Hi everyone!
In this dev blog, we wanted to talk more about the planet Persephone.
We released a trailer at the Future Games Show recently to showcase it too, so definitely check that out in case you missed it.
Persephone can be considered the main challenge to overcome in Aphelion. Having an uncharted alien planet as a playground gives a lot of opportunities to create tension through only navigation and traversal. Ariane is mostly on natural and difficult terrain throughout the game, while Thomas visits manmade structures, which in both cases fit the gameplay intended for those characters. The planet is a source of gameplay inspiration, as it is mostly made of ice. We implemented features that add more depth to navigation, such as ‘thin ice’, fragile ground that collapses if players don’t walk carefully on it. Ariane faces a lot of natural phenomena, climbs mountains, crosses electromagnetic storms, and much more, all of that owing to Persephone. Our art teams did a great job in making the planet as beautiful as it is dangerous, which gave us opportunities to create meaningful gameplay sequences throughout the whole game.
Another unique thing about Persephone is its electromagnetism. Magnetic fields were not integrated into Aphelion right away; their introduction stemmed from a level design need to create progression blockers and to break the rhythm slightly and ease the tension in chapters where players control Ariane. The initial idea very quickly became to open paths for the player. What remained was to define what we wanted the player to do concretely. As is often the case in game design, we started with fairly complex ideas (anamorphosis effects, precise aiming, placement puzzles, etc.), presented as a mechanical tool affecting the environment directly. But gradually, alongside research into the planet’s lore, the idea of radio waves emerged, and the gameplay shifted toward searching for frequencies to resonate and interact with magnetic field “anomalies.” This direction aligned well with the story we wanted to tell and allowed us to introduce the notion of a ‘second world,’ visible only through a specific device worn by Ariane, the EM scanner. Later, we were able to reuse the ‘anomaly’ mechanic as decoys for the Nemesis, thereby enriching gameplay possibilities within the arenas.
The EM scanner is a tool worn by Ariane that allows her to visualize the planet’s magnetic field lines and interact with anomalies. To use it, the player simply activates the tool and scrolls through to the desired frequency. Once the correct frequency is found, magnetic manifestations become visible. Magnetic field lines have relatively broad frequencies, whereas anomalies require much more precise tuning to be activated. The tool also allows players to see the Nemesis through walls during stealth phases, which can be very useful for constantly tracking its position.