, and storms that has been created as the realms smash together. These areas contain more than what is shown in the image, although mostly what is missing is the ruins.
In the forest and meadow, you encounter few hostile enemies as this area mainly serves as the beginning of the game. There will however be an ent or two - a tree which has been given some form of sentience by the primal energy being released.
In the subterranean tunnels, you will mainly encounter golems, tough amalgamations of rock similarly given a form of sentience by the primal energies.
In the thundercloud, you will encounter hostile clouds and beings of pure lightning which are swift and require preparation to face.
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In general, the theme for most of the enemies is the environment given life by the primordial energies that are being released.
In The Beginning
The game begins in an asteroid field, in the space between realms. You are a blob of dark matter, able to move using the arrow keys. This area will serve as the tutorial, teaching the player about the very basics of gameplay (like how they can move) as well as introducing the first combat mechanic, when the first enemy appears...
This is your character
They are pure dark matter
The first key mechanic which will be taught to the player is the ability to absorb and deflect. Since in this world all elements stem from dark matter, you as a creature of dark matter are able to absorb the elements as well as deflect elemental attacks.
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A deflected attack gives an opening, and depending on the attack type can even cause the attacker to take damage from their own attack. For example, deflecting a projectile causes it to retrace its path and hit the caster.
A broad overview of gameplay
The gameplay will be a mix of platforming puzzles and combat puzzles. What makes this game different from other Metroidvanias is these "combat puzzles". Traditionally, games such as Hollow Knight are seen as a bit more difficult than your typical game, and as such some people are unable to experience the wonder of the world within the game. I wanted to make an experience that was more accessible, while still remaining satisfying to play. So, in Perpetuia, the combat will be much slower and more methodical, with ability combos being the focus. For example, a hulking enemy stands in your path with heavy armor. The enemy goes in for a swing, but time slows down for the player, and they have to choose the correct elements to combo to destroy the armor and stun the enemy. A mix of earth and fire could create magma that melts the armor, or a mix of nature and storms could tear the armor off with fierce branches grown from rain. This will challenge a different set of skills compared to a typical Metroidvania, allowing more, or at least different players to experience a Metroidvania world without the fast-paced combat.
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Example: Environment Puzzle
After the nature realm, the player has the option to venture into a subterranean cavern realm where they can explore a bit of the entrance before being met with an obstacle which requires the player to somehow "jump" higher than they currently can. However, another area which can be explored after the nature realm is the realm of storms. If the player beats the boss of this area, they absorb the power of storms. Now, with the combination of rain from storms and plant growth from nature, the player is able to create a tree to climb up into the cavern zone.
Example: Combat Puzzle
One of the enemy types in the subterranean area is a golem-like creature, a collection of rocks which has been pulled together by the raw primordial energy and given dull sentience. Initially, the players attacks seem to do nothing. Lightning gets absorbed by the rocks, branches get buried under rubble, and any basic attack just seems to bounce right off. A perceptive player might remember how they combined nature and storms to gain access to this area in the first place and attempts to combo them again. They may also notice the glint that appears as soon as the golem attempts to swing at the player. As soon as that glint appears again, the player deflects the attack, slowing time and giving them an opening to combo their elements. Again, with a combination of rain and growth the player grows a hearty tree which shatters the golem into pieces and holds them in place, incapacitating the golem permanently.
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After beating the boss in the subterranean area, they absorb the power of earth, and this power alone can subdue the golems, which makes exploring the area significantly faster.
Power Progression
Absorption
With the ability to absorb the primordial elements, the player progresses through the game in a traditional Metroidvania fashion where the "abilities" gained are the possible combinations of elements. Defeating the boss of a realm will grant its associated power. Prior to defeating the boss, the player may gain slivers of power from the enemies in the realm, where they can test weaker versions of the elemental power before unlocking the whole thing. To avoid people farming enemies in a given area to try and unlock the entire element, these slivers are gained quickly but have little they can be used for.
Map progression
As in typical metroidvania style, the player must unlock their "abilities" (or in this case, elements) to progress. Below is a chart containing the current ideas for progression throughout the game.
Of goals and the goal of finding a goal
What is the goal of the player in this game?
My goal was to create a more accessible Metroidvania game, so as you might imagine I want the players to explore, discover, and do all those things that come from a typical Metroidvania world. As the opening of the game is very vague, the goal of the player is really to find their purpose. Explore the world, read ancient myths and listen to dialogue, and just absorb information to find out what your purpose is. So, the goal is finding your purpose... Or the goal is finding a goal. A bit on the nose, isn't it?
Collectibles and other optional objectives
In order to encourage exploration, there needs to be more than just lore in optional areas. It's possible that I could add certain upgrades, like an increase to your health or stronger abilities. But at the same time, I want the player to feel powerful immediately. I want the player to feel like each element is as powerful as the last and they are simply mastering combinations. So perhaps the player could collect tablets which give them hints to certain element combinations they may not think of... But then this could be subverted with googling combos...
Collectibles and optional objectives would come at a later date. I'm not too sure what would drive all players to explore besides upgrades...