Welcome to our second devlog, I'm Jason Quinn, one of the artists and Lead Designer for Sunken Shadows. This update is a sneak peek into the world we're building. I'll discuss parts of the story and the various explorable environments and briefly touch on the characters.

The World

The game is set over 20 years from now. At the centre of our story, one corporation, named Katalyst Dynamics, is the most influential tech giant on the planet. One branch of the company is focusing on repairing the atmosphere with technology but is in dire need of more research to accomplish this. In their search, they find something unusual floating across the ocean, fragments of advanced yet ancient technology.

Hope

Katalyst acquires these fragments for study, speculating their possible usefulness in repairing the Earth, but more samples are required. After mapping the journey of the fragments, they find the source to be at Point Nemo, the furthest point from land, a place with a shadowy history at the centre of a cover-up. A base is formed at the location, codenamed Site Alice. Scoutbots, researchers and other personnel were sent down below Point Nemo, but none returned. Hope is fleeting.

Enter the player

You play as an experienced freelance diving pilot codenamed Trident, an underwater mercenary with a fearless reputation and a penchant for exploring the unexplorable. Katalyst contacts you for a job with a hefty paycheck, to work with their researchers to explore the depths of Point Nemo, find the source of the tech and help save the planet, a simple job right? Not quite. Soon after your arrival, the plan falls apart and you must drive forward on instinct and skill alone, the only contact with the outside world being your handler from Katalyst, Elsa.

The Environments

Currently, we have four biomes all at different depths of the ocean. We wanted the player to delve deeper as they traverse, encountering unusual environments and various monstrosities along the way. The further you go, the more alien your surroundings feel. I'll briefly describe the environments next in order of depth going downward.

Shallow Waters

The first biome, closest to the surface with a regular ocean bed, various coral and marine vegetation plus creatures that look like mutated piranhas. Visibility is not an issue here, we want the player to feel powerful in their mech and curious about the controls and environment. The path will be fairly straightforward.

Shipwreck Graveyard

The next environment surrounds the player in darker murkier waters. Abandoned, destroyed and lost ships in all shapes and sizes from all across history are resting here, forgotten by time. The idea for this environment is to be more restrictive with open space and encourage the player to explore ships for resources and manoeuvre the area with new capabilities and thinking. The player will have to travel not just forwards, but upwards also, moving objects and obstacles out of their way. 

Crystal Caverns

This area is the most otherworldly so far, with crystalline structures, and camouflaged foes. This environment will be more difficult to traverse than those previously visited. The constant brightness can expose you greatly, unlike the Shipwreck Graveyard, this place will be most difficult to sneak past enemies and has large open spaces for hordes of enemies to challenge you. Uneven footing could be an issue here, so it's best to watch your step, the creatures aren't the only things out to kill you.

Darkest Depths

The final area is the least visible and most dangerous. Something gargantuan lurks in the shadows, it blocks your path many times and you will have to find out how to cut through. This shadowy creature appears cunning, and you're in its realm. All foes you've faced before reside here, all your experience, skills, weapons and abilities are needed if you're gonna survive in this seemingly desolate and unforgiving environment. 

This was your glimpse into the world of Sunken Shadows, thanks for accompanying us on this journey and we'll be back in the next devlog with more progress.

- Jason