World Soul
In a future where an overcrowded and resource-depleted Earth has driven humanity to genetically incorporate animal traits to survive, the unintended consequences of these experiments threaten to erase human cognition entirely. The protagonist of World Soul, descended from a lineage tied to the original Department of Habitation Expansion (DoHE) scientists, inherits a trove of scientific research and a mission to restore balance to the hybrid population.
Two of the original DoHE scientists, having survived in a secluded camp near Yosemite National Park, experimented on themselves to endure harsh conditions. They uncovered a grim truth: the hybrid subspecies were devolving, losing human cognitive ability to instinctive animal behavior. Before their deaths, they devised a theoretical solution; reintroducing pure unaltered human DNA to reverse the hybridization effects, but were thwarted by the absence of pure human genetic material.
The protagonist of World Soul is a resourceful descendant of a DoHE scientist who survived the cataclysm, leaving behind key research on human-animal hybridization. Raised on tales of the old world and the hybrids' decline, they inherit a unique blend of ancestral knowledge and skills, driven by a deep resolve to reverse the experiments' effects and restore balance to the hybrid population.
Companion story:
The secondary younger protagonist, shaped by their customizable tribal heritage (Prairie Dog), embarks on a deeply personal journey to find their place in a world where peers increasingly succumb to animalistic instincts. With youthful vigor and a questioning spirit, and driven by a desire for belonging and identity, they seek not only to confront the hybrid world's challenges but also to uncover their unique role in shaping its future.
My addition to the backstory :
Knowledge that will be gained as the player progresses through the story
Two original scientists from the US government-backed "DoHE" initiative were closer to a solution to humanity’s doom than the protagonist ever realized. Dr. Victor Cortex had been conducting two highly secretive experiments in liquid chambers within a hidden laboratory deep in Yosemite National Park. Along with his partner, Dr. Eleanor Falk, Dr. Cortex dedicated years to unraveling the secrets of hybridization. This cruel, ongoing research had continued for more time than either of them could recall.
It is now ironic that they are working to restore humanity and reverse the achievements of DoHE's hard labor, but the cost is far greater than they both could have predicted. While his partner opposed it, Dr. Cortex developed a peculiar attachment to his two "children"; the last specimen, the pinnacle of his research. Every night, he spoke to them as though they were truly his own.
By selectively reprogramming their neurodevelopment, the scientists ensured that the brain became human-dominant, while still capable of managing the hybrid's animal traits. This manipulation allowed the brain to exceed the cognitive capacity of a normal human, enhancing processing speed, problem-solving, and information retention far beyond a hybrid-brain’s limits.
But one night, Dr. Cortex awoke to find his laboratory engulfed in flames, and one of his “children” had escaped. As explosions tore through the facility, he managed to save his second experiment at the cost of his own life.
This second experiment is our protagonist, a hybrid with a human cognitive power; ever since they became a vagabond searching for DoHE laboratories to fulfill the legacy of his ‘”father” and save the human soul.
However, a powerful antagonist shadows their path. Test subject 1, the escaped experiment, is equipped with similar, maybe even stronger, heightened cognitive powers. But while the protagonist sees Dr. Cortex as a guiding father figure, TS1 (Test subject 1) remembers only captivity and control. In the aftermath of his escape, TS1 discovered tapes of humanity’s darkest deeds. Fueled by resentment, he has dedicated himself to finding the pure humans and eradicating them, determined to destroy the last remnants of his “false father’s” vision.
Introduction of the Antagonist (TS1) to the player at the end of the first chapter:
Inside the Southern Californian DoHE lab the protagonist unlocks the sealed door during the end of the first chapter, they find dead DoHE hybrid-scientists that lived within and a video left from the Antagonist telling him:
“I knew you would find this place….brother/sister. But.. I got in first! (Smiles viciously) I will always be one step ahead of you, so… better give up or even better; join me!”
Narrative drive/motivation :
Even though the Antagonist missed a critical hint left in the lab; one intended specifically for our protagonist. It reveals the location of the next DoHE laboratory, holding clues that could save humanity. These clues, hidden within each laboratory, were left by Dr. Falk herself. She was the one who secretly freed Test subject 2 after hearing his cries, though she couldn’t foresee the destruction this act would cause. Now, burdened by guilt, Dr. Falk is guiding the protagonist toward the final lab where the last human tribe lives. There, with the protagonist’s DNA combined with that of a pure human, the hope for humanity’s survival rests.
Companion additional story:
Accompanying the protagonist is a young prairie dog hybrid named Terra, which they meet in the tutorial. This individual possesses rare telepathic abilities but lacks the control to manage them, one of the rare traits of the prairie dog hybrids. The ceaseless noise of their tribe’s thoughts has made him an outcast, driven to isolation by their inability to silence the mental chatter of others.
Yet when he encounters the protagonist, the experience is different: the protagonist’s mind, calm, structured and focused, offers a rare comfort. Intrigued and finally feeling at peace, Terra chooses to join the protagonist, bound together by shared dreams and a newfound sense of belonging. Together, they set out: one, a determined wanderer with a legacy to fulfill, and the other, a troubled outcast seeking solace; on a journey that will determine the fate of humanity.
This backstory explains the trust the elders of all tribes give them and the value they see in them, creates a unique bond with his companion and his antagonist, explains how the players can solve puzzles all the others can’t, fight and win multiple enemies and how they can be as influential to the world as they are. It also provides a story full of twists and turns.
My version of the game’s Demo + Interactive Dialogue:
Suggestion for demo flow:
- Introductory cutscene (30-60 seconds)
- Introduces all the main factions and factors of the world
- Introduces all the main factions and factors of the world
- Player cutscene where they arrive in bettwen a tunnel amongst leaves and a granite building with an opened but destrod entrance.
”Ah, I finally… I am here.”
- Player control starts with character
- Player should be set as the older character and of the Owl tribe
- Player goes inside the granite bulding (Laboratory of DOHE)
- Introduce the tutorials for basic movement by sliding through the debris of the destroyed laboratory.
- Introduce one or two unique locks
- Introduce one or two Terrain threats
- Introduce Inventory management
- Player finds a huge claw mark of a beast on the wall within the huge lab and hears the cry of a young person.
”A predator…” The protagonist says and widens their eyes upon hearing the crying and rush to help. “I’m coming!” following the sound of crying.
- Player finds Terra crying in the middle of a big room with a huge door behind him, with the initials ofDoHE written on top of it.
- Terra - “Who are (sniff)… be careful!”
- Player meets with a monster that is right behind him that nests within the lab.
Wile the fight occurs Terra says “He wants to harm you!”
Protagonist: “No kidding!”
Terra can say “Be careful” when the monster redies to jump on them or “Wow…nice” when the protagonist successfully dogdes.
The monster runs off after being defeated.
Terra: “You defeated him…that is amazing! He lives here but he means no harm… regurarly.” He chuckles. You must have frightened him…Who are you by the way? Your mind is so… you’re different!” says excited.
The protagonist doesn’t mind him since they see the Terra is safe and looks at the big door.
Introduce a puzzle within the room. Include Cohort assistance with puzzle solving, presenting real life information, providing witty banter, etc
Terra: “Oh I know what you’re thinking! You want to open this door, right? I can help!”
While they solve the puzzle Terra remarks “Wow, you’re smart and… structured… how calming!”
Player solves the puzzle and opens the huge door. Flickering lighting is activated inside the room of the entance of the lab. Another huge door behing it greets them.
This time it has on it the sigils of four different species: A wolf, A pairie dog, an opposum and a lobster.
Terra: “Ah! Four! Just like the voices behind the door. Even though I stopped hearing them for a while now…”
Protagonist: “Voices? Hmm…”
The protagonist examines the receptors under each sigil.
Terra: “DNA receptors? What is that?”
short pause
Terra: “Oh so that’s what it is! That means you need to find people belonging to these tribes, correct? To open the door, right?”
Protagonist: “Wha… are you in my head?”
Terra: “S-sorry…”
Protagonist: “What are you even doing here?”
Terra: “I… I got a headache again… from all the voices… here there are no voices lately… But I do not get a headache with you! Weird!”
The protagonist squats to get on Terra’s eye level.
Protagonist: “Are there more… voices nearby?”
Terra: “Yes! I can show you! My village is really close!”h
Terra runs off through a shorter path towards the exit for the protagonist to follow.
Introduction to quest system.Main Quest obtained - ‘Open the Southern Californian DoHE lab’
It needs enough DNA samples one of each tribe existing within the Southern California
- Ways of obtaining it: - By defeating enough members of a specific tribe
- By aiding a tribe towards their ultimate goal, granting you the DNA samples as a gift.
Player and Terra get out of the granite building.
The Pairie dog Grandmother awaits outside of the entance of the lab along with some elders (Uncles).
Terra: ”Oh-oh!…” He says and hides behind the protagonist.
Grandmother - “So you’re the one that activated the mechanisms of the ruins… and you found Terra as well! It seems we have a lot to talk about. Follow me, please.”
Terra: ”Seems like I’m in trouble again…” Terra says in a sad voice.
The protagonist and Terra follow the Grandmother within the tunnels of the old metro station revealing to the player the Undercity, the village of the pairie dogs.
The group walks through the village with prairie dogs looking at them with interest, while Terra puts his palms on his ears trying to stop the headache.
Now only the three of them get within the private room of the Grantmother.
Interactive Dialogue
- Player gets to explore the village a bit. (Important for the feeling of control and exploration.)
The player can find merchants to buy some water and supplies (food). (Control)
The player can find some supplies or currency hidden in the village. (Exploration)
- A merchant npc says to the protagonist as they walk in front of him:
Merchant 1:
“Hey kid, want to hear a story?”
If the player talks to him, he contnues:
Protagonist:
“Sure, I love stories.”
Merchant 1:
“There is this island on the southwest, rumors say it is haunted. My last courrier that visited the place came back pale, with all of my goods missing and he says the same thing…haunted!
1. “Let me guess. This is not a story but an errant.”
Merchant 1:
“ Well If you wanna make profit, we might both earn something by uncovering the truth! What do you say? You bring me back my cargo, I pay you back with all the supplies an adventurer like you might need! So, are you in?”
2. “Why not go and check by yourself if that’s true?”
Merchant 1:
“ I’m old and I have a store to run!”
If number 1 has been selected:
1. “Sure, I can go check.”
2. “Nah, too scared too check out, thanks”
If number 1 has been selected:
Quest obtained - ‘The haunted Island'
Visit the island of Alcatraz and find the missing cargo.
Reward: 100x supplies.
- A merchant npc says to the protagonist as they walk in front of him:
- Player gets at the “border”, walking toward the destination where all the quests direct.
- Introduce Survival mechanics by finding a water source (a small lake) and a supply source (a tree bearing fruits) while walking the road downward.
Trees hide the view for now.
- Introduce Survival mechanics by finding a water source (a small lake) and a supply source (a tree bearing fruits) while walking the road downward.
- Exit Cutscene (30 -60 seconds)
- San Francisco, barely recognizable as nature has reclaimed it.
- A montage of some of the other things going about in the world
- Concerns for elders seeing their young become less human, more animal
- Some tribes gearing up for ‘war’, other tribes going about their day to day
- Biological hazards that have become commonplace from the human impact and length of time unattended
- A snip of the laboratories and or areas yet to be explored to find the cure
- Final viewable will be a statement about our heroes continued journey and the threat to the human soul if they fail.