Game and Animation

Flickering Shadows

This project extends the discussion on technological advancement from Metamorphosis: Reverie in the Ocean. Increasingly intelligent algorithms, through precise targeting, ensure that we only see the information we want to see. Over time, we confine ourselves in an information cocoon, steadfastly arriving at simple, generalized conclusions about the "facts" we thought we had witnessed. Neil Postman's prophecy has become a reality: "What is happening here is that television is altering the meaning of 'being informed' by creating a species of information that might properly be called disinformation. It means misleading information— misplaced, irrelevant, fragmented or superficial information that creates the illusion of knowing something but which in fact leads one away from knowing." Just as Huxley feared, our desires are ruining us.

Character Design - Police Detective

Character Design - Arsonist

Environment Design - Interrogation Room

Environment Design - Police Detective’s Home

Environment Design - Crime Scene

Animation

The protagonist in the animation, an accomplished police officer, assumes that a series of arsons targeting him is revenge from an elusive serial arsonist after his home is burned down, and his family perishes. He begins to see the phantom of the arsonist appearing around him, mimicking his every move. His obsession with the arsonist deepens, making it increasingly difficult for him to distinguish whether the figures beside him are phantoms or real. Until one day, he, too, commits murder.

Game Flowchart and Environment Design

The game is built using Unreal Engine. One distinctive feature of this game is that it presents two distinct endings. The first ending comes after the protagonist investigates the crime scene at his home, while his obsession with the elusive serial arsonist skews his memory, leading to the conclusion that the arsonist committed the crimes as an act of revenge. The second ending arises from the player's exploration of the World of Real Past, drawing their own conclusions. The purpose of having two endings is to illustrate how, under the influence of subconscious factors, we might struggle to objectively synthesize and recapitulate facts.

Material and Post-Processing Effects

The material used in the World in Memory is a three-colored blue toon shader, distinct from the more realistic material used in the Current World. Additionally, dynamic shading lines are integrated beyond the three different shades of blue. This not only enhances the light and shadow contrast in the relatively flat toon shader but also illustrates the instability of the world of memories through the constant movement of these lines.

In "World in Real Past," on the basis of this material, the post-processing effects of noise and distorted television have been incorporated to intensify the feeling of this factual past being sealed and forgotten.

Game Screenshots

  • Current World

  • Current World

  • Current World

  • Imaginary Past

  • Imaginary Past

  • Imaginary Past

  • Real Past

  • Real Past

  • Real Past

  • Real Past

Game Demo

In the game, players can investigate the fire scene from a first-person perspective, experiencing the protagonist's emotions and understanding his past. After a thorough investigation of the real-life fire scene, players will enter the world of the protagonist's memories of the crime scene and come to a conclusion about the criminal. The game concludes at this point. However, after the credits, the game reveals what was hidden and obscured by the protagonist's obsession: the true appearance of his home in the past. Players can freely investigate in this world and discover the differences between the real past and the past altered by the protagonist's obsession.

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Echoes of Destiny