The Full Story of

Not a Murder

Not a Murder began as a play on the player character, the single crow. The game is a 3rd-person rail-shooter that plays very similar to a twin-stick-shooter inspired by arcade gaming and the Panzer Dragoon series. In the game the player flies through a pre-determined spline that takes them through the level whilst facing enemies that fly in the way of the player and sometimes fire projectiles towards the player.

The player moves within a set frame of the visible screen space to be able to avoid incoming projectiles and to provide a sense of control. They have freedom within the confines of the spline. The player can shoot two different attacks. One attack that fires quickly and constantly and one cannon-like attack that shoots a stronger projectile with a set cooldown.

The player is taken through various environments and increase their high score by defeating enemies and shooting bonus objectives. There is no health component but there is, however, a points penalty for taking a hit. I decided against a health component since the showcase of the levels and the comparison of high scores is what players felt was the most fun with the game.

There are two distinct themes, one very bright and one much more dark. Neither theme has any gore and is only meant to be different for aesthetic reasons and to avoid visual fatigue. It also allowed me to build environments that each have different challenges in terms of lighting, line-of-sight, mesh placement and environmental storytelling.

Movement

The movement was primarily meant to provide the player with a sense of freedom and an ability to avoid enemy projectiles in a more fluid way than a shield or parry mechanic. It is limited to a part of the screen since the angle of incoming projectiles would cover a too large part of the camera if the player is allowed to move to either edge of the screen.

Aiming

Alternating the crosshair when aiming on an enemy solved many issues with aiming and being able to tweak the sensitivity to a lower value during the animation made it feel very natural. A circle marking the enemy was also added for clarification. The crosshair moves independently of the player character, much like a twin-stick-shooter.

Basic Fire

The basic fire is meant to be fired constantly and is used to eliminate enemies. It does low damage but is very reliable in terms of aim. The player is thus given a weapon that is easy to learn and master and can be used without consequence.

Alt Fire

The alternative fire shoots a large high damage projectile that does some area-of-effect damage with slight fall off. This has a cooldown that is indicated by lines appearing next to the crosshair and a dot representing a ready-to-fire state. The alternative fire must be used in order to clear the level with a high ranking.

Splines

Splines were used for the player and enemy pathing. They were placed in various parts of the level with trigger-boxes acting as the activation. A lot of internal playtesting was required to get the timing right. The amount of enemies as well as necessary breathing room for the player was also refined by testing.

Jellyfish

The jellyfish is a basic enemy that sometimes blocks the players path. Due to lacking an explicit attack, they have higher health. They still damage the player if the player were to fly into them. They can be shot down for points towards the high score.

Turtle

The turtle fires projectiles against the player and should be dealt with as quick as possible. They act as a more immediate threat to the player, forcing them to prioritize targets. The turtle has lower health to balance out their chance to damage the player.

The Dark

Dark - 1

The end goal of one of the dark levels. The grand cathedral with the moon in background is always a presence when playing the level and is the key landmark.

Dark - 2

The statue of Poseidon acts as the catalyst for the ongoing storm and chaos of the level.

Dark - 3

Objects and whole structures have been lifted from the ground and provide a chaotic setting. Since splines are used I am able to make the flight path feel structured even in the chaotic state of the level.

Dark - 4

A longer corridor that slows the player down while spawning enemies on both sides. Acts as a cinematic experience.

Dark - 5

The broken path acting as a narrative component for why the crow chooses to fly where it does.

Dark - 6

This is the introductory level for the dark theme. A much darker zone allowing the player projectiles to be seen in a different light all while setting the tone of the new theme.

Dark - 1

The end goal of one of the dark levels. The grand cathedral with the moon in background is always a presence when playing the level and is the key landmark.

Dark - 2

The statue of Poseidon acts as the catalyst for the ongoing storm and chaos of the level.

Dark - 3

Objects and whole structures have been lifted from the ground and provide a chaotic setting. Since splines are used I am able to make the flight path feel structured even in the chaotic state of the level.

Dark - 4

A longer corridor that slows the player down while spawning enemies on both sides. Acts as a cinematic experience.

The Light

Light - 1

A village connected to the nearby market. Worn down ground near the entrances of each house shows a living and bustling city.

Light - 2

The market along with wares connected to the sea and ships that bring in wares.

Light - 3

A small village hidden away in this lush paradise. This ties into the theme by having man made elements in every level.

Light - 4

Broken bridge than serves as a "dive" point for the player. This also acts as a cinematic experience and gives the player a large view of the level.

Light - 5

The inside of a half-sunken temple that shows the fall of a previous city. Alternating between indoor and outdoor area allows the player to experience a "breathing" effect of small and large areas.